Read more

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust; South Chailey; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Children & Adult Learning Disability Nurse to deliver specialist nursing care across school and residential settings in Chailey. The role supports children, young people and families, upholding dignity and independence while following national best practice standards.

You will work with the CCS team and Chailey Heritage Foundation School colleagues to provide up-to-date knowledge for managing complex health needs.

Qualifications

• Qualified nurse with current registration and relevant practice in children and adults with learning disabilities.
• Experience in 24/7 nursing care within school or residential settings is desirable.
• Ability to provide education and support to non-registered and registered staff and students.

Responsibilities

• Deliver specialist nursing care according to health needs of each child or young person.
• Ensure nursing care promotes independence and respects cultural/religious needs.
• Contribute to medicines management and provide nursing advice to staff and partner organisations.
• Provide training and mentorship to student nurses and medical students.
• Work rotas and respond to stressful situations with effective prioritisation.
• Deliver direct personal care in diverse settings including classrooms and outdoor areas.

Skills

Evidence-based nursing

Medicines management

Education & training

Shift work & resilience

Direct patient care

Diverse environments

Negotiation skills

Care planning & assessment

Confidentiality

Job description

Children & Adult Learning Disability Nurse | Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

The post is a nursing role within Sussex Community Foundation Trust (SCFT) Chailey Clinical Services (CCS), providing nursing support to children, young people and their families. The post holder will deliver skilled nursing care according to the NMC code of conduct across the 24/7 period, 52 weeks of the year within the school and residential bungalow environments.

The post holder will have a key role in delivering specialist nursing care to the children & young people accessing Chailey Heritage Foundation School or Bluebells Short Breaks Service, both on a daily and residential basis and provide up-to-date knowledge and skills for the nursing management of these children & young people with complex heath needs and physical disability.

The post holder will ensure that all the children & young people receive health care promoting a valued lifestyle, supporting independence, where possible. The post holder will help to ensure that policy and practice is developed and delivered in line with Trust and national best practice standards. The post holder will work alongside the team leader and clinical leads supporting them in their role. The post holder will have a key role in delivering specialist nursing care to the children & young people and provide up-to-date knowledge and skills for the nursing management of these young people with complex heath needs and physical disability.

• a) To deliver evidence-based skilled specialist nursing care according to the individual child or young person’s health needs.
• b) To ensure all children & young people receive nursing care promoting a valued lifestyle and independence, ensuring their cultural and religious needs are met.
• c) To contribute to safe medicines management, providing nursing advice and troubleshooting for staff, including those within our partner organisation, Chailey Heritage Foundation.
• d) To provide education, training and support to non-registered and registered professionals, including student nurses and medical students.
• e) 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.
• f) To deliver direct personal and intimate care to children & young people.
• g) To be proficient working in a variety of conditions including in school classrooms, outdoor areas and swimming pool.
• h) To be able to demonstrate negotiation skills in the management of conflict across a range of situations.
• i) 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.
• j) To respect each child or young person and their family’s right to confidentiality.

We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. We deliver essential care to adults and children, helping them manage their health, avoid hospital admissions, and reduce hospital stays.

Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community. We offer opportunities across medical, clinical, support, and corporate services.

Why work for us?

• Positive 2024 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeing
• Varied environments: community hospitals, patients’ homes, and bases across Sussex
• Flexible working options: part-time, flexi-time, annualised hours, and flexi-retirement
• Excellent training, development, and research opportunities
• Accredited Living Wage Employer, we ensure fair pay for all our staff
• Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brighton
• Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networks
• Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust

Our values—Compassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellence—guide everything we do.

We embrace diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from ethnically diverse, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. We aim to create an inclusive environment and support reasonable adjustments during recruitment.

This post may close early if sufficient applications are received.

The post holder will work closely with the multidisciplinary team at CCS and other health professionals within the Trust and externally across the health economy, as well as with the Chailey Heritage Foundation School team (our partner organisation) and statutory and third sector agencies. The post holder will be able to assume responsibility for planned teaching and assessment of competence for nurses and non-registered professionals. The post holder will help to support the assessment and supervision of students and, as such, will complete the necessary mentorship modules. The post holder will protect, safeguard and promote the well‑being of children in accordance with ‘The Children Act’ (1989 & 2004) and ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ (HM Gov. 2018).

• a) 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 children’s services to support patient safety.
• b) 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.
• c) 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.
• d) To be responsible for attending all statutory and mandatory training and ensuring you remain in date with all that is required.
• e) To be responsible for ensuring you attend regular clinical supervision and undertake your annual Personal Development Plan.
• f) To maintain your registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
• g) To be responsible for ensuring safe use of clinical and non‑clinical equipment utilised whilst performing your role.
• h) 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.
• i) 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
• j) Deliver and actively support whole service delivery of excellent standards of nursing care and management practice.
• k) Assess and interpret altered health care needs of the children & young people. To be responsive in updating care plans accordingly.
• l) Work together with the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) to ensure the consistent delivery of safe high quality nursing care and management.
• m) Help implement and write clinical policies and standards; adhere to national standards, clinical policies and standard operating procedures, in line with SCFT requirements.
• n) Ensure health records are maintained and compliant with Trust policy and keep accurate, legible, contemporaneous records and written reports as required.
• o) Participate in report writing for both internal and external requirements aligned to the needs of the children & young people and the service.
• p) Respond and escal 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.
• q) 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.
• r) Develop, implement and evaluate guidelines/teaching tools for children, young people, families, healthcare professionals and non-registered professionals.
• s) Participate in nursing research and audit projects, as required.
• t) Liaise with statutory agencies regarding the nursing/health needs of the children and young people.
• u) To respond to incidents and report appropriately, in line with Trust policy.
• v) To work on other services managed by CCS as required, ensuring safe levels of nursing care.

This advert closes on Sunday 20 Sep 2026