High Impact Area Lead Specialist School Nurse

Job summary
The role focuses on delivering high-quality clinical care, managing complex cases, and improving health outcomes through early intervention, safeguarding, and multi-agency working, in line with the Healthy Child Programme (519).

Main duties of the job
The post holder will deliver a specialist, accessible, and youth-centred health service to vulnerable and underserved young people aged 1119 (up to 25 for those with additional needs) in Sutton. This includes those engaged with Youth Offending Services, attending Pupil Referral Units, not in education, employment or training (NEET), or receiving elective home education.

About us
The role focuses on improving health outcomes, reducing health inequalities, and supporting safeguarding through early intervention, health promotion, and multi-agency collaboration.

The School Nurse will deliver a specialist, inclusive, and equitable and accessible health service to vulnerable and underserved young people aged 1119 (up to 25 with additional needs) in Sutton. This includes those engaged with the Youth Offending Team, attending Pupil Referral Units, not in education, employment or training (NEET), or receiving elective home education.

Job responsibilities
The post holder will deliver a specialist, accessible, and youth-centred health service to vulnerable and underserved young people aged 1119 up to 25 for those with additional needs in Sutton.

This includes those engaged with Youth Offending Services, attending Pupil Referral Units, not in education, employment or training NEET, or receiving elective home education.

The role focuses on delivering high-quality clinical care, managing complex cases, and improving health outcomes through early intervention, safeguarding, and multi-agency working, in line with the Healthy Child Programme 519.

The School Nurse will deliver a specialist, inclusive, and equitable and accessible health service to vulnerable and underserved young people aged 11 9 up to 25 with additional needs in Sutton.

This includes those engaged with the Youth Offending Team, attending Pupil Referral Units, not in education, employment or training NEET, or receiving elective home education.

The role focuses on improving health outcomes, reducing health inequalities, and supporting safeguarding through early intervention, health promotion, and multi-agency collaboration.

Key Responsibilities
Clinical Practice

• Manage a caseload of young people with complex, high-risk or multiple vulnerabilities
• Undertake risk assessment and care planning for health needs
• Coordinate care across agencies for individuals with complex health needs.
• Deliver holistic health assessments for young people with complex and additional needs.
• Provide targeted health interventions, including:
• Sexual health advice and support
• Substance misuse awareness and harm reduction
• Emotional wellbeing and mental health support
• Healthy lifestyle guidance (nutrition, sleep, physical activity)
• Identify unmet health needs and facilitate access to appropriate services.
• Support young people with long-term conditions, SEND, or additional vulnerabilities.
• Support with team leader duties in the absence of the team leader.

Safeguarding and Risk Management

• Actively safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.
• Identify and respond to safeguarding concerns including exploitation, neglect, and risk-taking behaviours.
• Contribute to multi-agency safeguarding plans and attend case conferences, core groups, and strategy meetings, Multi Agency Child Exploitation Panel and Medical Vulnerable Pupil Panel
• Maintain accurate, confidential, and timely clinical records in line with professional standards.

Outreach and Engagement

• Deliver flexible, outreach-based services in community settings including PRUs, YOT premises, and home environments.
• Build trusting relationships with young people who may be disengaged from traditional services.
• Use trauma-informed and youth-centred approaches to engagement.
• Promote accessibility and reduce barriers to healthcare.

Multi-Agency Working

• Work collaboratively with professionals across education, youth justice, social care, and voluntary sectors.
• Actively contribute to and influence multidisciplinary meetings and decision- making and contribute to care planning.
• Advocate for young peoples health needs within professional networks.

Health Promotion and Education

• Develop and deliver tailored health education sessions for individuals and groups.
• Contribute to public health priorities including:
• Mental health resilience
• Sexual health and relationships
• Substance misuse prevention
• Violence reduction and risk awareness
• Empower young people to make informed health choices.

Professional Responsibilities

• Maintain registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
• Adhere to the NMC Code
• Engage in continuous professional development (CPD) and clinical supervision.
• Be accountable for own clinical decision-making and caseload management
• Ensure practice is evidence-based and aligned with local and national guidance
• Contribute to audit and service evaluation activities.

Person Specification
Experience
Essential

• Significant experience working with vulnerable or high-risk young people
• Strong understanding of safeguarding and child protection
• Excellent communication and engagement skills
• Ability to work autonomously and as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Experience of multi-agency safeguarding processes
• Ability to manage complex risk and competing priorities

Desirable

• Experience working within Youth Offending Services, PRUs, or NEET populations
• Training in trauma-informed practice, motivational interviewing, or youth mental health
• Knowledge of local services within Sutton and surrounding areas

Qualifications
Essential

• Registered Nurse (RN) with current NMC registration
• Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (SCPHN School Nursing) qualification or equivalent experience

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

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