Special School Nurse

Job overview

Please note: at this stage, the role is open only to colleagues currently employed within Kent and Medway NHS Trusts, the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) and Medway Community Healthcare. Nursing vacancies are also open to Student Nurses and Newly Qualified Nurses.

Special Schools Nurses assess and triage to determine health tasks that can be delegated to school staff, who are then trained, supervised, and assessed for competency in delivering these tasks. This process includes ongoing supervision and observation throughout the year to ensure school staff feel supported and remain proficient. Additionally, staff receive refresher training, and their competency is reassessed annually or sooner if required.

This position will report to a Band 6 Special School Nurse and be overseen by the Nurse Team Lead. As a Band 5 Special Schools Nurse, you will support the service in meeting health needs within educational settings and help ensure the implementation of robust governance processes in schools.

If you’re ready to embrace this challenge, we would love to hear from you. In return, we offer support for your professional development and, if desired, opportunities to progress your career further.

Please note, this vacancy does not meet the criteria for skilled worker sponsorship and therefore, we are unable to accept applications from candidates that cannot provide documentary evidence of right to work in the United Kingdom.

Main duties of the job

This post will be required to teach large groups of staff (approx. 200) as well as 1 to 1 and small groups.

You will be competency assessing staff as well as carrying out assessments on children around the training needs.

Key responsibilities include triaging, conducting health needs assessments, and maintaining accurate and timely documentation. Proficiency in IT is essential, as you will be required to record digital notes, update training records using Excel spreadsheets, and deliver presentations via PowerPoint, either in person or online using MS Teams.

The role requires strong clinical skills to deliver training and competency assessments effectively. You must be capable of presenting PowerPoint presentations and demonstrating clinical skills to varied audiences, ranging from one-to-one sessions to small or large groups, including whole-school training sessions. You will also be responsible for addressing queries and signposting to other services or professionals where appropriate.

Empathy for children and young people with profound and multiple learning disabilities, along with exceptional communication skills, are essential attributes for this role.

This role is Term-Time only.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

As a community Trust, many of our roles require individuals to be able to drive to perform their duties. Where driving is a requirement of the role, you will be asked to confirm that you hold a full UK driving licence or a full driving licence issued by an EU country (not exchanged from a non-EU country) to proceed with your application. We are committed to supporting candidates with disabilities into employment. If you are unable to drive due to a disability, please contact the Recruitment Team via kentchft.recruitment@nhs.net, quoting the vacancy reference number, so we can support you further.

The job description and person specification gives you all the information you need about this role. Please look carefully at the criteria in the person specification and tell us what you have done that shows you meet this in your application. If you need an application form in an alternative format please let our recruitment team know. All information you supply on your application should, to the best of your knowledge, be true and accurate.

Still have questions? The recruiting manager would love to hear from you, their contact details can be found in the job advert.

We can get a lot of applications for some roles so to be in with the best chance of being shortlisted please make sure you apply as soon as possible. A vacancy may close early if there is a lot of interest in the job.

At KCHFT we strongly encourage colleagues in clinical and non-clinical roles who have direct or social contact with patients to be fully vaccinated. In this way we will be doing all we can to ensure your safety and that of your colleagues and the patients we serve.

Find out more about the community difference here.

Good luck! We can’t wait to meet you and welcome you to #teamKCHFT, #cometocommunity.

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.