Sister - Children's Outpatient Department/ IBD Shared Care Liaison

NHS; Tees Valley; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider is looking for a Sister in the Children's Outpatient Department to lead and manage the nursing team. This full-time permanent role involves ensuring high-quality care and supporting the IBD service with expertise in Gastroenterology. Candidates must have relevant nursing qualifications and experience in care management. Regular travel across sites is required for this position.

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse (adult or child) on part 1 of the NMC register.
• Valid UK NMC PIN required.
• Experience in caring for children with IBD, including recruitment and selection.

Responsibilities

• Lead the nursing and support staff in the Children's Outpatients.
• Oversee high-quality care and manage staff across multiple sites.
• Work with the IBD team to coordinate patient care.

Skills

Quality assurance experience

Knowledge of safeguarding legislation

Good IT skills

Interpersonal skills

Education

Degree or equivalent professional knowledge

Specialist training/diploma

Job description

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

Sister - Children's Outpatient Department/ IBD Shared Care Liaison

The closing date is 04 December 2025

We're delighted to advertise this full time permanent post, for an experienced Children's Nurse, to support our Children's Outpatients Manager in leading our clinical team in Childrens Outpatients trustwide.

The department delivers over 34,000 appointments per year, running a combined total of 19.5 days per week from 5 different sites at:

• University Hospital North Durham
• Darlington Memorial Hospital
• Bishop Auckland General Hospital
• Stanley Primary Care Centre

In addition to clinics delivered by Consultants, Nurse Specialists and a range of other professionals, OPD also delivers:

• Paediatric phlebotomy
• Urgent child protection medical assessments 5 days per week
• Nurse led allergy skin prick testing
• Historic sexual abuse examination
• Administration of monoclonal antibodies
• Endocrine tests

This role will also support the Inflammatory Bowel Disease service 1 day per week, working with our Consultant with expertise in Gastroenterology, and acting as a point of liaison with the IBD Team at Great North Children's Hospital, to ensure children with IBD receive joined up care.

Main duties of the job

You'lll suport our Outpatients Manager to lead and manage the nursing and support staff within the Childrens Outpatients Departments trustwide, providing visible leadership.

You’ll ensure high quality care to the patients using the service, through the development of robust and standardised processeses, clinical audit, promoting high standards and engaging with patients to understands their experience of the service.

You’ll adjust and adapt the services according to changes in guidance, legislation and research and oversee professional and personal development of staff to meet the changing needs of the service.

You’ll work alongside our Consultant with expertise in Gastroenterology to deliver shared care between UHND and the Great North Children's Hospital. You’ll co-ordinate care across settings, ensuring caree is delivered close to home where possible, and that children and families have access to timely advice and support.

About us

You must be able to produce ALL certificates stated essential in the person specification or you will not be able to complete pre-employment checks.

We provide hospital services from two acute sites - Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham. We have a centre for planned care in Bishop Auckland and provide care from community hospitals in Chester-le-Street, Shotley Bridge, Barnard Castle, Sedgefield and Weardale as well as over 80 other community based settings and providing care in patients' homes.

We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under-represented.

For the most up-to-date information on visa requirements and eligibility, please check online to determine whether you can apply.

Job responsibilities

This is a Trustwide role and the successful applicant will support the running of Outpatients across 5 sites and will therefore be required to travel to all sites.

You’ll be responsible for ensuring that the care we’re delivering is high quality, and our environments are clean, safe and welcoming. You’ll lead the Oupatient staff and will manage the provision of staff and equipment to clinics to ensure all clinics and clinical activity runs seamlessly. There will be direct clinical work involved, as well as support and supervision of staff.

You’ll be required to work closely with the IBD team at GNCH, so regular travel to Newcastle will be required, both to access CPD and to foster strong collaboration

Person Specification

Special Skills & Knowledge

• Works within codes of practice and professional guidelines
• Experience of quality assurance activities/ audit
• Knowledge of safeguarding children legislation and policy and able to apply this to decision making
• Good IT skills; able to use EPR and other electronic systems
• Good interpersonal skills and able to work flexibly in the multidisciplinary team Driving, carries out immunisations/ restraint of patients/ clients using approved techniques; Dexterity and accuracy required for, e.g. intravenous injections, syringe pumps and infusion, insertion of catheters and removal of sutures

Statutory Registration

• Registered Nurse (adult or Child) on part 1 of the NMC register
• Valid UK NMC PIN

Qualifications

• Professional knowledge acquired through degree or equivalent level of demonstrable professional knowledge/experience
• Supplemented by diploma level specialist training, experience, short courses
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Venepuncture training/competence

Experience

• Experience of caring for children with IBD and awareness of national guidance, treatments and co-morbidities
• Experience of supervising staff
• Experience of recruitment and selection
• Experience of undertaking performance appraisals

Special Requirements

• Ability to work hours flexibly when service needs require
• Ability to travel independently across sites and GNCH to fulfil the requirements of the post

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.

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust