Skip to main content
Please wait, loading

Job summary

Main area
Paediatrics
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 8b
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
388-7557780-FC&I
Employer
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Torbay Hospital
Town
Torquay
Salary
£64,455 - £74,896 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
12/03/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust logo

Lead Advanced Practitioner

NHS AfC: Band 8b

Job overview

This post holder will practice as an Advanced Practitioner in Paediatrics, providing clinical 
expertise while leading the management of the Paediatric AP workforce and overseeing the 
development and delivery of the Paediatric AP service. They will be an experienced 
healthcare practitioner with significant experience in Paediatrics and will have completed an 
MSc in Advanced Practice and can evidence a clinical portfolio and relevant competencies in 
line with the HEE national framework for advanced clinical practice and the RCPCH 
competencies.

Main duties of the job

The Paediatric AP will work closely with the attending Consultant liaising in a timely 
manner regarding any complex problems or difficulties. The AP will be well 
supported by the medical team and Consultant and will be encouraged to work within 
their competencies and seek help early when required

Working for our organisation

Why Work With Us

Are you an enthusiastic, clinically competent and passionate Paediatric Advanced Practitioner looking to further your career  to develop and lead our paediatric advanced practitioner teams?

A new exciting and unique opportunity has arisen to come and join our experienced and dedicated paediatric team at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust. We are looking to recruit into and expand our skill mix and service offer within our paediatric services. We are looking for an experienced clinical practitioner, or those interested in taking the next step in their career. This post holder will practice as an Advanced Practitioner in Paediatrics and lead in the management of the Paediatric AP workforce, and development and delivery of the Paediatric AP. They will be an experienced healthcare practitioner with significant experience within the field of Paediatrics and will have completed an MSc in Advanced Practice and can evidence a clinical portfolio and relevant competencies in line with the HEE national framework for advanced clinical practice and the RCPCH competencies.

The post-holder will work within the Short Stay Paediatric Unit and support the wider paediatric departments within the organisation such as the general paediatric ward and the emergency department. You will work closely with the nursing, medical team and wider multi-disciplinary teams, as well as primary care, to effectively assess and treat children and young people.

 

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Communication of highly complex information on managing Paeditatric
conditions including risks and benefits and provide details of alternative 
options where appropriate. The postholder will communicate highly sensitive 
and contentious information supporting patients and their carers to make 
informed decisions about their care and treatment. This will require a high 
degree of empathy and advanced communication skills to support patients 
and their families.
• Ensure every person receives personalised care starting with a ‘What matters 
to you’ conversation and including shared decision making at the heart of all 
decisions.
• Assess, diagnose, plan, implement and evaluate treatments and 
interventions for patients across the Trust/division/specialty.
• Perform accurate clinical procedures appropriate to area of practice and 
within scope and competence of practice, from undertaking history taking and 
examination of the patient, including further invasive testing, diagnostics and 
treatments requiring highly developed skills and precision. 
• Request investigations such as blood, urine and other laboratory tests, 
electrocardiographs (ECGs), diagnostic imaging in accordance with 
regulatory and governance requirements, and as local policy allows. Interpret 
and act on investigation results, planning and managing clinical care and 
interventions as required.
• Analyse and respond to highly complex information from multiple sources in 
making clinical judgements and decisions regarding diagnoses, treatment 
and management plans. This may involve responding to conflicting views and 
opinions, seeking advice when scope of practice is exceeded.
• Coordinate referral to other services (e.g. surgeons, cardiologist, 
neurologist) or any other service
• Update EPR’s and complete discharge and referral letters to GPs and 
speciality consultants
• Be accountable for own practice, hence answerable for all actions and 
omissions, regardless of advice or direction from another professional
• Liaise with relevant speciality teams / services, Primary care services, other 
NHS Trusts and social care organisations, establishing local networks with 
the appropriate patient and carer groups

Act as a role model and provide leadership, clinical support and expert 
advice to medical, nursing/midwifery staff, students and other staff in the 
multidisciplinary team
• Attend paediatric emergencies across a range of settings and participate or 
lead in advanced paediatric resuscitation
• Use highly developed specialist knowledge and advanced clinical skills to 
undertake a comprehensive health history and examination of patients to
diagnose and treat them (including prescribing drugs as necessary)
• Assess health related needs of children and families by identifying and 
initiating appropriate steps for effective care exercising higher levels of 
judgement and clinical decision making using paediatric clinical guidelines
• Frequently weigh up differential diagnosis and the variety of potentially 
contentious treatment options, requiring the weighing up of possibilities and 
justification of clinical rationale
• Initiate further investigations and treatment plans from a range of options, 
analysing response and altering plans as necessary as further data 
becomes available to ensure care is safe and effective
• Develop comprehensive medical and nursing patient management plans for 
a caseload of patients that delivers a holistic approach to their care from 
admission to discharge
• In collaboration with the senior medical team, recognise abnormalities, early 
signs of illness and/or deterioration and act accordingly, ensuring 
appropriate and full range investigations are instigated and follow up action 
is taken including evaluation of care
• Carries out Non-Medical prescribing including calculating prescribing, 
administering and evaluating the effects of drug and fluid therapies in 
accordance with local policies
• Exercise judgement in recognising when supervision is required and seek 
advice, asking for help from medical colleagues as appropriate
• Apply critical judgements to inform clinical decision-making, 
recommendations and prescription of treatment, including making referrals 
as necessary.
• Utilise highly complex reasoning skills to provide diagnoses, present 
treatment options and health promotion advice within the area of expertise 
to patients.
• Effectively manage conflicting perspectives and reconcile professional 
differences of opinion.
• Recognise and adhere to the limits of personal competency.
• Challenge established practice standards and contributed to constructive 
change.
• Demonstrate critical reflection of own practice, fostering self-awareness, 
emotional intelligence and willingness to embrace change


• Conduct comprehensive holistic assessment for patients with specialist care 
needs, referred to the service, via the requesting/undertaking and 
interpretation of diagnostic results.
• Develop highly specialised programmes of care and provide highly 
specialised advice regarding care.
• To demonstrate expertise in evidence-based healthcare to assess, 
diagnose, plan, implement and evaluate care for patients.
• Be clinically competent and proficient within the acute paediatric setting, 
independently managing clinical conditions, making autonomous decisions, 
seeking advice and/or referring and prescribing where appropriate.
• Can plan, order, interpret and act upon the results of tests and 
investigations
• To communicate effectively both verbally and in writing to members of the 
multi-disciplinary team and other healthcare professionals.
• Participate in the stabilisation and transfer of patients for escalation of care
• Use initiative and acts independently within the bounds of existing 
knowledge and skills

• Work with clinical and leadership teams to develop new and improved 
processes and pathways to streamline and improve patient flow and care 
processes.
• Lead in the development of new initiatives and ways of working, including 
AP led services, informed by local and national Policy
• To develop, coordinate, deliver and evaluate the advanced clinical 
practitioner service within acute paediatrics.
• Collaborate with senior clinical colleagues, develop or introduce agreed 
clinical guidelines for best practice.
• Manage and assess risk within the areas of responsibility, ensuring 
adequate measures are in place to protect staff and patients
• Facilitate good team spirit through leadership skills and team building.
• Be conversant with all Trust and departmental policies and procedures and 
ensure that the requirements are met.
• To attend departmental, divisional and other meetings where appropriate, 
maintaining continuous effective communication.
• Continually assess and monitor risk in their own and others’ practice and 
challenge others about wider risk factors within the service
• Use evidence-based practice to underpin clinical guidelines and integrate 
research into clinical practice.
• Develop, implement and evaluate strategies to advance knowledge and 
practice.
• Make operational judgements, manage conflicting views, reconcile inter and 
intra-professional differences of opinion and escalate for senior clinician 
review when require

Accountable for optimal use of resources balanced against the needs of 
each individual child or young person
• Assist in the formulation of business cases to ensure adequate, appropriate 
equipment and staffing.
• Collaborate in the redesign of services to ensure they are organized to meet 
service user need.
• Personal duty of care in relation to equipment, resources and safe use of 
equipment used within clinical areas Responsible for the effective and 
appropriate use of resources and the cost implications

Provide support and advice to all disciplines of healthcare staff, acting as an 
excellent role model and demonstrating advanced clinical skills and 
knowledge.
• Lead staff appraisal and setting of personal and department objectives in 
collaboration with others where appropriate. 
• Provides support for the day-to-day line management / supervision of 
advanced practitioners and trainee advanced practitioners within own 
specialty.
• Actively seek user involvement in developing services that are responsive 
to the needs of the local population.
• Act as an expert practitioner to provide a supportive learning environment 
which promotes continuous professional development and lifelong learningthis may require liaison with education & learning providers and their tutorial 
staff.
• Provide a supportive environment for all staff (including pre-registration 
students) which encourages learning and professional development. This 
will require liaison with education & learning providers and their tutorial staff.
• To actively participate in the development and delivery of future education 
and training provision; which recognises the needs of patients and is in line 
with national and local priorities.
• Collaborate with senior colleagues and educational establishments where 
appropriate to ensure the needs of service are met.
• To assist with the development of education and learning which are 
appropriate for practitioners working within the Trust.
• To identify own education and training needs in line with curriculum / 
competency framework within speciality, and Trust statutory and mandatory 
training. Ensuring that these are addressed through the appraisal process 
with the clinical supervisor / line manager.
• Make presentations on complex subjects, both written and verbally to a 
wide range of groups and at meetings and conferences external to the 
organisation to share work locally, nationally and internationally.
• Plan and deliver a training package for trainee advanced clinical 
practitioners within paediatrics.
• Be a mentor and clinical supervisor where appropriate to junior members of 
the multi- disciplinary team.
• Maintain a professional development portfolio

 

Person specification

Qualifications and experience

Essential criteria
  • NMC/ HCPC/ GPhC Registered healthcare professional
  • MSc in Advanced Practice for paediatrics
  • Independent prescriber qualification (where applicable to role / professional group)
  • IR(M)ER (Imaging Referral by Non-medical Healthcare Professionals)
  • Red Dot XRay interpretation course
  • EPLS/APLS
  • Teaching qualification and/or up to date mentorship qualification
  • Completed, and continually updated, HEE Multiprofessional framework for Advanced Clinical Practice
  • Leadership qualification
  • Evidence of CPD relevant to clinical area
  • Safeguarding Level 3 training
Desirable criteria
  • Non-medical authorisation of blood products training (where applicable to role / professional group)
  • EPALS or APLS instructor
  • Clinical supervision course
  • GIC instructor
  • RCPCH ACP credential (when available)
  • Clinical supervision course

Knowledge and experience

Essential criteria
  • Significant and evidenced post registration experience
  • Significant clinical experience of working autonomously within the acute paediatric setting including physiology, assessment, clinical reason and decision making
  • Delivery of evidenced-based practice demonstrating a patient focused approach
  • Willingness to perform or learn advanced clinical skills appropriate to acute paediatrics
  • Ensure clinical governance is embedded within practice
  • Evidence of competence in role specific clinical skills for acute paediatrics
  • Awareness of own limitations and work within own scope of practice
  • Evidence of leading effectively, managing change and improving patient experience
  • Ability to influence a positive organisational culture to drive innovation, collaborative working and sustainable healthcare
  • Ability to prioritise workload of the wider MDT
  • Team building skills and ability to manage emerging practitioners
  • Work within and promote at all times the Trust values and behaviours
  • Ability to identify and manage risk and patient safety
  • Clinical audit experience
  • Skills in Research
  • Evaluate the care of patients through audit and research
  • Implement new policies and guidelines based on research and latest evidence-based practice
  • Communicate and dissemination of audit and research through a variety of mediums.
Desirable criteria
  • POCUS course including ultrasound guided cannulation
  • Advanced Leadership Qualification
  • Management and leadership experience
  • Previous Publications
  • Ability to produce and formulate guidelines, policies and reports

Specific skills

Essential criteria
  • Management of ventilation
  • Prescribing of drugs and fluid therapies
  • Cannulation and venepuncture
  • Lumbar punctures
  • Blood cultures
  • Insertion of urinary catheters
  • Flexibility in shift/working patterns to meet the needs of the service
  • Is able to participate as a team member
  • Is of good health and good character as per NMC/HCPC/ GPhC requirements
  • Willing to accept additional responsibilities as delegated by senior staff
  • Highly motivated, self-directed practitioner with excellent organisation skills
  • Excellent communication skills both verbally and written
Desirable criteria
  • Insertion of long lines, umbilical venous and arterial catheters
  • Radial arterial lines/arterial punctures
  • Needle thoracentesis
  • Chest drain insertion and removal
  • Cranial ultrasound

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleAge positiveImproving working livesMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.The Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion (enei) is the UK's leading employer network covering all aspects of equality and inclusion issues in the workplace.Disability confident committedArmed Forces Covenant - Silver 2025

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Corinne Foy
Job title
Associate Director of Nursing
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07825027641