Special School Nurse | Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

The post holder will be required to primarily provide cover for schools within the locality spanning from Shoreham-by-Sea to Chichester.

The post holder will work as a Special School Staff Nurse under the direction of Special School Nursesto support the provision of health care to children and young people in Special Schoolsacross the Special School Nursing portfolio.

The post holder will provideclinical and associated public health nursing of children and young people, in partnership with the Special School Nurses, Clinical Lead for Special School Nursing, Community Children’s Nurses, Community Paediatricians and other health professionals to ensure the provision of safe, high quality health care.

The post holder will be responsible foradvising and supporting school staff with the everyday health care needsof the children and young people attending the Special Schools and Colleges.

The post holder will be responsible forassessmentof everyday health care needs; the development and implementation ofhealth care plansor intervention programmesas part of the school health care plan.

The post holder willfacilitate thelearning and development of individual child/young person’s specific health care needs for school staff.

The post holder willprotect, safeguard and promote the wellbeingof children in accordance with ‘The Children Act’ (1989 & 2004) and ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ (2013 & 2023).

• Work within level of competency to deliver quality nursing care, support, information and advice.
• Provide clinical children’s nursing and public health advice within the school setting.
• Develop and implement care plans for children and young people with complex health needs and disability.
• Work within level of competency to identify and provide child specific health care procedures training for school staff, including competency-based assessment where required.
• Help develop, implement and review clinical protocols and standard operating procedures which assist in delivering safe care and best nursing practice.
• Contribute to single and multiagency safeguarding of disabled children, young people and young adults.
• Contribute and support the delivery of health promotion packages appropriate for a Special School setting and service delivery.
• Ensure timely, concise and accurate documentation of care interventions, including telephone advice and support are documented and recorded.
• Act as a resource and role model of special school nursing, to all other professionals and work colleagues.
• Attends relevant education and training practice updates
• Staff may be required to work anywhere in West Sussex and Brighton and Hove in order to meet the needs of the commissioned service.
• Participate in clinical and safeguarding supervision as per Trust policy to sustain and develop practice.

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.

Why work for us?

• Positive 2024 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeing

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Varied environments

community hospitals, patients’ homes, and bases across Sussex

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Flexible working options

part-time, flexi-time, annualised hours, and flexi-retirement

• Excellent training, development, and research opportunities
• Accredited Living Wage Employer, we ensure fair pay for all our staff
• Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brighton
• Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networks
• Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust

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.

• Deliver and help within the Special School Nursing hub to help ensure the consistent delivery of safe quality nursing care for children and young people.
• Continue personal, professional development to ensure competency in key SSN skills relevant to role.
• Contribute to the School Health Care Plans and emergency care plans working alongside the designated Special School Nurse.
• Advise on and where appropriate implement child/young person specific health education and promotion interventions.
• Facilitate the health care teaching and learning of all staff in the school, students and any other staff during community placements.
• Act as a role model to provide health care leadership and support to school staff
• Deliver and help maintain high standard, safe, effective health care within the school setting
• Contribute to Children and Young People’s Community Nursing (CYPCN) Service and school audits, inspections and/or reviews as appropriate
• Ensure electronic health records are maintained and compliant with Trust policy and keep accurate, contemporaneous records and written reports as required.
• Assist the Head Teachers, Clinical & Team Lead, Safeguarding Team and Matrons / Senior Management Team in co-ordinating child protection processes in accordance with Trust policy and the Local Safeguarding Board (children and adults) procedures whilst supporting junior staff in understanding and exercising the Trust safeguarding policy and Sussex procedures
• Maintain and help to analyse relevant service data which will demonstrate activity of the role/team and assist with identifying service needs and possible developments.
• Regularly evaluate the clinical effectiveness of care and in consultation with Team Lead and Clinical Lead and senior management team, make adjustments where appropriate in order to make the best use of team and SCFT resources.
• Support in the development, implementation, and evaluation of guidelines / teaching / competency assessment tools for use within the CYCPN servicefor care of identified health needs and promotion of well-being.
• Participate in nursing research and audit projects pertinent to clinical practice in conjunction with CYPCN service’s standards, quality improvement and development forum.
• Ensure when aware of clinical incidents in practice that these are reported via the correct channels and assist with the implementation of relevant recommendations.
• Contribute to the development of health-related policies, procedures and guidelines ensuring they are evidenced base, to ensure pupil safety and safe delivery of care in the school setting
• Work collaboratively with professionals across the health economy in universal and specialist services and other agencies to ensure the needs of children and young people and families are met.
• Implement and maintain the Trust’s quality initiatives and assurance programmes as relevant.
• Actively involved in the orientation, induction and preceptorship of junior staff.

This advert closes on Thursday 21 May 2026