About this role
Job summary
Although this role is advertised as being based in Russell Square House, the role Hybrid and the successful candidate can work from anywhere in the UK.
Are you a Specialist Community Public Health (SCPHN) School Nurse driven by adesire to make a difference to the lives of children, young people, and families? We are looking for an experienced Nursing Midwifery Council registered professional, to help us achieve our purpose at Barnardo's:Changing Childhoods, Changing Lives.
Barnardo's strategy identifies the need to support those children and young people who are at greatest risk of poor health, and as theSchool Nurse Leadin Barnardo's Health Team, you will be integral to ensuring it ssuccess.
This is an extremely exciting time to join Barnardo's UK Health Team.We are an ambitious and dynamic team, that include both clinical and non-clinical experts, enabling Barnardo's to become a leading integrated Health and Social Care Charity.
Main duties of the job
Key Activities: Be the organisational school nursing expert, sharing expertise and knowledge within and on behalf of the Health team across the charity. Using their school nursing expertise and knowledge of local and national policy, lead, identify and act on health and social care-related gaps and opportunities. Sit on the Barnardos Clinical Reference Group as an expert in school nursing. Work across all four nations to continue to support the delivery of existing health tenders. Demonstrate leadership when providing specialist knowledge and advice across childrens health services, according to the service model, contractual agreements, and guidelines. Contribute to the development and implementation of health-related policies, procedures and protocols, always ensuring adherence to current legislation. Provide high quality clinical advice, support and oversight (as appropriate for virtual working) to the development of service models national delivery models. Monitor and report back standards, impact and outcomes of 5-19 (25 SEND) service delivery, embedding clinical audit to the Strategic Lead for Health Visiting and School Nursing, to ensure delivery of a high-quality service; and ensure these comply with the defined policies, procedures, standards and protocols.
About us
We arecommitted to being an inclusive employer and cultivating a culture where everyone can belong and thrive through inclusion and connectivity. We want our workforce to be reflective of the communities we work with, and for equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded in everything we do. We are a Disability Confident Leader, are progressing our ambition to be an anti-racist organisation with Anti-Racism Commitments and actions in place and have networks for colleagues who are disabled, LGBT+, Black and Minoritised Ethnic and Women. We particularly encourage applications from Black and Minoritised Ethnic and/or disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. For disabled applicants, we offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.
Job description Job responsibilities
Key Responsibilities: Provide clinical and professional leadership/advice for integrated health and social care models and services associated with the 5-19 HCP. Ensuring all models that are developed are in alignment to the ambitions of the governments 10-year plan, ICBs and strategic commissioners, for example: Neighbourhood health. Guide the strategic oversite for school nursing activities in relation to service development and advice, infrastructure and operational delivery for new contractual opportunities. Work alongside our business development team to understand and identify future 5-19 opportunities across UK, that will support growth. Provide expertise and leadership to create, develop, deliver, and evaluate a range of health projects focused primarily on prevention and integrated child and family health and mental health. Page 2 of 7 JE Ref No: job_00302 updated 2026 Job Title: Barnardos School Nurse Lead Health Team Grade: B Guide and advise the Health team and children services to embed a culture of outcomes-based practice, review clinical outcomes of service delivery, and identify changes in practice to improve outcomes. Work autonomously and collaboratively within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for governance of public health practice within Barnardos. Lead alongside key stakeholders with major contract bid opportunities for Healthy Child Programme 5-19 (25 SEND) contracts - using clinical expertise to lead conversations with health providers. Provide expertise and specialist advice and support at regional and national level as required for individual contracts. Participate in projects regarding future service development, developing and implementing identified changes to the delivery of care. Establish and lead on effective partnerships with colleagues within the organisation, raising awareness to promote the public health role and knowledge and experience of the health visiting and school nursing agenda. Represent Barnardo's regionally and nationally as requested, building upon and scoping out collaborative relationships between healthcare, local authorities, the VCSE and other Integrated Care System (ICS) organisations.
Please refer to JD uploaded for full information.
Person Specification
Skills/Abilities Essential
- Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to develop strong working relationships at all levels. - Ability to be creative and lead with a solution focused mindset. - Able to establish and maintain key relationships with colleagues and other disciplines, both internally and externally. - Ability to facilitate others to develop service provision. - Flexible and able to respond to changing priorities.
Experience Essential
Experience - Significant community experience of working as a SCPHN (SN) with children and families with complex needs experiencing deep inequalities and leading and managing their care. -Recent management and leadership experience of 5 19, public health services. - Quality and performance, reporting. Service design/implementation or change. - Evidence of utilising evidence-based practice and appraising standards, providing clinical direction for staff. -Expert knowledge of school nursing and safeguarding policy and procedures and assessment and analysis of vulnerable children and families. -Experience of using initiative and leading change to achieve better outcomes for children.
Qualifications Essential
Education/Knowledge - Registered with the NMC RN & SCPHN School Nurse (SN). - Understanding of public health and health promotion for CYP. - Understanding of current local and national government health policies and the implications on health provision for CYP. - Demonstrates commitment to own continued professional development (CPD). - Leadership or management qualification or equivalent recent experience in a leadership position. (E)
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name Barnardo’s
Address 10-12 Russell Square
London
WC1B 5EH
Employer's website https://www.barnardos.org.uk (Opens in a new tab)