Looked After Children Nurse

NHS; London; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a dedicated team at Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust as a Band 6 Looked After Children Nurse. You will lead health assessments and develop personalized Health Care Plans for vulnerable children. Collaborate with various professionals to ensure holistic care and improve health outcomes for children in care. This role offers a chance to make a significant impact in the lives of young people while being supported by a dynamic team.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years post qualification experience in relevant areas.
• Proven experience working with Looked After Children.

Responsibilities

• Lead health assessments for Looked After Children aged 0-18.
• Develop and evaluate Health Care Plans in collaboration with families.
• Manage a defined caseload and ensure effective service delivery.

Skills

Communication

Collaboration

Child Development

Education

Registered Nurse (Child, Adult, or Mental Health)

Health Visiting / School Nursing qualification

Tools

Microsoft Office

Electronic Patient Record Systems

Job description

Are you a passionate and experienced nurse looking to make a real difference in the lives of children and young people? If so, we would love to welcome you to our dedicated and dynamic team within the Children and Young People's Directorate at Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust.

We are currently seeking an enthusiastic and innovative Band 6 Looked After Children Nurse to join us in delivering high-quality, compassionate care to our Looked After Children , aged 0-18 years. In this rewarding role, you will take the lead in carrying out statutory health assessments and play a pivotal part in identifying, addressing, and advocating for the health needs of children in care.

Working within our integrated, multi-agency team, you will collaborate with professionals across health, education, and social care to ensure a holistic and person-centred approach to care . Your insight and clinical expertise will support better health outcomes and help shape positive futures for some of our most vulnerable children and young people.

The successful candidate will be fully supported in the role by operational management, access to clinical and managerial supervision, access to clinical education team various opportunities across the trust.

If you are committed to delivering excellence in care and want to be part of a supportive team that truly values your contribution, we'd be delighted to hear from you.

Join us and be part of something that really matters.

Main duties of the job

• Work collaboratively with the Named Doctor, Named Nurse, and other key professionals to deliver comprehensive, holistic health assessments for all children entering care or currently being looked after
• In partnership with the Named Doctor, Named Nurse, and GPs, contribute to the development of personalised Health Care Plans (HCPs) to address identified and ongoing health needs.
• Lead on the coordination and implementation of Health Care Plans through effective liaison with relevant health and social care professionals.
• Take responsibility for completing statutory review health assessments for Looked After Children (LAC) aged 0-18 years in accordance with national and local guidance.
• Develop, implement, and evaluate Health Care Plans in collaboration with LAC and their carers, ensuring a person-centred approach.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement, coordination, and quality of health care provision for LAC and care leavers across services.
• Promote active involvement by supporting children, young people, carers, and families to navigate services, participate in health-related decisions, and access advocacy where appropriate.

About us

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes.We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

• We're Kind
• We Listen
• We Care

Job responsibilities

Clinical Responsibilities

Undertakes statutory health assessments for Looked After Children (LAC), including developmental and emotional well-being, in line with national and local guidelines.

Identifies health needs and initiates appropriate follow-up, referrals, or interventions.

Manages a defined caseload and works collaboratively to ensure effective service delivery.

Assesses health needs of LAC across a defined population and supports accessible, community-based healthcare.

Works in partnership with social care, education, and health professionals to deliver timely health improvement interventions.

Provides sensitive support during emotionally challenging situations, such as new placements or placement breakdowns.

Recognises safeguarding concerns and collaborates with multi-agency teams to deliver coordinated care, including participation in CAF/TAC and child protection processes.

Actively contributes to child protection conferences, core groups, and multi-disciplinary assessments.

Regularly reviews caseloads and highlights service pressures or concerns to line management.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical Responsibilities

• Undertakes statutory health assessments for Looked After Children (LAC), including developmental and emotional well-being, in line with national and local guidelines.

• Identifies health needs and initiates appropriate follow-up, referrals, or interventions.

• Manages a defined caseload and works collaboratively to ensure effective service delivery.

• Assesses health needs of LAC across a defined population and supports accessible, community-based healthcare.

• Works in partnership with social care, education, and health professionals to deliver timely health improvement interventions.

• Provides sensitive support during emotionally challenging situations, such as new placements or placement breakdowns.

• Recognises safeguarding concerns and collaborates with multi-agency teams to deliver coordinated care, including participation in CAF/TAC and child protection processes.

• Actively contributes to child protection conferences, core groups, and multi-disciplinary assessments.

• Regularly reviews caseloads and highlights service pressures or concerns to line management.

Management Responsibilities

• Manages and prioritises own caseload, ensuring effective assessment, planning, and implementation of care.

• Shares responsibility for the overall team caseload, ensuring smooth service delivery.

• Builds and maintains positive working relationships with colleagues, clients, and external stakeholders.

• Attends relevant meetings, cascades key information to the team, and contributes to service development.

• Oversees local induction and orientation of new staff members.

• Supports the team in achieving performance targets and KPIs.

Research, Audit & Quality

• Maintains accurate, timely records in line with SOPs and data governance standards to support audit and service evaluation.

• Engages in evidence-based practice and contributes to innovation, research, and education.

• Participates in audits, quality improvement projects, and research initiatives as required.

• Keeps abreast of emerging evidence and applies learning to practice development.

Communication & Collaboration

• Effectively communicates with children, carers, and professionals to promote health and well-being through individual, group, and clinic-based interventions.

• Collaborates with GPs, social care, and multi-agency teams, sharing complex and sensitive information appropriately and professionally.

• Demonstrates confident communication skills across all levels of the organisation and partner agencies.

• Adapts communication methods to meet the diverse needs of service users.

• Attends and contributes to key meetings, representing the LAC health service.

• Uses sound judgment to assess complex situations and influence positive outcomes in multi-agency settings.

Learning & Professional Development

• Actively participates in forums, working groups, and the development of care packages tailored to local needs.

• Demonstrates a commitment to ongoing professional development for self and peers.

• Provides quality placement experiences and supervision for pre-registration nursing and midwifery students.

• Engages in the annual appraisal process and completes identified training.

• Supports and contributes to internal and external training related to the role.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse (Child, Adult, or Mental Health) with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
• Health Visiting / School Nursing professional qualification, with entry onto the 3rd part of the NMC Register.
• Minimum of 3 years post qualification or significant experience in relevant areas of practice

Experience

• Proven and relevant experience working with Looked After Children, children in need, or children on a safeguarding pathway.
• Evidence of high communication skills through verbal meetings and written reports with the ability to prioritise own workload
• Ability to work effectively and efficiently individually and within a team environment
• Experience of working autonomously within a community setting
• A good understanding of general child development and recognizing developmental issues
• Willing to participate in developing professional/practice guidelines and standards

Knowledge

• Current and relevant knowledge of Looked After Children, safeguarding children, and child protection legislation and guidance
• Proficient in using Microsoft Office and common software packages inclusive of Rio
• Recognise and respond appropriately to current and new safeguarding concerns
• Awareness and understanding of current concerns/health outcomes faced by Children Looked After with the ability to promote relevant strategies available to promote optimum health
• Experience of using electronic patient record systems

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.