Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Improvement and Monitoring

• Responsible for implementing the principles of clinical governance and comply with audit requirements. 

• Ensure effective risk management and facilitate a safe working environment.

• Collect and interpret health data via the PTHB LAC App to assist in the development of the service and reporting to senior representatives of PTHB via the Safeguarding Operational Group and to our wider partners via Corporate Parenting Group.

• Participate in any relevant research projects and focus groups and share outcomes of research and learning at staff meetings.

• Responsible for ensuring that the child and their carer are provided with the appropriate feedback methods to ensure their thoughts around the service provided by health are captured, recorded and service delivery amended where possible.

 Communications

• Responsible for effective working relationships and communications with colleagues, professionals and statutory agencies to provide a seamless service for the children, families and communities. 

• Responsible for effective communication in all aspects of care with children and their carers, with careful explanation of highly complex and sensitive information using a variety of communication methods and translators where required. 

• Responsible for ensuring that the voice of the child is captured, recorded and shared as part of the Health Assessment.

• Negotiate and use skills of diplomacy to defuse potentially threatening and violent situations within the community. 

• Provide information as required; attend CLA review meetings and a variety of other relevant strategy discussions/meetings for LAC. 

• Participate and contribute specialist knowledge to relevant groups. Liaise with children’s services, education, voluntary agencies and other health professionals to ensure that health care is provided and that the transfer of information meets the needs of the child or young person.

• Comply with information governance legislation and use professional judgement in disclosing information to other agencies as necessary.   

Clinical

• Organise, undertake or co-ordinate initial and review holistic statutory health assessments with the assistance and support of the LAC Administrator. The assessment should encompass the physical and emotional health needs of the child/young person.

• Use own skill, knowledge, and clinical judgement to assess the health needs of the child/young person during the health assessment. 

• Prioritise the specific health needs identified during the health assessment process and take responsibility for liaison and referral as appropriate. 

• Develop individual health care plans from initial and review health assessments in line with statutory timescales and ensure that information is child centred and that a clear health care plan of action is highlighted in each case. 

• Provide a comprehensive and flexible service for the children and young persons, to improve access for health assessments. 

• Ensure the continued monitoring and co-ordination of the health care plan for the child, and to provide ongoing monitoring and liaison following each new health assessment and action plan. 

• Work to empower the child/young person to contribute to their own health care plan. 

• Provide age-appropriate health promotion advice and education to children/young people. 

• Communicate with children/young people where there may be barriers to understanding and will communicate with tact and empathy providing reassurance in highly sensitive situations. 

• Ensure compliance with the Wales Safeguarding Procedures and PTHB Safeguarding policy. Liaise with the PTHB Safeguarding team to ensure that the safety and welfare of LAC remains paramount. 

• Access safeguarding supervision as required and attend regular group supervision with extended LAC Team.

• May also be required to undertake specific intervention work with specific children. 

• Assist in providing support and advice for staff working with LAC. 

• Actively promote good health and wellbeing in areas such as sexual health, smoking, drugs and alcohol and with the young person’s consent and signpost them to other agencies/services as appropriate. 

• Ensure that the agreed system of monitoring and coordinating the health care needs of children entering, moving and leaving care is adhered to. 

• Ensure timely referral pathways and fast tracking into specialist health services where possible.

• Initiate safeguarding procedures (Wales Safeguarding Procedures 2019) and work in partnership with families and carers to implement child protection plans where required.

• Participate in statutory safeguarding functions, for example, Court and MARAC/MAPPA processes when required. 

• Apply risk management processes e.g. lone working and risk assessments.

• Perform duties in a manner which will ensure the health and safety of all persons who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work and co-operate with PTHB to ensure that statutory and departmental regulations are adhered to.

• Contribute towards the planning for meeting the needs of care leavers. 

• Completing health assessments and care plans for Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children and attendance at any related meetings.   

Management, Leadership and Training

• Responsible for providing a LAC service for a defined caseload and to provide cover for other LAC nurses during periods of leave.

• Responsibility for promoting new opportunities for integrated working and contribute to local partnership plans.

• Contribute to the development of local policies and guidelines. 

• Assist in the development of services for LAC. 

• Work across PTHB and designated Local Authority boundaries to ensure continuity of care.

• Provide training where appropriate to care providers to enhance the health of children in these provisions.

• Ensure professional leadership within the multi-agency arena by contributing to the development and support of multiagency plans. 

• Attend specific training courses to maintain professional practice and to learn and develop new skills that will assist in their working with LAC. 

• Promote a greater awareness of the health needs of LAC to carers, PTHB staff and partner agencies according to identified need. 

• Facilitate appropriate health related training for foster carers as required.

• Understand the complex clinical, social, environmental, emotional and economic determinants of poor health that may impact the LAC and share that understanding with other PTHB and multi-agency staff as required. 

• Provide appropriate support to others to improve their knowledge and understanding and share own knowledge, skills and experience with others during induction and training sessions for staff. 

• Responsible for providing appropriate education, training and development opportunities to students on a one-to-one basis acting as a mentor.

Finance

• Cognisant with the principles of prudent health care. Ensure cost efficiency and effectiveness of all resources. 

• Compliant with financial procedures.

• Observe personal duty of care in relation to equipment and resources provided by PTHB for use in the course of own duties.  

Planning and Design

• Attend and participate in PTHB LAC planning meetings to assist in the development and design of the service.   

Digital and Information

• Competent in the use of informatics to support caseload management and communication. 

• Contribute to the gathering of statistical information for the future planning and provision of services. 

• Contribute to the collation of data for statutory purposes for example Health and Care Standards.