(*) Transitional Care Lead Nurse

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust; Chelmsford; On-site; GBP 44,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Transitional Care Lead Nurse to oversee the newborn transitional care service, coordinating with maternity, neonatal, and community teams to deliver safe, family-centered care for babies who need transitional care but not neonatal admission.

The post holder will lead service development, with potential to establish a Neonatal Outreach Team focused on early discharge, home monitoring, parental education, and continuity of care from hospital to

Qualifications

• 5 years post Registered Nurse (Child) or Registered Midwife with active NMC registration
• Good working knowledge of safeguarding policies and procedures
• Substantial post-registration experience in neonatal and/or transitional care settings
• Strong leadership and team coordination abilities
• In-depth understanding of neonatal transitional care principles and national guidance (e.g., BAPM, NICE, NHS Long Term Plan)
• Evidence of involvement in service improvement, change management, or innovation

Responsibilities

• Provide expert clinical leadership and oversight of the transitional care service.
• Develop, implement, and monitor individualized care plans for babies requiring transitional care.
• Collaborate with the wider multidisciplinary team to support safe early discharge and reduce unnecessary neonatal admissions.
• Promote and embed family-integrated care principles to support parental involvement and bonding.
• Act as a clinical educator and mentor to nursing and midwifery staff within transitional care.
• Support and lead quality improvement initiatives and audits to enhance care standards and outcomes.
• Maintain high standards of infection control, documentation, and safeguarding practices.
• Engage in workforce planning, staff development, and rota coordination for transitional care services.
• Being part of the scoping, planning, and potential implementation of a Neonatal Outreach Team to provide follow-up care at home for babies discharged from transitional or neonatal care and support parents with feeding, jaundice monitoring, and ongoing neonatal care needs.

Job description

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust

(**) Transitional Care Lead Nurse

The closing date is 23 November 2026

The Neonatal Transitional Care Lead Nurse plays a pivotal role in delivering and leading high-quality, safe, and compassionate care for newborns who require additional support at birth but do not need admission to a neonatal unit. This includes babies with needs such as temperature regulation, feeding support, treatment for jaundice or hypoglycemia, or those exposed to maternal substance use.

The post-holder will lead the development and coordination of the transitional care service, working closely with maternity, neonatal, and community teams to ensure seamless, family-centered care that keeps mothers and babies together wherever clinically appropriate.

This role also presents an exciting opportunity for service development, with the potential to help establish aNeonatal Outreach Team. This evolving aspect of the role would focus on supporting early discharge, home monitoring, parental education, and continuity of care for infants transitioning from hospital to home.

Main duties of the job

• Provide expert clinical leadership and oversight of the transitional care service.

Develop, implement, and monitor individualized care plans for babies requiring transitional care.

Collaborate with the wider multidisciplinary team to support safe early discharge and reduce unnecessary neonatal admissions.

Promote and embed family-integrated care principles to support parental involvement and bonding.

Act as a clinical educator and mentor to nursing and midwifery staff within transitional care.

Support and lead quality improvement initiatives and audits to enhance care standards and outcomes.

Maintain high standards of infection control, documentation, and safeguarding practices.

Engage in workforce planning, staff development, and rota coordination for transitional care services.

Being part of the scoping, planning, and potential implementation of a Neonatal Outreach Team to:

Provide follow-up care at home for babies discharged from transitional or neonatal care.

Support parents with feeding, jaundice monitoring, and ongoing neonatal care needs.

Reduce readmissions and improve family satisfaction and outcomes.

Enhance links with community nursing, health visiting, and safeguarding services.

About us

Our ambition is to deliver excellent local and specialist services, to improve the health and well being of our patients, and provide a vibrant place for staff to develop, innovate and build careers.

We aim to make the most of our skills and experiences so we can become the best we can be. As one organisation we will recruit the finest and retain more specialist staff due to more employment opportunities across our Trust.

Qualifications

• 5 years post Registered Nurse (Child) or Registered Midwife with active NMC registration
• Good working knowledge of safeguarding policies and procedures or where to find them
• Substantial post-registration experience in neonatal and/or transitional care settings
• Strong leadership and team coordination abilities
• In-depth understanding of neonatal transitional care principles and national guidance (e.g., BAPM, NICE, NHS Long Term Plan)
• - Evidence of involvement in service improvement, change management, or innovation
• Good working knowledge of safeguarding policies and procedures
• Capable of working independently while also collaborating across multidisciplinary teams

Skills & Abilities

• Excellent clinical assessment and decision-making skills
• Effective written and verbal communication skills with families and professionals

Experience

• Experience in working with families in a family-centered or family-integrated care model
• Evidence of involvement in service improvement, change management, or innovation

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.

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust

£49,387 a yearPer Annum (Pro Rata for Part Time)