Student Health Visitor - SCPHN Training

Job summary
Would you like to join a passionate and forward thinking health visiting Service to deliver high quality public health nursing that promotes and improves health inequalities to families in Southend?

Are you looking for an opportunity to train to become a qualified health visitor? To achieve this you will need to complete the Specialist Community Public Health (SCPHN) course.

If you are a registered Nurse (any pathway) or midwife wanting to work in the community with families and are interested in early intervention and prevention to tackle health inequalities, then we want to give you the opportunity to work within our Children, Young People and Families Public Health service. Work alongside and learn from our skill mix teams, whilst you complete your Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (SCPHN) training and get real hands on training and unlimited support.

Entrants must be a qualified Nurse and be prepared to study at level 7 (masters) for a year long, full time university programme.

Employment commences from January 2027.

We are offering a fixed term contract for one year to support your learning. Permanent employment following the SCPHN training is subject to vacancies, dependant on passing the course and successfully interviewing for the SCPHN post.

Main duties of the job
You will work within a skill mix team, working closely with partners, such as our school nurses, family centres, GPs and Social Care, providing seamless care to the children, young people and families of Southend. You'll also have an important role in recognising and protecting vulnerable children as well as using innovative ways to communicate with the Southend population.

Successful candidates will work within the health visiting Service, learning about the delivery of safe, effective and high quality services to families with children aged 0-5, using research based evidence to inform practice with agreed professional standards. The post will require the nurse to travel between homes, family centres and other community venues within Southend.

About us
Southend-on-Sea City Council is a unitary authority based in the heart of the town centre. This diverse and busy town has a great seafront, public parks and leisure activities, competitive house pricing and excellent travel links, accessible via two train lines from Liverpool Street and Fenchurch Street. It offers traditional seaside living that makes it a fantastic place to live and work.

Job responsibilities
The student health visitor will learn how to lead in the provision of a family centred, evidence based public health service that promotes and improves health and addresses inequalities to a defined caseload, population or community.

This will be achieved through shadowing experienced staff and participating in the delivery of public health nursing model at a community and universal reach, progressing to learning about the targeted response and specialist response level. The student will work in line with the Local Authorities corporate objectives and will be expected to make a positive contribution to the provision of public health services. The student health visitor is expected to work in line with the Southend City Council values and behaviours delivering excellent care with compassion. This is underpinned by policies, guidance and operating procedures developed from evidence-based research as well as opportunities to update knowledge through our education forums and skills & drills sessions.

A full Job description and Person Specification is attached.

The student health visitor will learn about becoming the key health professional for a specific caseload, ensuring the delivery of safe, effective and high quality services to families, using research based evidence to inform practice within agreed professional standards.

The student health visitor will have opportunities to work in partnership with Social Care and other statutory agencies in assessing and providing quality care to children within a selective caseload whilst supported by experienced colleagues within the health visiting team.

Key responsibilities will include working to build effective relationships that support all team members to ensure optimum service delivery

Establish and maintain partnerships with families and other agencies in a multi-agency and integrated working environment

Assess, plan, implement and evaluate individual/family focused/group programs of care, under the direction of the Health Visitor / School Nurse and work in partnership with other agencies, including early years provision/schools

To adhere to the Southend City Council Healthy Child frameworks and pathways in relation to our client group

To be aware of and demonstrate increasing skills and knowledge in assessment and decision making in relation to local safeguarding, looked after children, domestic abuse and vulnerable children policies and procedures.

Assist in planning, delivery and evaluation public health initiatives through community-based health promotion activities which reflect need and meet the key performance targets of the organisation

To develop into an autonomous practitioner and take responsibility for the care given to patients clients/ families within own limits of competency and confidence

For further information please see attached job description.

Person Specification
Additional - Essential

• Current driving license with access to a car for duration of training period
• An understanding of the demands of academic work
• Flexibility in combining theoretical and practical demands of course
• Demonstrates a non-judgmental approach
• Adaptable and flexible approach to the delivery of the service
• Ability to travel across a defined location independently as required by the organisation
• Ability to cope with physical demands of role
• Awareness and acceptance of the rights and needs of the service users and staff

Experience - Essential

• Proactive vision of service delivery
• Able to communicate with a high level of interpersonal and organisational skills Ability to demonstrate responsibility and accountability
• Demonstrate an understanding of multidisciplinary /skill mix workforce management
• Evidence of current knowledge of National and Local policies and ability to relate it to practice
• Application of evidence-based practice
• Demonstrates negotiation skills
• Motivates and inspires confidence in self and others
• Reflective practitioner
• Experience of facilitating learning and development
• Demonstrates IT knowledge and skills Demonstrates presentation skills in line

Experience - Desirable

• Experience of inter-agency working
• Experience of Clinical Supervision

Qualifications - Essential

• Registered Nurse - relevant pathways - Adult / Paediatric/ Learning Disability/ Mental health/ Midwife
• First level degree or equivalent.
• To demonstrate the ability to study at level 7.
• Evidence of academic study at Level 6 in the last 5 years.
• If English is not your first language you will be expected to demonstrate a certificated level of proficiency of at least IELTS 6.0 (Academic level) or equivalent English Language qualification, as recognised by Anglia Ruskin University.

Qualifications - Desirable

• Evidence of graduate or post-graduate qualifications
• Evidence of post registration learning
• Currently be working in a nursing role or one relevant to public health nursing.

Personal Qualities - Essential

• Can demonstrate advanced decision making / problem solving skills
• Can demonstrate an enthusiastic, innovative approach to delivery of care
• Approachable, compassionate, empathetic and non-judgmental attitude
• Flexible approach with ability to accept and lead on change
• Can demonstrate accountability
• Ability to work well in a skill mix team
• Awareness and acceptance of the rights and needs of service users and staff
• Sensitive to cultural differences and the impacts these have on family life

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.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

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.

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).