Are you a skilled health visitor with excellent interpersonal skills and sound clinical assessment skills?
Would you like the chance to reshape and reinvigorate services to meet the needs of all families living in Medway?
Are you passionate about the care you give to children and young adults?
If you answered yes, we’ve got the perfect role for you!
We are looking for a health visitor to join us in our new children's centre, Snapdragons.
We work closely with our children’s centres developing services and supporting families to empower them with the knowledge confidence and life skills they need to raise healthy happy children. We also offer all our new parents access to an award winning five week post natal education course.
To plan, deliver and evaluate an efficient and cost effective Health Visiting service for an identified population
To provide leadership within the Health Visiting Team and be proactive in delivering the national and local public health agendas in response to identified health and social need
To work in partnership with other agencies and meet agreed standards, objectives and statutory requirements.
So what else?
- This is your chance to join a progressive and innovative service in a social enterprise that is patient and staff focused - you’ll even have the opportunity to become an MCH shareholder.
- We encourage staff to get involved in exploring new ways of working and service development.
- We’ll provide well established, in-service training, one to one supervision, and appraisals with regular support.
- You’ll be able to develop your skills in a friendly and supportive team.
Would you like to work flexibly? In the NHS, we are reminded every day of how important work life balance is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us, for our patients and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement.
The small print
- Informal visits can be arranged on request.
- We will offer you the choice of two pension schemes; the NHS Pension scheme and the scottish widows group pension scheme.
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MCH is considering merging with Kent Community Health Foundation Trust (KCHFT). If the merger goes ahead, the proposed transfer date is 30 th September 2026 and this role will be subject to TUPE transfer to KCHFT.
At this time, MCH cannot fund or support any further nurses who require the OSCE training. Please do not apply if you require this training.
We offer plenty of opportunities to become involved in service design and are committed to ensuring all staff have the training needed to fulfil their roles
We offer a comprehension preceptor programme for our newly qualified staff, as well as preceptors and mentors for new employees.
We offer practice placements to pre-registrations and SCPHN students, which encourages our own staff to be up to date with current practice and research.
We have whole service meetings where training is given, so staff are continuously updated with the latest research and policy to ensure high standards of service delivery.
We have posts available for new and experienced health visitors and also welcome interest from health visitors who have previously left the profession and are looking to renew their registration and return to practice.
You’ll be able to develop your skills in a friendly and supportive team.
1.Communication and relationship skills
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Ensure effective communication with all members of the Multidisciplinary team
Ensure effective communication with clients where there may be barriers to acceptance/ understanding, e.g. child protection, bereavement, domestic violence and where English is not the first language.
Knowledge, training and experience
1 st Level Registered General Nurse
Qualified Community Public Health Practitioner (Part 11 NMC Register)
Specialist knowledge of safeguarding of children and adults
Specialist knowledge of child development and family and public health issues
Nurse Prescribing qualification
Specialist Mentor qualification.
To ensure statutory and mandatory training is kept up to date.
Analytical and judgement skills
Proven ability to undertake community and client health need assessment
The ability to critique research and apply to practice.
Planning and organisational skills
Possess complex organisational skills including caseload management.
Physical skills
Keyboard skills
Use of growth monitoring equipment e.g. scales, height/length measuring tools.
Responsibility for client care
To manage the caseload effectively within the resources available
To actively participate in the clinical governance agenda
To act as a public health resource and be responsible for developing, organising, implementing and evaluating specialist public health programmes to ensure evidence based health education and promotion to clients
Independent responsibility for managing and providing an advisory health visiting service
To work as an independent prescriber, diagnosing and prescribing treatment for a range of childhood conditions and minor ailments on completion of appropriate training
Safeguard the client group by adhering to child and adult guidelines and procedures. Key participant in child protection/children in need proceedings when appropriate; this may involve managing situations where conflicting opinions are expressed
To ensure close collaboration with other agencies to enable robust pathway planning and service delivery in line with the client’s needs.
Responsibility for policy and service development implementation
Participate in clinical supervision as per organisation policy
Actively participate in and support the development of evidence based practice and clinical audit in collaboration with lead professionals and managers
To actively participate in service or practice initiatives to improve client care standards and outcomes.
Responsibilities for financial and physical resources
Record and submit accurate and timely data as required to inform service planning, community profiling and aid local development plans.
Responsibilities for human resources (HR)
Maintain professional registration by adhering to NMC requirements
Provide leadership, day to day supervision or coordination of other grades within the team.
Responsibilities for information resources
Ensure all records are updated and safeguard client’s confidentiality within legal and ethical principles (Caldicott).
Responsibilities for research and development (R&D)
Actively participate in and support of evidence based practice and clinical audit in collaboration with managers and lead clinicians
Freedom to act
Guided by established policies and guidelines
Professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of own work
Works independently as an autonomous practitioner.
Physical effort (refer to effort factor questionnaire)
Mental effort (refer to effort factor questionnaire)
Emotional effort (refer to effort factor questionnaire)
Working conditions (refer to effort factor questionnaire)
