Looked After Children Nurse

Job overview

This post is for a Looked After Children Nurse, within the Havering Looked After Children team. As a Looked After Children Nurse you would be responsible for providing specialist health assessments, care planning, health promotion, and safeguarding support to children and young people who are in the care of Havering local authority as well as children placed in Havering by other local authorities . You will be working closely with social care team, foster carers, and multidisciplinary professionals. Your role consists of ensuring statutory health requirements are met and that children receive coordinated, child-centred healthcare to improve their overall wellbeing and life chances.

Main duties of role

The post holder will be responsible for managing their own workload, prioritising tasks effectively, and ensuring deadlines are met. They will be expected to work independently as well as part of a team, demonstrating flexibility and a commitment to high standards. The role may involve working across multiple sites and requires excellent communication and organisational skills.

Health Assessments

• Complete Review Health Assessments (RHAs) at statutory intervals.
• Identify unmet health needs and develop health care plans.

Care Planning

• Contribute to statutory care planning meetings and reviews.
• Develop and monitor individual health plans.
• Work collaboratively with social workers, carers, education staff, and healthcare professionals.

Safeguarding and Advocacy

• Safeguard children and young people from abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
• Advocate for children to ensure their voices are heard and their health needs are addressed.
• Support children in understanding and managing their own health needs.

Health Promotion

• Promote healthy lifestyles, including:
  • Nutrition
  • Physical activity
  • Sexual health
  • Substance misuse prevention
  • Emotional wellbeing
• Provide age-appropriate health education and advice.

Coordination of Services

• Ensure timely access to health services such as:
  • CAMHS and mental health services
  • Immunisations
  • Dental care
  • Vision screening
  • Specialist medical services
• Track and monitor health outcomes and follow-up actions.

Record Keeping and Reporting

• Maintain accurate clinical records.
• Prepare reports for statutory reviews and multi-agency meetings.
• Monitor performance indicators and contribute to service development.

Skills and Knowledge Required

• Registered Children's Nurse (NMC registration)/ Specialist community public health practitioner Health Visiting/school health
• Minimum 3 years post registration.
• Knowledge of children's health, safeguarding, and child development.
• Understanding of legislation and guidance relating to Looked After Children.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to work autonomously and within multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong assessment, report writing, and organisational skills.

Key Legislation and Guidance (England)

• Children Act 1989 and 2004
• Promoting the Health and Wellbeing of Looked After Children (Statutory Guidance)
• Working Together to Safeguard Children
• Care Planning, Placement and Case Review Regulations
• The Children and Social Work Act 2017

Working for Us

Joining TeamNELFT means you'll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We're CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London and Essex. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.

The Trust has award-winning equality and diversity initiatives, along with staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest significantly in your development because when you feel valued and supported, we can deliver the highest quality care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been recognised in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for five consecutive years, and hold a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Through our staff networks and training opportunities, we strive to foster a just and compassionate culture at NELFT.

Our Values 2025 - 2030

Working with our colleagues, patients and carers we have co-produced three new values that we aim to embed within our culture here at NELFT. They are:

• We are kind.
• We are respectful.
• We work together with our communities.

These three values help us to strive to provide the best care by the best people.

Starting with NELFT

NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers, and attend a number of drop-in sessions focusing on engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Goodmayes Hospital.

Probationary Period

This post will be subject to a probationary period.

High Cost Area Supplement - Outer London

(B&D, Redbridge, Havering and Waltham Forest, CEME). This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £4,714 to a maximum of £5,941 p.a. pro rata for part time).

Certificates of Sponsorship

Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for all job roles. Please check your eligibility under the UKVI points-based system. When calculating the basic salary for sponsorship, HCAS (High-Cost Area Supplement) is not included to ensure fairness and consistency within our Trust.

For an informal chat or to arrange a visit, please contact:

Name: Julie Butcher

Job title: Named Nurse Looked After Children Havering

Contact Number:

Email: