Band 6 Specialist Sister/Charge Nurse

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust; City Of London; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS Trust in London is seeking a Senior Nurse to provide specialist nursing advice and leadership in child and adolescent eating disorders. The candidate will manage resources, develop policies, and ensure high-quality patient care. Ideal candidates will have relevant qualifications, experience in mental health or acute paediatrics, and the ability to work flexibly in a dynamic team environment.

Benefits

Flexible hours

Generous benefits

Training opportunities

Qualifications

• Post registration experience within mental health or acute paediatrics.
• Experience of working with young people with eating disorders.
• Ability to work independently and as a member of a multidisciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist nursing advice and clinical expertise.
• Directly contribute to the operational management of the service.
• Supervise and develop junior nursing staff and support workers.

Skills

Ability to work unsupervised

Excellent documentation skills

Excellent communication skills

Proven ability to assess mental health symptoms

Education

Relevant First Degree

Relevant post registration qualification

Teaching & Assessing in Clinical Practice (ENB 998) or equivalent

Job description

The post holder will work as a member of the multidisciplinary team to provide specialist nursing advice, clinical expertise and professional leadership with specific emphasis on child and adolescent eating disorders. As a senior nurse within the service, the post holder will also contribute to the operational management and strategic development of the Child & Adolescent Eating Disorders Service, which is currently funded by five NCL contracts. The post holder will directly contribute to the positive working environment within the Service and will require a high degree of professional autonomy and self‑management. The post holder will be required to account for their professional practice through appraisal and audit, and ensure delivery of clinically safe, high quality care for all service users. The post holder will need to work flexibly to address the unique requirements of the Service.

To effectively co‑ordinate clinical activity and safely manage a caseload within the resources available; to develop clinical expertise and ensure the delivery of high‑quality patient care demonstrating clinical leadership; to be responsible for the supervision and development of junior nursing staff, support workers, and students; to effectively manage outpatient resources including pay and non‑pay budgets, human resources, and the clinical environment; to contribute to the development of policies and evidence‑based practice as appropriate; to maintain a safe clinical environment conducive to patient care; to maintain, participate, and develop the Service's adopted therapeutic approaches, which include, in conjunction with the multidisciplinary team, the participation in and upholding of the FT‑AN model of care and participation in its peer supervision model; to work closely with the Lead Nurse Specialist Practice and other nursing and medical leads to ensure the smooth running of the outpatient service, and to take on the role as the outpatient service duty as required, which includes the triaging of referrals; to work in collaboration with the Lead Nurse Specialist Practice and other senior nurses and the multi‑disciplinary team to promote the outpatient family‑centred treatment philosophy and the model underpinning the use of its Intensive Service.

Qualifications

• Relevant First Degree
• Relevant post registration qualification
• Teaching & Assessing in Clinical Practice (ENB 998) or equivalent

Experience

• Post registration experience within mental health or acute paediatrics
• To have worked with young people in acute or community mental health services (which if in Adult Mental Health would include some relevant training or evidence of knowledge in Child & Adolescent Mental Health)
• To have experience of working with young people with eating disorders
• To have the ability to work independently and as a member of a multidisciplinary team
• Experience of facilitating teaching sessions
• Experience of managing caseload and providing ongoing support

Skills, Knowledge & Aptitudes

• Ability to work unsupervised
• Excellent documentation skills
• Understanding of interagency work
• Understanding of Safeguarding work
• Excellent communication skills, ability to provide advice on mental health issues and physical needs where required
• Knowledge of CPA approach
• Knowledge of nursing policies, practices and education
• Mental health issues relating to children, young people and families including Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and Children Act legislation
• Understanding of equal opportunities
• Proven ability to assess mental health symptoms, including the assessment of risk and the assessment of suicide and self‑harm
• Understanding of NMC/PREP requirements

Desirable

• Car driver advantageous, Motivated / enthusiastic / imaginative / flexible
• High level of self‑awareness
• Robustness and recognition of own limitations
• Excellent time management skills

The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's biggest and most innovative trusts. Across three main hospitals, our dedicated army of staff care for over 1.6 million patients, treat more than 200,000 in A&E, deliver over 8,000 babies and carry out more than 17 million tests.

Our size, scale and influence offer you unrivalled career opportunities and a forward‑thinking approach to working that works around your lifestyle. From flexible hours and generous benefits, to next level training, we make it easier to take your career to the top.