Registered Nurse (Mental Health) - Children's Residential
** Registered Nurse (Children's Nurse or RMN) - Children's Residential Home **
Location: Supporting our homes in Lymington, Andover, Fareham and Romsey
Hours: 15 hours per week with opportunity to increase to 20 hours
Shift Pattern: Flexible to the needs of young people supported - may include some weekend/evening hours
Rate of Pay: £21.34 per hour
The Registered Nurse will provide specialist nursing expertise across four residential children’s homes, supporting young people aged 8–18 with complex and inter-related health, emotional and developmental needs.
Background
Children supported by the service may present with a history of trauma and adversity, experiences of disrupted attachment, developmental delays, educational and learning challenges, emotional distress, health and well-being needs, and behaviours that reflect unmet needs or difficulty with regulation. The post holder will bring a trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate and relational approach to understanding and responding to these challenges.
The Role
This role will focus on promoting and supporting physical health, emotional well-being, identity development and daily living skills, ensuring that children’s health needs are understood, advocated for and embedded into care planning and day to day practice. This includes supporting areas such as hygiene, self care, sleep, routines, puberty, gender and identity, and overall health promotion in ways that are sensitive, inclusive and empowering.
Working across multiple residential services, the post holder will operate in a consultative and advisory capacity, collaborating closely with residential staff, key workers, education professionals and external health services to improve outcomes for children. The role will support staff practice through guidance, reflection and shared understanding, complementing rather than duplicating external treatment provision
In addition, the Registered Nurse (Mental Health / LAC Services) will work alongside the Managing Director of Children’s Services, the Responsible Individual and the home’s Registered Managers to help shape and develop the role, contribute to the strengthening of the organisation’s clinical governance and quality assurance arrangements, and support the ongoing development of safe, effective and responsive practice across the service.
Skills and Experience
Essential
- Registered Children’s Nurse (RNC) or Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMN) with current registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
- Minimum of 5 years’ experience working with looked-after children and young people
- Strong understanding of the health, well-being, and developmental needs of looked-after children, including the impact of trauma, attachment disruption and adversity
- In‑depth knowledge of child development, trauma‑informed practice, attachment theory and behavioural presentations
- Proven ability to undertake and contribute to risk assessment, safety planning and decision‑making
- Strong experience of safeguarding practice, including identifying, escalating and responding appropriately to concerns
- Ability to work effectively and relationally with children and young people who may present with emotional distress, distress‑based or challenging behaviour
- Strong advocacy, communication and multi‑agency working skills across health, education and social care systems
- Ability to work independently across multiple residential sites, including confidence with agreed lone‑working arrangements
- Strong organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise work, manage competing demands and work flexibly
- Full UK driving licence and access to own vehicle
Desirable
- Relevant therapeutic or counselling qualification, or substantial post‑qualifying training, in areas such as play therapy, art therapy, systemic or family therapy, person‑centred therapy, or other developmentally appropriate therapeutic approaches
- Experience of designing, delivering or contributing to training, coaching or upskilling of residential staff or multi‑disciplinary teams
- Experience of providing consultation or practice guidance to professionals working with children with trauma histories, attachment needs and behavioural challenges
- Experience of leadership or management responsibilities, including mentoring, supervision, leading areas of practice or contributing to service development
- Experience of service development, quality improvement or evaluative work, including the use of evidence, audit or research to inform practice
- Experience working in or alongside education settings, or supporting children and young people with learning needs, educational engagement or school stability
- Experience of working collaboratively with CAMHS or children’s mental health services within complex care systems