Named Nurse for Children in Care

Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust; Worcester; Hybrid; GBP 43,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional health organization in the UK is seeking a Named Nurse for Children in Care to provide leadership and strategic direction within the Public Health Nursing Service. This senior role requires experience in safeguarding and child care, with responsibilities including supervising a team of nurses, ensuring high standards of health provision, and working closely with local authorities. The position offers flexible working hours and is an excellent opportunity for professional development in a supportive organization.

Benefits

27 days leave plus bank holidays

Generous NHS pension

Flexible working opportunities

Health and wellbeing opportunities

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years post-registration experience with children in care.
• Expertise in children's health and development.
• Leadership experience at a senior level in a clinical team.

Responsibilities

• Provide professional leadership across health provision for children in care.
• Lead and support Specialist Nurses in providing expert advice.
• Monitor performance, contribute to audits and service improvement.

Skills

Senior leadership skills

Professional advice in multi-disciplinary environment

Effective communication

Analytical skills for decision-making

Service development and audit

Education

RSCN/RN (Child)/RGN/Registered midwife

Relevant Masters Degree or equivalent knowledge

Job description

Named Nurse for Children in Care

Closing date: 28 January 2026

We are seeking a dynamic and motivated Named Nurse for Children in Care (Band 8a) to provide strategic, clinical and professional leadership across Herefordshire and Worcestershire. This senior role is open to SCPHN‑qualified nurses with transferable leadership, safeguarding and public health experience; prior experience in an identical role is not essential, skills from related senior nursing roles are highly valued.

The post is offered as 30 hours per week, with flexibility in working patterns discussed at interview. The advertised base is Eldbury Moor GP Practice; however, the post holder will be required to work countywide across community and partner settings. Opportunities for hybrid working are available in line with service need.

You will work within the Public Health Nursing Service, providing leadership and supervision to Specialist Nurses for Children in Care, influencing system‑wide practice, quality and performance, and working closely with Local Authority and multi‑agency partners.

We offer a supportive leadership culture with regular supervision, strong wellbeing support, protected development time and access to Trust‑wide benefits. This is an excellent opportunity to use your senior nursing expertise to improve outcomes for children and young people in care while developing your leadership career in a values‑driven organisation.

Main duties of the job

As the Named Nurse for Children in Care, you will provide professional, clinical and strategic leadership to ensure high‑quality health provision for children and young people in care across Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

On a day‑to‑day basis, you will lead, support and supervise a team of Specialist Nurses for Children in Care, providing expert advice on complex safeguarding and health matters, quality‑assuring health assessments and care plans, and supporting staff development through supervision and appraisal.

You will work closely with Local Authority colleagues, Designated Professionals and multi‑agency partners, contributing to meetings, panels and strategic forums, and ensuring statutory responsibilities and performance standards are met.

The role includes monitoring performance and data, contributing to audits, service improvement and reporting, and using learning to drive quality and consistency across the service. When required, you may undertake or support complex health assessments.

You will balance county‑wide leadership with hands‑on professional input, working across community settings while promoting trauma‑informed, child‑centred practice and a supportive culture for staff and partners.

About us

At Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, we are working together to deliver outstanding care. We run community hospitals and community health services across Worcestershire and provide mental health and learning disability services across both Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Our people (all 4500+ of them) provide services for people of all ages, experiencing both physical and/or mental health conditions from over 100 sites.

We will support you to thrive; offer flexible working options for a great work‑life balance, help you fulfil your ambitions and empower you to make positive changes within your team or service. We value diversity and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, cultures, and ethnicities.

What we offer:

• 27 days leave plus bank holidays, increasing up to 33 days with long service
• Generous NHS pension and enhanced pay when you work unsocial hours
• Flexible and agile working opportunities
• Great maternity, paternity, and adoption support
• Wide range of supportive staff networks
• Health and wellbeing opportunities

If you would like to know more, please visit our website.

We encourage you to read the attached applicant guidance notes.

Sharing your data - As a data controller we may sometimes need to process your data to pursue our legitimate business interests, for example to request a survey from you (optional), to support the Trust's understanding of where you gained interest in working for the Trust.

Job responsibilities

This role carries responsibility for providing professional leadership and assurance for the health of children and young people in care across Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

The postholder will act as a senior specialist advisor, contributing to strategic planning, quality improvement, audit and performance assurance, and representing the service at internal and external forums as required.

The role includes responsibility for governance, workforce development and service improvement, ensuring practice aligns with national guidance, statutory requirements and local priorities.

The postholder will work collaboratively across health, social care and partner organisations to support consistent, high‑quality outcomes for children in care and care leavers.

For full details of the duties and criteria for the role please refer to the job description and person specification attached.

Person Specification

Skills & Abilities

• Ability to demonstrate senior leadership or management skills transferable to this role
• Ability to deliver professional advice or guidance within a multi‑disciplinary environment
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in writing, including reports or professional documentation
• Ability to analyse information and evidence to inform decision‑making or service improvement
• Ability to contribute to service development, audit or quality improvement activity

Additional Criteria

• Ability to work flexibly and travel countywide to meet service needs
• Ability to work autonomously and manage competing priorities
• Evidence of commitment to continuous professional development
• Experience of working across multiple sites or services

Knowledge

• Knowledge of safeguarding and child protection legislation and statutory responsibilities relating to children and young people
• Knowledge of multi‑agency working arrangements within health and social care
• Knowledge of professional accountability, governance and quality standards within an NHS setting
• Knowledge of national guidance and policy relating to children in care and care leavers
• Knowledge of public health or community‑based service delivery models

Experience

• Minimum of 3 years post‑registration and relevant experience with children in care.
• Expertise in children's health and development
• Extensive experience in child protection/safeguarding children in an NHS Organisation
• Experience or knowledge of contributing to the implementation of strategies to meet changing organisational needs, including the ability to translate this into key operational objectives
• Experience in working with children, particularly those with special needs and their families
• Previous experience providing a health service to children and young people within a community School Health/Health Visiting/Public Health Nursing team
• Leadership experience of working in a provider organisation at a senior level/experience managing a clinical team
• Experience in training/teaching and student assessment, including multi‑agency training
• Experience in undertaking/leading research projects/clinical audits/improvement techniques
• Experience of significant event analysis and sharing learning
• Experience of partnership working/liaison in inter‑agency environment
• Working knowledge of health services and relevant documents
• Knowledge of relevant legislation and guidance pertaining to children and young people safeguarding, children in care and care leavers
• Relevant professional standards

Qualifications

• RSCN/RN (Child)/RGN/Registered midwife
• Registered on Level 1 of the NMC register
• Relevant Masters Degree or equivalent knowledge and experience
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• I understand that I will be asked to provide original certificates to verify my qualifications at point of offer.

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.