Children's/Adult/Learning Disability Nurse

NHS; Lewes; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A major community health provider in the United Kingdom is looking for a Specialist Nurse to provide expert nursing care for children with complex health needs. This role involves delivering high standards of care including personal support, education for staff, and being a key contact for clinical practice. The right candidate will have a current nursing registration, experience in a relevant specialism, and excellent communication skills. Join a supportive team making a real difference in children's lives with flexible working options.

Benefits

Flexible working patterns

Excellent training and development opportunities

Access to workplace nurseries

Qualifications

• At least 1 year of experience working with children with complex needs.
• Significant experience in a specialist nursing area.
• Strong leadership and management experience.

Responsibilities

• Deliver specialist nursing care for children with complex needs.
• Educate and support non-registered professionals and students.
• Manage and coordinate care in collaboration with multi-disciplinary teams.

Skills

Ability to care for children with complex health needs

Good communication and interpersonal skills

Time management and organizational skills

Knowledge of safeguarding children

Education

RN Child - current NMC Registration

Teaching and assessing qualification

Qualification in specialist area (e.g., Epilepsy)

Job description

Job summary

This is a key nursing role within Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, based at Chailey Clinical Services. Our highly skilled nurses deliver specialist nursing care to the children & young people who access the Bluebells Short Breaks Service, Chailey Heritage Foundation School or the residential bungalows over the 24/7 period, 52 weeks of the year.

The children & young people have complex, often fluctuating health needs and physical disability. The post holder will ensure all the children & young people receive health care promoting a valued lifestyle and supporting independence, where possible. They will provide up-to-date knowledge and skills for the nursing management of these children & young people, helping to ensure policy and practice is developed and delivered in line with Trust and national best practice standards.

Main duties of the job

To deliver evidence-based skilled specialist nursing care according to the individual child or young person's health needs.

To ensure all children & young people receive nursing care promoting a valued lifestyle and independence, ensuring their cultural and religious needs are met.

To contribute to safe medicines management, providing nursing advice and troubleshooting for staff, including those within our partner organisation, Chailey Heritage Foundation.

To provide education, training and support to non-registered and registered professionals, including student nurses and medical students.

To be able to work rotas shift patterns and to be able to respond to stressful situations, manage time effectively, make adjustments and re-prioritise as required, using considerable mental effort on a daily basis.

To deliver direct personal and intimate care to children & young people.

To be proficient working in a variety of conditions including in school classrooms, outdoor areas and swimming pool.

To be able to demonstrate negotiation skills in the management of conflict across a range of situations.

To support nursing staff in assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating care for children & young people with complex health needs and their families, based on research and evidence of good practice.

About us

We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex. Our 6,000 staff serve a population of 1.3 million providing essential medical, nursing, and therapeutic care to adults and children.

Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community, helping people plan, manage, adapt to changes in their health, supporting avoidable hospital admissions and reducing hospital stay times.

We have opportunities for everyone across our wide variety of services including medical, clinical, support and corporate services.

Why work for us?

• Positive 2024 NHS Staff Survey results, scoring highly in compassionate culture & leadership, and staff wellbeing support
• Variety of working environments across the community, in patients' homes, within our community hospitals and bases across the county
• Supportive flexible working patterns such as: part time, flexi time, annualised hours, and flexi retirement options
• Excellent training and development opportunities
• Cost‑effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove and Brighton
• EMBRACE, Disability and Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+and Religion Spirituality and Belief staff networks
• Level 3 accredited Disability Confident Leader, committed to creating inclusive workplaces
• Veteran Aware Trust, achieving accreditation from Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA)
• Located in stunning Sussex, with easy access to the South Downs and the coast
• Access to a wide range of benefits and discounts for NHS staff

Details Date posted

12 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year per annum pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Annualised hours

Reference number

150-KB2239-CC

Job locations

Chailey Clinical Services
Beggar's Wood Road
North Chailey
BN8 4JN

Job description Job responsibilities

To work within a rota covering 24 hours, 52 week nursing care to the children & young people accessing Chailey Heritage Foundation School and its associated residential bungalows or the Bluebells Short Breaks Service. You may also be required to work in other 24 hour childrens services to support patient safety.

To be the designated specialist link for staff for an identified area of specialist practice such as epilepsy, enteral feeding, bladder and bowel care, respiratory or tissue viability.

You will work with the Matron, Clinical Specialist Lead Nurse, Team Leader and Clinical Leads to ensure staff are delivering specialist nursing care to the children & young people. The postholder will ensure staff are provided with up-to-date knowledge and skills around their specialist area of practice and nursing management of these children & young people.

To be responsible for attending all statutory and mandatory training and ensuring you remain in date with all that is required.

To be responsible for ensuring you attend regular clinical supervision and undertake your annual Personal Development Plan.

To maintain your registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

To be responsible for ensuring safe use of clinical and non‑clinical equipment utilised whilst performing your role.

To support the clinical supervision and education of team members, including student nurses and medical students in all areas of specialist clinical knowledge and skills.

Participate in peer supervision and education sessions. To take the lead, develop and contribute to a specialist area of expertise within peer review and reflective practice as part of the nursing teams at CCS.

Deliver and actively support whole service delivery of excellent standards of nursing care and management practice.

Assess and interpret altered health care needs of the children & young people. To be responsive in updating care plans accordingly.

Work together with the multi‑disciplinary team (MDT) to ensure the consistent delivery of safe high quality nursing care and management.

Help implement and write clinical policies and standards; adhere to national standards, clinical policies and standard operating procedures, in line with SCFT requirements.

Ensure health records are maintained and compliant with Trust policy and keep accurate, legible, contemporaneous records and written reports as required.

Participate in report writing for both internal and external requirements aligned to the needs of the children & young people and the service.

Respond and escalte and/or report any concerns re: child protection and adult safeguarding through the appropriate routes, in line with the Trust safeguarding policy and pan Sussex Procedures.

Attend health reviews, organising a representative who knows the child or young person concerned to attend if you are unable to attend. Evaluate the effectiveness of care and in consultation with the MDT, to adjust where appropriate.

Develop, implement and evaluate guidelines/teaching tools for children, young people, families, healthcare professionals and non‑registered professionals.

Participate in nursing research and audit projects, as required.

Liaise with statutory agencies regarding the nursing/health needs of the children and young people.

To respond to incidents and report appropriately, in line with Trust policy.

To work on other services managed by CCS as required, ensuring safe levels of nursing care.

To respect each child or young person and their familys right to confidentiality.

To develop skills and knowledge within the field of complex fluctuating health needs and physical disability, ensuring the relevant clinical skills required for management of safe nursing care are maintained.

The post holder will work alongside the Team Leader and Clinical Leads supporting them in their role. They will also work closely with the multi‑disciplinary team at CCS and other health professionals within the Trust and externally across the health economy, including our partner organisation, Chailey Heritage Foundation.

The post holder will protect, safeguard and promote the well‑being of children in accordance with The Children Act and Working Together to Safeguard Children.

Person Specification Qualifications Essential

• RN Child - current NMC Registration
• Portfolio of evidence demonstrating continued professional development, including evidence of reflective practice/education and training relevant to post/ clinical competency in specialist area.
• A recognised teaching and assessing qualification, 998 or Learning Through Mentorship
• Qualification / module or significant relevant experience within a specialist area (Epilepsy, Bladder & Bowel, Enteral Feeding, Tissue viability) and/or leadership qualification

Person Specification Qualifications Desirable

• RN Learning Disability with relevant portfolio of evidence working with children and young people with complex health needs and physical disabilities/specialist clinical knowledge in enteral feeding & seizure management for Specialist Enteral Feeding/Nutrition or Epilepsy posts only*
• RN Adult, RN Mental Health RN Learning Disability - with relevant portfolio of evidence for Futures Service* only
• Child physical assessment module level 3
• Administration of intravenous medication competency

Person Specification Experience Essential

• Experience of working with children & young people with complex fluctuating health needs and physical disability
• Significant experience within an area of specialist nursing* (Epilepsy, Bladder & Bowel, Enteral Feeding, Tissue Viability)
• Significant experience in shift leadership and management.
• Experience of teaching/health promotion.
• Experience of planning, managing and co‑ordinating programmes of care in collaboration with other allied health professionals, social, education and volunteer agencies.
• Evidence of a range of clinical competencies appropriate to the role.
• Evidence of post registration professional development within the last three years.
• Experience of clinical supervision.

Person Specification Experience Desirable

• Experience of clinical audit.

Person Specification Skills Essential

• Ability to care for children & young people with complex and fluctuating health needs and disabilities.
• Good understanding of non‑verbal communication and physical wellbeing & emotional needs.
• Ability to identify an individual's needs and preferences.
• Act as a role model in promoting excellent standards of nursing care.
• Able to teach and educate students, families and carers.
• Remain updated with professional practice and new research.
• Able to present information, written and orally, in a clear and logical manner.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills - the ability to communicate and engage with staff, children, young people and families who may be experiencing difficult circumstances.
• Able to work within the Trust's data protection, equal opportunities and health and safety policies to meet differing needs of the children & young people.
• Competent IT skills
• Good presentation skills
• Time management and organisational skills
• Knowledge of children and young adult safeguarding

Person Specification Other Essential

• Ability to work shifts including weekends and night duty.
• Ability to travel to meet the needs of the service.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

Chailey Clinical Services
Beggar's Wood Road
North Chailey
BN8 4JN

Employer's website: https://www.sussexcommunity.nhs.uk/work-with-us/