Specialist Community Public Health Nurse

Job summary

Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (SCPHN) - Health Visitor, Teignmouth

Please ensure that you open the job description to view so that the full essential criteria required for the post can be sighted.

We are looking for registered Health Visitors who are innovative; motivated; and enthusiastic, seeking to make a real difference improving outcomes for children and families in Devon

Here in Devon, we strive to deliver an excellent service to the children, young people and families living in our Community. Health visiting in Devon affords amazing variation allowing you opportunity to make a difference to the lives of families and communities across both rural and urban locations. Devon is varied with health inequalities and affluency which cross paths across the varied landscape.

Interview Date: 18/10/2024

Main duties of the job

You will work within corporate teams and be rostered to work in our duty hub covering a defined geographical area. You'll be supported by Team Leaders and various dedicated health professionals including Health Visitors, School Nurses and Community Health Workers.

You'll lead and manage changing and challenging work load priorities. Working in close partnership with community, voluntary and statutory agencies; multi-agency working and safeguarding children will be an integral part of your role. We are working together with our local midwifery services to support the Better Births agenda.

Continuity is fast becoming priority for every family in Devon, with a focus on a strong public health approach. The opportunity to think innovatively is increasingly becoming part of everything we do in our new model of health visiting. Our aim is not just to influence local Health Visiting agendas but also to be innovative and a partner in influencing national Health Visiting agendas.

About us

With two coastlines, Dartmoor and Exmoor, as areas of natural beauty we have an amazing landscape to frame your working day.

Benefits

- Employee Assistance Program

- NHS pension scheme

- Development Opportunities

- Perks at Work and Discounts Scheme

- Flexible working within service hours

Please note that an active drivers license and access to a car are required for this post.

Professional development is a high priority for us and we provide a range of training opportunities and in-house expertise that will support your own professional development.

Successful candidates will receive a full induction, preceptorship where indicated, safeguarding and clinical supervision.

Applications from newly qualified Health Visitors are welcomed.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Children in Care Council, 2016

We need workers who think about how they treat us. This means workers who treat us fairly and who show us they care. We dont want to be labelled and we should be treated like normal people; dont look down on us. Workers need excellent communication skills, this includes listening skills. Our workers need to be able to listen to our views, ask how and what we are feeling and make sure they understand what we are saying by checking back with us. We expect our workers to demonstrate that they respect us and our experience in real ways by not taking phone calls during meetings, and by writing down what we say and talking in short simple language. Finally, we expect our workers to work hard for us. This means doing what they say they will do, sticking to promises and not making excuses. We expect our workers to respond promptly to us and provide up to date contact details, especially for out of hours. It is important that workers build good relationships with us and are flexible and willing to change their view and always do what is best for us.

Job Purpose:

To effectively lead and deliver the Healthy Child Programme (HCP) 0-19 (DH 2010) thereby improving outcomes for children and families.

To contribute to the Public Health Agenda, meet Public Health targets and reduce health inequalities in partnership with key agencies meeting National agendas

To promote the protection of children, adhering to the Local Safeguarding Childrens Board policies and procedures.

To actively lead teams both within Health Visiting and School Nurses and partner agencies where appropriate, Advisory Boards of Childrens Centres.

A requirement to be rostered regularly in the hub within a defined geographical area to provide a Single point of access to families and stakeholders providing information, advice and triaging referrals within the service.

To work as part of a team to ensure that Key Performance Indicator targets that are set/negotiated by Local Area Teams/Commissioners for the service, eg: antenatal visits are met.

To support service development, standard setting, clinical audit and bench marking, deliver a high quality needs led, safe and effective service to all client groups.

Key Responsibilities:

This list is intended to summarise the key responsibilities and is not intended to cover every task that may be required of the role:

To provide effective clinical leadership to the Public Health nursing team, enabling the team to deliver to the current Health Visiting and School Nursing standards, ensuring that evidence based practice is used.

To take responsibility for the line management of support staff (skill mix) within the team, providing supervision and annual appraisal as per Devon County Council policy. Support the manager and professional lead/team leader in the development of the skills and knowledge of the team in order to maintain the competency level of the whole team. Participate in the recruitment, selection and retention of staff to enhance skill mix within the team.

Facilitate inductions for public health nursing staff new to Devon County Council.

To mentor pre-registration students on a regular basis. To mentor SCPHN students as needed with the support of a Practice Teacher. To act as Preceptor for newly qualified practitioners in their first year of practice.

To actively take responsibility for appropriately identifying, accessing and participating in supervision, according to individual need Child Protection, Restorative, and Clinical.

Work closely with Childrens Centres actively participating in joint care planning meetings and attending Advisory Board meetings as the named Health Visitor as per Partnership Agreement.

School nurses to work closely with learning communities, teachers and Boards of Governors as appropriate.

Has an awareness of national policy and how this affects local policy and service development and provision.

Initiate and participate in research, audit, surveys and service user feedback.

To lead meetings in local area bases and delegate work appropriately to the skill mix team and promote positive team working.

Develop and maintain effective communication networks, with service users, health care professionals and other statutory and voluntary organisations.

Patient Care Responsibilities

To undertake clinical activities within the scope of professional practice. NHSP competencies.

Plan, implement and evaluate health enhancing activities to meet health needs of the local population through home visiting, community development, clinics, workshops, support groups and parenting programmes, focusing on key national and local targets.

To develop a workload profile, identifying needs as Universal, Universal Plus, Universal Partnership Plus.

To identify children and families in need of early help through the Common Assessment Framework, known locally as the Early Help Assessment. To act as Lead Professional as required.

Support and manage projects around health enhancing activities postnatal support services, Baby Friendly Initiative, promoting the emotional health of young people.

Act as a named Health Visitor/School nurse within context of caseload management.

Act in accordance with current local and Trust guidelines/policies to protect children at risk. Takes professional responsibility and accountability in the joint decision making process within the Child Protection arena.

Freedom to Act

Able to work alone, assessing risk within risk management guidelines, and is accountable for own actions within the Standards, Policies and Procedures, set out by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, Devon County Council and local Safeguarding Children Panel. This includes mandatory child protection clinical supervision.

Able to recognise situations where advice and help are required from managers, professional or child protection leaders eg: safeguarding and seeks advice accordingly.

Able to arrange safe, timely and effective responses to acute situations, for example, disclosure of domestic or child abuse, individuals with suicidal intent. In such situations, able to offer appropriate first line assistance and refer appropriately.

Location/Mobility

You may be required to work at or from any additional location as may be determined by Devon County Council from time to time. Devon County Council also reserves the right from time to time to change your base on a permanent basis to a location determined by it at the time the change is made. You may also be required to travel between Devon County Council premises for the performance of your duties.

Confidentiality and Information Security

As a Devon County Council employee, you will be required to uphold the confidentiality of all records held by the company, whether patients/service records or corporate information. This duty lasts indefinitely and will continue after you leave the companys employment.

All information which identifies living individuals in whatever form (paper/pictures, electronic data/images or voice) is covered by the 1998 Data Protection Act and should be managed in accordance with this legislation. This and all other information must be held in line with Devon County Council Policies and NHS national standards including the Records Management:NHS Code of Practice , NHS Constitution and HSCIC Code of Practice on Confidential Information and should only be accessed or disclosed lawfully. Monitoring of compliance will be undertaken by Devon County Council. Failure to adhere to Information Governance policies and procedures may result in disciplinary action and, where applicable, criminal prosecution.

Information Governance Responsibilities

As a Devon County Council employee you are responsible for the following key aspects of Information Governance (not an exhaustive list):

Completion of annual information governance training

Follow Devon County Council Governance Policies and Procedures

Reading applicable policies and procedures

Understanding key responsibilities outlined in the Information Governance acceptable usage policies and procedures including Devon County Council and NHS mandated encryption requirements

Ensuring the security and confidentiality of all records and personal information assets

Maintaining timely and accurate record keeping and where appropriate, in accordance with professional guidelines

Adherence to the clear desk/screen policy

Only using email accounts authorised by Devon County Council , NHSmail etc. These should be used in accordance with Policies.

Reporting information governance incidents and near misses to Devon County Council Information Governance using the correct procedure.

Only using approved equipment for the use of Devon County Council business

Governance

Clinical governance is a framework through which organisations delivering health and care services are accountable to continuously improving the quality of their services and safeguarding high standards of care by creating an environment in which clinical and other forms of care flourishes. Employees must be aware that clinical governance places a duty on all staff to ensure that the level of care services they deliver to patients is safe and high quality, and that they follow/comply with Devon County Council policies and procedures.

Registered Health Professional

All staff who are a member of a professional body must comply with standards of professional practice / conduct. It is the post holders responsibility to ensure they are both familiar with and adhere to these requirements.

Please refer to the full Job Description / Person Specification on the right hand side when completing your application.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Ist Level NMC registration. Qualification-Specialist Community Public Health Nursing Degree- Health Visitor /School Nurse.

Desirable

Qualification at Masters level.

Experience

Essential

Ability to effectively manage time and caseload. Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding procedures. Proficient in health needs assessment, evaluation and action planning. Excellent Team Working Skills. Excellent written and communication skills, to be confident and articulate. Ensure the delivery of clinically effective practice through the effective utilization and integration of evidence based practice. Ensure implementation of evidence based standards of care, policies and procedures. Ability to work within own boundaries of competence. Evidence of partnership working.

Desirable

Up to date health visiting/school nursing experience. Previous experience participating in research projects. Innovative-Enthusiastic. Proven ability to meet targets and deadlines.

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