Student Health Visitor | Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust; Horsham; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization is seeking a Student Health Visitor starting in October 2025. This role involves leading the Healthy Child Programme and working with children aged 0-5 to improve public health outcomes in West Sussex and Brighton & Hove. The successful candidate will receive comprehensive support and training throughout the course. This position is ideal for compassionate individuals passionate about public health and committed to lifelong learning.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Excellent training and development opportunities

Support from Practice Educator team

Qualifications

• Must meet PGDip entry criteria.
• Be self-motivated and enthusiastic.
• Deliver key public health messages.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Healthy Child Programme.
• Work with children aged 0–5.
• Identify and assess health needs.

Skills

Passion for public health

Strong communication skills

Assessment skills

Commitment to learning

Leadership ability

Self-reflection

Education

NMC registration

PGDip entry criteria

Job description

Overview

Student Health Visitor – Starting Oct 2025

Location: Oxford Brookes University (Placements in West Sussex & Brighton & Hove)

About the Programme

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust offers fully funded sponsorship for NMC-registered nurses (child, adult, mental health, learning disability) or midwives to train as a Specialist Public Health Nurse – Health Visitor.

Course Details

• PGDip or Master’s (Level 7) – full or part-time
• 50% online learning, 50% practice (West Sussex or Brighton & Hove)
• Focus on public health and the Healthy Child Programme

Requirements

• Passion for public health
• Strong communication and assessment skills
• Commitment to learning, leadership, and self-reflection
• Ability to apply theory to practice

Eligibility

Must meet PGDip entry criteria.

Important Visa / Sponsorship Information

Due to recent changes in UK immigration and visa rules, this role is unlikely to be eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Applicants who do not currently have the right to work in the UK may not be considered. Candidates requiring sponsorship should review the eligibility criteria on GOV.UK before applying to assess their eligibility for a Certificate of Sponsorship for this role.

Further Resources

• Skilled Worker visa: GOV.UK relevance and going rates for eligible occupation codes
• Health and Care Worker visa: GOV.UK salary requirements

Role Context and Responsibilities

Health Visitors lead the Healthy Child Programme in Brighton and Hove and West Sussex. Health Visitors work with children aged 0–5 to provide key public health messages, identify and assess health or development needs, and offer targeted support to ensure every child has the best possible start in life. They have contact with families in homes, community venues, and virtually from the antenatal period up to school entry.

As a student, you will be an adult learner and must be self-motivated, enthusiastic, resilient, and dedicated to the role, with a keen interest in public health. As a qualified SCPHN you will lead the Healthy Child Programme (HCP). You will need to demonstrate an understanding of holistic assessment and the wider determinants of health, and capacity building. Excellent communication skills and experience working collaboratively with other agencies are essential.

Why this role

This is more than a set of letters; it is a pathway to a varied, worthwhile, and rewarding career. We are looking for compassionate, child-focused nurses and midwives who can contribute to improving outcomes for children in West Sussex and Brighton & Hove through progressive universalism and early intervention.

Trust Information and Benefits

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.

• 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
• Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brighton
• Active networks: EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief
• Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust
• Beautiful Sussex location near the South Downs and coast

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.

Application and Contacts

Please see the job description and person specification. Clinical placements can be anywhere in West Sussex and Brighton & Hove, and we take into consideration where you live and caring responsibilities.

We will offer you:

• A dedicated Practice supervisor, Practice Assessor, and Academic Assessor for the duration of the course
• A high level of support with regular meetings and opportunities to discuss progress and learning needs
• Support from the wider Practice Educator team
• Group supervision sessions during consolidation
• A trust offering a wide range of staff support and benefits including a Diversity & Inclusion Team, a Disability and Wellbeing Network, and a Mental Health and Wellbeing Support Service

Please use your application and supporting information to demonstrate how you meet the person specification for this role.

If you would like more information please email [e-mail]

Successful candidates will also need to apply to the University separately and meet the academic entry requirements for the course at Level 7.

This advert closes on Sunday 28 Sep 2025