Main purpose of the job

The School Nurse is primarily responsible for: the health care, first aid and medical records of pupils throughout the School, the maintenance of First Aid equipment, and the administration of first aid to pupils and staff and to look after and protect pupils physical and emotional health.

Location: Doucecroft School, Eight Ash Green, Colchester, CO6

Salary: Salary between £27,221 and £32,469 depending on experience

Hours: 38.5 hours, Monday to Friday, 46.2 weeks per annum 

Contract Type: Full time

The school:

Doucecroft School is a vibrant, dynamic, and highly supportive specialist co-educational school for children and young people with autism and additional complex needs, aged 3 -19 years. Doucecroft has a "Good" Ofsted rating, where we provide a nurturing environment where students can thrive and grow in independence and self-esteem.

Offering bespoke, individualised education with a proven track record of dramatically raising the outcomes for the students who have completed their education with us. Our approach ensures that through our curriculum and delivery, we focus on delivering quality-of-life outcomes, with specialist therapists and professionals providing expertise in addition to the highly skilled education team.

All staff within the school are committed to striving towards outstanding, led by an enthusiastic and dynamic senior leadership team.

The role:

• Provides a key role in identifying children's needs, signposting to appropriate services and providing health promotion messages.
• Work with the school teams and families to improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people.
• To deal with emergencies, giving First Aid to members of the School community in the event of an accident, treating minor injuries and ailments or sending casualties to hospital.
• Producing health care plans for pupils with medical conditions and contributing to EHCP’s (Education, Health Care Plans)
• To communicate with other members of staff regarding the welfare of students but recognising the importance of confidentiality.
• To ensure that the Medical Room and First Aid boxes located through the School (including those for vehicles, school visits and expeditions) are adequately stocked and organised.
• To make decisions on when students need to be sent home if they are unfit for school through accident or illness, informing parents and arranging transport.
• To provide screening and surveillance, and make referrals as necessary to external services.
• To maintain records of all pupils and make reports as required by Health and Safety and the
• School’s insurers including to RIDDOR.
• To maintain and update medical records of all pupils, ensuring that the correct forms of consent have been received and up to date.
• To monitor, supervise and record the administering of medication to pupils in the School
• To liaise with staff as part of a Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) to support and provide guidance for our pupils health, maintaining   records as appropriate.
• To work closely with parents.
• To provide counselling as the need arises either from routine medical examinations and daily surgeries or from referrals by staff, pupil or parents. In such cases, the role is to offer a listening ear, common sense and sympathetic guidance, and when necessary to refer to more specialist medical agencies.
• To inform the DSL team immediately if there are Child Protection concerns about a pupil.
• Be required to carry out such reasonable additional duties as may from time to time be determined by the Head Teacher.
• Attend training and development as appropriate to the role.
• Be committed to the safeguarding and promotion of the welfare of young people. All staff are
• required to adhere to and ensure compliance with the School’s Safeguarding Policy at all times.
• Take personal responsibility and act within the spirit, principles and values of the Charity.
• Provide training to staff.

Applications are welcome from Candidates with one of the following:

• BSc Nursing degree,
• Specialist Community Public Health Nursing – School Nursing (SCPHN - SN)
• Mental Health trained nurse
• Nursing Diploma with equivalent community experience
• Documented Continued Professional Development

Knowledge and Experience 

• Trained Designated Safeguarding Lead desirable
• First Aid Instructor would be ideal
• Full clean driving license 
• Successful preceptorship   complete / minimum 12 months experience
• Working with children and families, experience with Autism and/or Learning Difficulties an advantage
• Experience within a school setting would be beneficial, but not essential

To apply:

If you have a genuine passion for nursing and providing excellent care to all, your outstanding future at Doucecroft School could be moments away. Apply now by clicking on the link below and a member of the recruitment team will be in touch. 

Autism Anglia is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable children and expects all staff to share this commitment. This post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and online checks.

Autism Anglia is positive about inclusion and welcomes applications from individuals who can meet the requirements of the job position and may wish to request flexible working or reasonable adjustments to support them.