School Nurse

SCHOOL NURSE - NW LONDON
Competitive salary plus benefits

Our client is one of 24 schools of the Girls' Day School Trust. It is a selective independent school for girls, occupying a site in the residential area at the southern end of Maresfield Gardens, Hampstead, NW3. The school is well served by public transport and there are excellent local amenities, a theatre, shops, and a swimming pool within a 5-minute walk along Finchley Road.

A vacancy has arisen for an experienced School Nurse to provide a clinically effective, high-quality service of nursing care to pupils and first aid care to all members of the school community. A competitive salary is on offer plus benefits commensurate with this key position within this highly regarded school.

1. Health & Safety

a.Supervise the medical room (including care of sick, injured and distressed individuals until better and further care can be arranged with parents, hospital, dispense drugs as appropriate etc).
b.Review, monitor and record the health status of all pupils:
i.on entry to school in accordance with the national Child Health Promotion Programme (not including giving vaccinations);
ii.in accordance with the GDST School medical procedures (including height, weight).
c.Work with teachers to identify children with particular developmental concerns, assess their health status and refer to specialist services where necessary.
d.Work with parents, carers, specialist health professionals and others to develop, implement and monitor in-school care plans for pupils with complex health needs and long-term conditions (e.g. asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, anorexia or eating disorders, etc) to enable them to attend and benefit from school.
e.Implement and maintain arrangements for first-aid provision to comply with statutory and GDST requirements, including risk assessment to determine sensibly and reasonably the total numbers of first-aid personnel required, the
training of first-aiders, maintenance of records, accident reporting arrangements, statutory notices and first-aid boxes.
f.Advise the Head in the development of health-related policies, preventive or risk reduction programmes of work around any specifically identified school needs, e.g. nutrition, physical activity, medical checks, teenage pregnancy initiatives, nut allergies, obesity, eating disorders.
g.Contribute to the development of School emergency/business continuity plans include a response to outbreaks of communicable diseases.
h.Attend, constructively participate in and prepare reports as required for the school Health and Safety Committee.
2. Pastoral Care

a.Devise and implement strategies to ensure that the most vulnerable pupils and those with particular personal needs/problems (e.g. pupils who are carers, those with diabetes, those self-harming) are identified and appropriately supported.
b.Offer open access 'drop in' sessions for pupils where they are able to receive personalised support and advice in areas such as relationships, child protection concerns, eating disorders, mental health concerns, managing stress and risk-taking behaviours.
c.Work with staff, parents, carers and pupils to reduce above average absence due to sickness e.g. support work to enable pupils with long-term conditions to self-care in school, supporting programmes for those with school phobias.
d.Work with teaching staff and the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) to identify and act to safeguard pupils at risk of or suffering from physical, sexual, emotional abuse or neglect. This will include identifying and referring pupils at risk or suffering from maltreatment.
e.Provide contraceptive advice for pupils and emergency contraception to those who require this service.

3. Teaching & Learning

a.Play an active role in health promotion through planning, delivery and support of the school PSHE programme.

4. Communications

a.Advise parents on immunisation programmes and outbreaks of communicable diseases.
b.Uphold medical confidentiality in line with legal (common law and statutory) duty of confidentiality to pupils and maintain medical records accurately, confidentially and safely, always with regard to GDST safeguarding policy and procedures.

5. Management of resources

a.Ensure that the medical room, facilities and first aid kits throughout the school are maintained to meet GDST requirements.

b.Ensure that all dispensed treatment given and all supplies used are recorded; record the dispensing of drugs following drug protocols.
c.Ensure that all first aid supplies are replenished to meet minimum requirements by regular inspection of stocks and dispensing records.

6. Training & development of self and others

a.Maintain and improve professional knowledge and competence, keeping up to date with professional, clinical and nursing issues relevant to work in schools.
b.Provide training, support and advice for teachers and other staff on specific health needs / issues e.g. use of epi-pens, diabetes care, epilepsy, allergies, substance misuse, head lice, eating disorders, self- harm and other mental health issues.
c.Provide training and advice in emergency first aid for staff who are not qualified in first-aid.

7. Supporting the work of the GDST

a.Develop strong, positive relationships with GDST colleagues, contribute to collaborative work across GDST Schools and support other staff in participating in GDST work, in order to develop and share best practice.