College Nurse - Orchard Hill College

Orchard Hill College is an Outstanding Specialist College (Ofsted, April 2025) offering life-changing learning opportunities to young people and adults with a range of special education needs and/or disabilities. We operate vibrant community-based College Centres across London and Surrey, where committed specialist teams deliver a variety of programmes designed to meet the diverse needs of our students.

Students who study with us have a wide range of needs including profound and multiple learning disabilities, communication and behavioural difficulties and specific medical needs. All students are individual, and their learning programme is designed to support and empower them to achieve their aspirations and goals, whilst developing skills to become more independent members of their community.

At OHC, nursing is about far more than healthcare — it is about empowering every student to find their voice, build confidence, and take meaningful steps towards adulthood. Our college nurse plays a vital role in advocating for students with learning disabilities, ensuring their needs, choices, and ambitions are always heard and respected. Working alongside families, educators, and support teams, they help create opportunities for greater independence, wellbeing, and personal growth. Every day brings the chance to make a lasting difference: supporting young people to develop life skills, achieve their goals, and move forward on their own unique pathway to a fulfilling and independent future.

Key Responsibilities

To use a person-centred approach to promote choice, independence, and inclusion and working towards the Preparing for Adulthood Agenda

To jointly set and review EHCP related targets with teaching, other support and integrated services staff

Oversee medical management and care plans, respond to medical emergencies

To ensure effective joint working practice between integrated services team and education, health, social services, voluntary sectors and student’s families where necessary, to overcome limitations students may encounter.

To maintain up to date NMC registration and adhere to NMC Professional and Clinical Standards and Code of Conduct as well as National and Local Clinical Guidelines.

Key Requirements

Degree or Graduate Diploma in Nursing

NMC Registration

Experience with people over 16 who have severe/profound and multiple learning disabilities and / or Autism

Able to make judgements based on evidence-based practice and translate this for use in the clinical team environment

Orchard Hill College is an exciting, forward-thinking organisation, and we offer many benefits to attract and keep our staff, contributing towards maintaining and improving wellbeing, and encouraging our required behaviours, achievements, values, and skills. Below is just a selection of the benefits available to our employees:

Rewards & Benefits

(Employee Benefits - Home)

Pathways for progression within the trust, ensuring you can grow and thrive in a supportive and inclusive environment.

Pension Scheme - you will be enrolled in either the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) or the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS), both offering life cover and financial protection for your family.

Salary Sacrifice Schemes (Cycle Scheme, Employee Car Lease Scheme and Home Electronics Scheme)

Employee Wellbeing - We support employee wellbeing with access to counselling, mental health support, generous leave, flexible working, and enhanced parental leave including Employee Assistance Programme, MyGym Discounts, Corporate Eyecare Scheme

Employee Discounts (Blue Light Card, Costco Membership, Discounts for Teachers, and more)

Other (Season Ticket Loan and Employee Referral Scheme)

Our Trust

The College is an Academy sponsor and established Orchard Hill College Academy Trust in 2013 which is home to 13 special schools. Together Orchard Hill College & Academy Trust provide for over 1500 pupils and students with SEN across London, Surrey, Sussex and Berkshire. To find out more about us, and what makes us a special place to work please visit our vacancies page.

Working together to transform lives is what we do and across the whole organisation we have a range of experts and practitioners who advocate for children and young people with SEND to ensure they receive the best possible opportunities to achieve their full potential.

As a large specialist education provider we employ over 1500 people across our schools, college and central support team. There is a wide range of job roles available, ranging from teaching and therapy to business support roles and significant career progression opportunities.

It is an exciting time to be part of OHC and we are keen to recruit talented people who can play a key role in realising our mission and who want to make a difference. In return, we offer training and development, competitive pay and benefits in a positive and inclusive working environment.

We are committed to promoting and advancing equality of opportunity by attracting and retaining the most diverse range of students, staff and partners.

If you wish to discuss this opportunity before or after submitting an application form, please get in touch with the college directly. Visits to the College in advance of applications are encouraged.

Your application form will be scored according to each of the requirements laid out in the person specification for this role. Please demonstrate in your statement how your experience, skills and knowledge match the criteria that are required for the role.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

Disability Confident

About Disability Confident

A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.