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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1. Under the guidance of the Lead Specialist Nurse, be responsible for assessing, planning and reviewing the health needs of Children in Care. Identifying outstanding health needs and supporting young people to address their health requirements.
2. To support the Lead Specialist Nurse and be professionally and legally be accountable and responsible for all aspects of own work and caseload.
3. To assist and support the development and innovation of the service within, to enable the team to provide provisions in a timely and up to date evidence-based manner.
4. To support children, young people, their families and carers to implement appropriate health plan and work effectively within residential settings, providing advice, guidance and support as appropriate.
5. To manage a variety of complex and sensitive patient casework commensurate to the nature of the post. This will include exposure to a variety of conditions, overseeing clinical functions, managing distressing situations and undertaking administrational activities to ensure records and information is uploaded onto systems in a timely and accurate way, to ensure effective integration of practice.
6. To undertake patient health assessments and assess health needs holistically to develop a health plan that relates to the individual children and young person. Taking into account their physical, emotional, behavioural, social and developmental needs, undertaking regular analysis of complex information in accordance with clinical procedures.
7. To review the health care plan associated with individual children or young person’s circumstances and ensure the health plan is implemented both inside and outside of the borough.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
8. To make appropriate referrals to other multi-disciplinary services and / or carry out follow-up investigations to ensure children and young people do not lose their waiting-list place or disrupt existing arrangements to care.
9. To advocate on behalf of children and young people, identifying health needs and barriers that prevent access to appropriate services and support, and ensure services are accessible to enable provisions for those within Children in Care and Care Leavers services.
10. To ensure that services and provisions for Children in Care and Care Leavers are developed and in place, in line with current evidence-based practice and national guidance and policies.
11. To provide a Leaving Care Summary for care leavers, providing support, specialist advice, referral and advocacy to the leaving care population and to promote independent living for young people exiting care; providing assistance as the role necessitates.
12. To effectively communicate complex and sensitive information with colleagues and multidisciplinary agencies external and internal to the service to deliver a quality service and contribute to service development using a multi-agency approach.
13. To undertake tasks appropriate to band of post to support the Safeguarding Team and identify and escalate concerns relevant to the duty of care and parameters of the role.
14. To participate in the education and training of colleagues, students and associated health professionals, Foster Carers and any other professionals responsible for the wellbeing of Children in Care.
15. To collect and collate activity statistics and act upon within agreed timescales to assist with patient examination and the reporting of outcomes.
16. To manage own appraisal and personal development planning and participate in CPD activities and access appropriate work-related training in accordance with The Inter-collegiate Guidance to enhance knowledge and development of expertise.
17. To plan, deliver and evaluate interactive, evidence-based training for Children in Care staff to ensure consistent and practical messages about health care and and care plans are provided
18. To achieve agreed objectives within a given timescale using relevant resources and equipment, and ensure records held reflect health information and demonstrate health care plans and outcomes relevant to children and young person.
19. To ensure that children and young people have access to information on existing care and health services.
20. Access relevant training opportunities, developing and maintaining up to date knowledge and skills in the area of looked after children
21. To undertake additional training as required to enhance personal knowledge and practice.
22. To undertake other duties commensurate with this grade of post in agreement with the relevant line manager