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Job summary

Main area
Children & Young People
Grade
Band 3
Contract
Fixed term: 1 year (term time only)
Hours
  • Part time
  • Term time hours
20 hours per week (Mon-Fri mixed days)
Job ref
277-7563617-CYP
Employer
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Room FO8 Bostall House, Goldie Leigh
Town
Abbey Wood
Salary
£29,651 - £31,312 pro rata pa inc
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
09/11/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust logo

Healthcare Assistant Special Schools Nursing Team

Band 3

Job overview

Promoting the health of children with complex health needs attending special schools within the boroughs of both Greenwich and Bexley; helping children and young people to realise their potential in health and education.

Ensuring all children and young people has access to a dedicated special school nursing service that is informed by evidence of good practice.

The Community Children’s Nursing Service is part of a network of services for children in Greenwich and Bexley providing high quality specialist child centred care. The HCA will work as part of this team but will be based within the special schools setting.  The post holder must possess good communication skills and be able to work as part of the wider Community Children’s Nursing Service.

Important Sponsorship Information for this post: We are unable to offer a certificate of sponsorship for this post.

Main duties of the job

  • To provide & promote health care for students with Special Needs and complex healthcare needs.

·         Work as part of Special School Nurse Team.

·         To provide & promote health care for students with Special Needs and Complex Healthcare Needs.

·         Involved in delivery of clinical care in accordance with healthcare plans.

·         Supporting the school nurse with medicines management within the Special schools

·         Assisting with health assessments

·         Supporting the school nurse to manage clinical emergencies.

·         To support the special school nurse with the training and competence of education staff

·         To be familiar with IT systems such as Microsoft word.

·         To have experience supporting children with special educational needs or be willing to do so.

·         To maintain accurate clinical records and to update patient records in a timely manner.

·         To recognise the child at risk discussing in the first instance with the line manager and complying with the Trust and London Child Protection procedures

Working for our organisation

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children’s centres, schools and people’s homes.

We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families.  This is strengthened by our new values:

  • We’re Kind
  • We’re Fair
  • We Listen
  • We Care

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

  • To carry out care plans developed by the School Nurse or Community Children’s Nurse
  • To undertake skilled clinical tasks following competency-based training; for example tracheostomy care, the care management of enteral feeding devices (naso-gastric/Gastrostomy/jejunostomy), suctioning.  This is not an exhaustive list and there may be times that you are required to learn additional clinical skills.
  • To assess an unwell student, undertake clinical observations and report your findings to the school nursing team.
  • To monitor the heights and weights of students as identified by the care plan and report to the nursing team or dietician.
  • To be familiar with all equipment required to support the child and to report any deficiency immediately.
  • To carry out and record safety checks of technical equipment reporting any issues to the school nurse
  • To carry out duties, within good practice guidelines and involving senior clinicians where required.

 Research

  • To maintain knowledge and skills in supporting children with complex health needs based on up-to-date evidence
  • To assist in collecting data for audit when appropriate.

Communication

  • To assist in the provision of support and advice to parents regarding health issues in liaison with the school Nurse.
  • To develop supportive relationships with students and assist in responding to their clinical needs.
  • To establish and maintain good relationships with all members of the Specialist Nursing Service, Multidisciplinary team, Community Children’s team, Education staff and other agencies directly involved with the student.
  • To keep accurate and clear records, to make verbal and written reports as required, ensuring these are kept up-to-date.
  • To maintain timely and up to date reports on RIO system according to Trust policy and in the family held record.

Person specification

education

Essential criteria
  • General Education to GCSE level or its equivalent Relevant healthcare Foundation Degree Qualification or NVQ 3 or other relevant experience
Desirable criteria
  • Experience working in a similar setting.

Experience

Essential criteria
  • 1 years’ experience of working with children with disabilities and complex health needs in the community
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of working with families and professionals within a multidisciplinary team

Coomunication

Essential criteria
  • Evidence the ability to communicate with children and young people in a manner that meets their needs
Desirable criteria
  • Evidence of the ability to communicate effectively with families and other professionals.

Ability & Experience

Essential criteria
  • Ability to work in a school environment. Ability to work in a school environment. Ability to visit various Oxleas sites.
Desirable criteria
  • Frequently required to weigh and measure children and young people. Required to carry equipment and resources to and from schools. Front-facing role which exposes the practitioner to distressing, emotional conditions regularly e.g. child safeguarding, mental health

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Veteran AwareNo smoking policyAge positiveInvestors in People: GoldImproving working livesArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.Step into healthPride In Veterans

Applicant requirements

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.

Application numbers

This vacancy may close early if it receives a high volume of applications. Please complete and submit your application in good time to avoid disappointment.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Heather Gray
Job title
Team Manager
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
02082943122
Additional information

Madeleine Bradley 

[email protected]