School Nurse Specialist Practitioner

Job overview

This post is positioned within the School Health Services, part of the Children’s Community Services Directorate in Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. The School Health Services consist of School Nursing and Healthy Schools. They operate citywide across Manchester working in partnership with schools to improve the health outcomes of children, young people and their families.

Comprising of child focused functions; National Child Measurement Programme and Screening; Healthy Weight Team; Healthy Schools Programme; and the Healthy Child Programme, the School Health Service contributes to tackling health inequalities by addressing the city’s key public health priorities for children.

This is a great opportunity for personal/professional development. The post holder will deliver the Healthy Child Programme (DHSC 2026) in line with the Manchester School Health Service offer, ensuring that care is evidenced based with safe levels of intervention as well as contributing to the safeguarding arena with report writing in line with the trust policies.

Whilst staff will primarily work within one team, they may be required to work at other locations to ensure equitable service delivery. Core service hours are Monday to Friday 8.00 am to 5.00 pm.

Main duties of the job

To work as part of the school health team to provide clinical leadership support and professional direction.

Be proactive in the identification of service development in consultation with Team Leads and Heads of Service and participate in developing, monitoring, and evaluating quality standards within the service.

To assess, allocate, and respond to requests for advice and support in order to promote and maintain the health and well-being of children and families.

Maintain professional standards of accurate and timely record keeping and storage in line with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) guidelines, Data Protection Act and MFT policies and procedures.

Keeps an accurate and up to date diary on EMIS and follows Trust policy regarding confidential information.

To liaise with partner agencies as appropriate to ensure an effective communication system.

The post holders will promote the safeguarding of children, working within a multi-agency team.

The post holder will have responsibility for the completion of 1:1's and appraisals of named staff members to ensure completion of an annual Appraisal and Development Plan.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience you’ll need for this role, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the ‘Supporting Documents’ heading.

Explore ‘Inside MFT – Your Candidate Place’

To help you feel confident, prepared and fully informed before you apply, we invite you to explore Inside MFT – Your Candidate Place.  This welcoming one‑stop hub gives you a real sense of who we are — what we stand for, how we reward and support you, and the many ways we care for you as you care for others.  You’ll also find practical hints and tips for submitting a great application, along with the essential information you need to know before you apply.

To access ‘Inside MFT – Your Candidate Place', simply click on the relevant PDF document under the ‘Documents to download’ section and once opened, you can either scan or click on the QR code.

Closing vacancy listings early

We welcome applications from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. To help us manage applications fairly and give each one the time it deserves, our adverts may close early if we receive a high level of interest. Early applications are therefore encouraged.

Diversity Matters MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, please contact the manager named below.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your application

Here at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, we’re proud to be ALL HERE FOR YOU—for our patients, our communities, and each other. As part of our commitment to fairness, transparency, and personal integrity, we ask all applicants to ensure that their job applications reflect their own experiences, skills, and motivations. While AI tools can support spelling, grammar, or formatting, we expect that the content of your application—especially personal statements and responses to role-specific questions—is written by you. This helps us get to know the real you and ensures that our recruitment process remains equitable and meaningful for everyone.

Thank you for helping us uphold the values that make our Trust a place where people belong, grow, and thrive. We look forward to receiving your application.