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Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join a friendly and dedicated team as a Clinical Nurse Specialist within the South West Cleft Service based in North Devon.
The post holder will form part of a specialist team working with children 0-18yrs with cleft lip/palate across the whole of the South West. They will work closely with the multidisciplinary team in hospital and the community to ensure a co-ordinated quality service. The ideal candidate will be an excellent communicator, team player, and dedicated advocate for our families.
This is the regional service for the South West, so driving to make visits or attend local clinics is essential.
Informal visits are welcome. Please use the contact details attached to this advert for further information.
Main duties of the job
- To be a core member of the multidisciplinary team specialised in the management of the child with cleft lip and/or palate and their families.
- To undertake all relevant aspects of cleft care in hospital and in the community setting using appropriate clinical skills and decision making as an autonomous practitioner and in collaboration with multidisciplinary colleagues and support from CNS colleagues.
- To play a key role in overseeing, coordinating and managing the pre and post-operative care of children (0-18yrs) undergoing cleft surgery. Providing advice to families post operatively.
- Responsible for providing specialist advice and support to, and liaising with, other staff. This includes the provision of specialist education and training for staff in regional hospital and community settings as well students.
- To give advice to patients, parents and/or carers regarding specific care needs and work in partnership with them to ensure care needs are being met. (This may require teaching parents to perform specific nursing skills, eg. specialist feeding techniques).
- To provide families with the appropriate specialist equipment they may require
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Main duties contd
- To maintain the 24hr national standard response for all new-born baby referrals to the cleft service. Providing a face to face visit within the 24hr time frame
- To maintain the 24hr national standard for antenatal diagnosis referrals. Providing a phone call within the 24hr time frame.
- To be part of a rotational on call service for new cleft referrals (8.30am- 4.30pm Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays).
- Recognise deterioration in a patient’s condition and escalate to relevant medical and healthcare professionals as appropriate.
- Managing distressing news, responding sensitively and utilising good counselling skills, reassurance and empathy where needed.
- Attending and taking an active role within the multidisciplinary cleft clinics, supporting the team and advocating for the patients.
For a more detailed job description and main responsibilities, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.
Person specification
Aptitudes
Essential
- Supportive
- Respectful
- Innovative
- Collaborative
Qualifications
Essential
- NMC Registered Children’s Nurse
- Degree In nursing or health related subject
- Qualification in Teaching and Assessing
Desirable
- Qualification in Counselling
- Willingness to work towards Masters level academic study
- Relevant accredited post registration qualification in clinical specialism
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Excellent communication skills with all patients, parents/carers and staff, especially verbally but also in writing
- Able to assess, plan, implement and evaluate treatment and after care for patients and families, using judgement and problem solving skills where the clinical and/or social needs are complex
- Able to develop collaborative relationships and working practices, demonstarting effective liaison skills with all relevant staff within the hospital multidsciplinary teams as well community teams and outside agencies
- Able to intervene appropriately to advise other health professionals regarding the best care of children born with cleft lip and/or palate, in line with the protocols and practices of the South West Cleft Service
- Able to establish and maintain therapeutic relationships with patients and carers gaining their co-operation with necessary treatment
- Effective assertiveness skills in order to advocate child/family and service needs
- Excellent organisational skills with an ability to work autonomously within the local/wider team
- Ability to use information and IT effectively, including core Microsoft Office® programmes and patient systems
- Mobile to meet travel requirements of the job (car driver)
- Be able to work autonomously whilst acknowledging professional limitations and boundaries
- Be able to speak fluent English to an appropriate standard
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Significant experience of working with children and families, ideally both in the community and in hospital
- Evidence of working within a multidisciplinary team
Desirable
- Experience of working with children with cleft lip and/or palate
- Knowledge, experience and/or training in counselling
- Experience of undertaking research/audit projects
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Paediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist - South West Cleft Service with University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust in Bristol, South West, England. It is listed as a Band 6 Clinical nurse specialist role. The advertised salary is £39,959 - £48,117 pa / pa pro rata. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 24 Jun 2026.
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