Specialist Nurse Children in CareNHS

Job summary

Are you passionate about improving outcomes for Children in Care and ensuring that the child's voice is at the centre of everything you do? Do you have the professional curiosity, enthusiasm, and experience needed to support children and young people to achieve their full potential?

This is an exciting opportunity to join a well-established and highly regarded Children in Care Team during a period of continued development and service improvement. We are seeking a motivated and dynamic practitioner who is committed to delivering high-quality, child-centred care and advocating for some of our most vulnerable children and young people.

You will be a forward-thinking professional with excellent communication and relationship-building skills, able to work creatively and collaboratively with children, families, carers, and partner agencies. The successful candidate will be flexible and adaptable, with the ability to work across both the Warrington and Halton areas.

If you are committed to making a difference, enjoy working as part of a supportive team, and are passionate about improving the health and wellbeing of Children in Care, we would love to hear from you.

Please note :- Interview Date is scheduled for 9th October 2026.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work collaboratively with children and young people in care, care leavers, carers, and multi-agency professionals to promote positive health and wellbeing outcomes. They will ensure that children in care receive high-quality, child-centred healthcare in line with statutory guidance and best practice.

The post holder will be responsible for the assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of healthcare for children in care and care leavers, ensuring their physical, emotional, and mental health needs are identified and addressed.

Key duties include:

• Undertaking and contributing to Initial and Review Health Assessments for Children in Care.
• Developing, implementing, and reviewing individual health plans to meet identified needs.
• Acting as an advocate for children and young people, ensuring that their voice, wishes, and feelings are central to care planning and decision-making.
• Promoting timely access to universal and specialist health services.

Please see Full Job Description attached.

Job description

The post holder will work with children, young people, their carers and a wide range of professionals across health and social care settings to ensure that looked after children and young people (known as Children in Care-CiC) receive the appropriate services in order to reach their full potential as outlined in Promoting the Health and Well-being of Looked After Children (2022) and the Intercollegiate competencies for looked after children (2025).

The post holder will be responsible for the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of health care for CiC and care leavers. The overall aim is to ensure that children in care health needs are met and positive outcomes are achieved for this vulnerable group.

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. To assess, plan, implement and evaluate healthcare for CiC.2. To support CiC and their carers with the appropriate health advice, information, signposting and referral.

3. To support social work colleagues in ensuring that any health needs identified at childrens initial or review health assessments are promptly addressed with ongoing follow up and reviews.

4. To assist with the compilation of information to inform the completion of quality Initial health assessments.

5. To attend and /or provide a written report for any statutory CiC health reviews and care planning meetings.

6. To ensure that all CiC are up to date with their immunisations and to support access to outstanding immunisations in line with the Department of Health guidelines.

To monitor emotional health and stability by interpreting the strengths and difficulties questionnaire scores (SDQs) liaising with the Lead CiC specialist nurse/childs social worker.

8. To attend meetings on behalf of the Lead Specialist nurse for CiC in periods of her absence.

9. To Work in conjunction with the Lead Specialist nurse for CiC participating in the delivery of CiC training and the ongoing professional development of health professionals, social workers and foster carers.

Leadership

1. Provides professional leadership and health advice and support to health professionals including health visitors and school nurses and social workers within health and social care settings.

2. Works with a legal, professional and ethical framework established by relevant bodies. e.g. Department of Health, Nursing and Midwifery Council and local health trust policies.

3. To assist and participate in any audits for improving the quality standards for health services for CiC.

4. To participate in regional and local strategic planning groups within CiC nursing.

5. To support and encourage community involvement in decision / policy making including the involvement of children/young people and carers.

Clinical Practice

1. To work autonomously within own practice, responsible for managing a caseload of children in care.

2. To undertake comprehensive health assessments on CiC both in borough and those CiC placed within borough from other local authorities in line with good practice and reciprocal working arrangements.

3. To make clinical decisions to satisfy the expectations and demands of the role, supported by relevant evidence-based practice theories.

4. To adopt a flexible approach to working which may include travelling out of borough on occasions, or working evenings, to engage with young people and facilitate their access to health services.

5. To be responsible for the recording of personally generated clinical observations and the maintenance of relevant nursing records and reports.

6. To work in conjunction with targeted and universal childrens services to provide health promotion and advice to children in care, including those not accessing mainstream education

7. To work alongside the lead specialist nurse and named nurse for CiC to support the development, implementation, review and updating of CiC processes and procedures.

About us

Flexible working will be considered for all roles.

North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (NCM) serves more than one million residents across the Halton and Warrington boroughs and the wider North West region.

Bringing together community and out-of-hospital services (formerly provided by Bridgewater Community Healthcare) with inpatient and elective care (formerly Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals) we provide services at two hospital sites and more than 70 community hubs and facilities.

Our mission, vision and values are at the heart of North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (NCM).

They underpin everything we do and everything we aspire to be as an organisation.

Our mission

We will be exceptional for our patients, our communities and each other

Our vision

We will be a great organisation providing excellent healthcare and opportunities to work and learn

Our values

• Kind: We are caring, supportive and respectful to everyone
• Open: We are honest, transparent and open to new ways of working
• Fair: We listen, value our differences and are inclusive to all
• One team: We work well together and with our communities