[ref. o60185604] Healthcare Assistant - Special Schools Nursing Team
Our Vision is to provide the best mental health, learning disability, autism and community based services for the populations we serve.
As an integrated mental health, learning disability and community Trust, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including:
- Primary and secondary mental health care for children and adults including specialist inpatient child and adolescent mental health provision, perinatal mental health, forensic services including low and medium secure care.
- Specialist community support for children and adults with learning disabilities and autism, including intensive support.
- Community physical health and well-being services for children and adults.
The Trust was first established in 2002 and employs approximately 7,000 staff who provide care from more than 400 sites. The organisation offers opportunities for medics, mental health and general nurses, allied health professionals, psychology, administration and clerical staff, apprentices and volunteers.
Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust supports flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as; term time, part time, compressed hours, home/remote working, and flexi-time.
For more information visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT.
Job overview
We are looking for highly motivated and enthusiastic people with good communication skills to join our friendly, dynamic and supportive team.
You will have an NVQ3 in care or equivalent experience and be prepared to undertake further training. You will be able to relate to children, have good organisational skills and be able to work independently accessing supervision as required.
You will work within a nursing discipline working with children with complex and additional needs in the school setting and you will be an effective member of the Children’s Complex Needs Nursing Service.
The post holder will have significant experience with working with children; particularly those with special needs would be advantageous.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will work under the direction of qualified nurses within the Children’s Complex Needs Nursing Service. The post holder will carry out programmes of care devised by the school nurses independently or with other members of the integrated team.The post holder will work with an agreed range of children within the special school setting under the direction of the special needs school nursing team.
The post holder will be required to support delivery of training to educational staff by the nursing team.
You will benefit from excellent management and peer support, competency based training, and a personal and professional development plan.
You will be a car driver/owner with access to a vehicle for work purposes or be able to travel between base and schools in a timely manner.
Working for our organisation
Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including secondary mental health care across this area. Specialist provision comprises inpatient child and adolescent mental health services, perinatal mental health and forensic services including low and medium secure care.
The Trust also provides a range of physical health and well-being services in the community alongside a range of partners in the Lancashire, Cumbria and Sefton area.
Lancashire & South Cumbria Foundation Trust encourages flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as; term time, part time, compressed hours, flexi-time and career breaks.We encourage applicants to state clearly on their application forms this request and discuss these options at interview.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For further information about the role, please see the attached recruitment pack which includes a detailed job description and person specification, or visit our website via Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS FT.
Person specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential criteria- NVQ Level 3 in care or equivalent experience
- A willingness to undertake further study
- Develop new skills in accordance with evidence-based practice
Knowledge
Essential criteria- Good knowledge of child development
- Basic understanding of how complex needs/chronic illness affects children and families
- Sound working knowledge of professional issues e/.g. confidentiality
Experience
Essential criteria- Experience of managing children on an individual and group basis
- Experience of interacting with children with complex and/or additional needs
- Nursing: Previous experience of care in health, social, education or voluntary setting.
Skills
Essential criteria- Very good interpersonal and empathy skills
- Ability to work under supervision and independently recognising own limits
- Ability to facilitate groups
- Able to meet the travel requirements of the role
Please note that further communication from Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCft) will normally be to the email address given on the application form. You should also ensure that email addresses and telephone numbers are provided for your referees, to enable LSCft to contact them.
Please be aware the use of artificial intelligence (AI) when submitting an application is monitored and if you have used AI to generate an application, you are required to declare this on your application form. AI-generated content may lack specificity and fail to address key criteria outlined in the job description.Personalisation is essential when submitting an application form to convey your skills, knowledge, and experiences effectively.
Please ensure that you read the person specification attached below as your application will be measured against this document. Applications from job share partners are welcome and other forms of flexible working will be considered for all posts.
For all posts which require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check please be aware of the Disclosure and Barring Service Code of Practice, a copy of which is available by logging on to the DBS website. If the post is subject to DBS disclosure, a charge will be made to the successful candidate(s).
You are advised to consider applying for LSCft vacancies as soon as possible as in some instances vacancies are closed as soon as a sufficient number of applications have been received. If you are not invited to interview within three weeks of the closing date then please assume that on this occasion you have been unsuccessful, as it is not possible to contact all unsuccessful candidates.
LSCft is committed to celebrating difference as an asset and we know that recruiting talent from diverse backgrounds helps to create a more flexible, creative and effective workforce. We actively challenge discrimination and welcome applications from people regardless of age, disability (particularly those with experience of accessing or caring for someone who has accessed mental health or learning disability services), ethnicity, gender, religion or belief or sexual orientation.
Our goal is for the Trust to be truly representative of the communities we serve so we are particularly keen to receive applications from people in under-represented groups. If there is anything you’d like to discuss in relation to your application then please ask.