Clinical Nurse Specialist (CYP Learning Disability and/or Autism)
NHS AfC; Band 7
Main area Children & Young Peoples Services Grade NHS AfC; Band 7 Contract Permanent Hours Part time – 21 hours per week Job ref 361-8152441
Site Lister Hospital Town Stevenage Salary £49,387 – £56,515 per annum, pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 14/08/2026 23:59 Interview date 07/09/2026
Here at East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust
Our mission is: Providing high-quality, compassionate care for our communities
Our vision to 2030 is: To be trusted to provide consistently outstanding care and exemplary service
Our values – We want our staff to believe in, demonstrate and live our values in everything we do. Our values are:
Include We value the diversity and experience of our community colleagues and partners, creating relationships and climates that provide an opportunity to share, collaborate and grow together.
Respect We create a safe environment where we are curious of the lived experience of others, seek out best practice and are open to listening and hearing new ideas.
Improve We are committed to consistently delivering excellent services and continuously looking to improve through a creative workforce that feels empowered to act in service of our shared purpose.
Job overview
We are recruiting for a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CYP Learning Disability and/or Autism) who shares our vision to be trusted to provide consistently outstanding care and exemplary service to our patients.
We are in the unique and privileged position of having our acute, community and continuing care services together in one Trust and this brings with it so many benefits for our children and young people (CYP) in terms of the way we understand each other’s services and work seamlessly across acute and community services really getting to know our CYP and their families.
They know what they need, and we love to listen. We get our best ideas for improvement from our CYP and their families and this is one of them.
Together we have secured funding for this very exciting new role, and we are really looking forward to welcoming someone who shares our passion and our vision to be trusted to provide consistently outstanding care and exemplary service to our CYP with Learning Disabilities and/or Autism and support to their families and carers.
This role will demonstrate drive and commitment to advocate for CYP; sharing knowledge and experience as a sustainable approach to benefit all Children and Young People accessing services across East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust.
At the heart of everything we do are our core values: Include, Respect, and Improve. We encourage you to embrace these values throughout the recruitment process and in your role with us.
Main duties of the job
The role of the Clinical Nurse Specialist will be to act as the clinical expert and professional resource to children and young people (CYP) with learning disabilities and/or autism, and their families and carers, as well as to the multi-professional teams involved in meeting care needs.
To enable CYP, alongside their family/carers and multidisciplinary teams to be able to optimise health outcomes.
To increase CYP knowledge and understanding of individual health needs as they transition into adulthood.
Using their excellent communication skills and specialist expertise the CNS will work collaboratively and across teams with internal and external key stakeholders to lead on the review and improvement of access pathways and accessibility of quality care delivery.
The post holder will support a culture and environment within ENHT that is conducive with understanding individual needs of CYP with Learning Disabilities and/or autism, and to support those CYP and their families/carers to have a voice and to feel supported, informed and engaged in their health care. To advocate for CYP with a learning disability and/or autism.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification applicant pack for further detailed information regarding this role.
Person specification
Qualifications/Training
- NMC Registered Nurse (RN Child/RSCN)
- First level degree in relevant subject
- Post-basic qualification in relevant specialist nursing, such as palliative care
- Evidence of continued professional development and training
- Evidence of master’s level learning or prepared to work towards
- Advanced Communication Skills Training or prepared to work towards
Previous Experience
- Relevant post registration experience in children’s nursing
- Experience of working with children with medical complexity
- Experience of mentorship and teaching
- Proven clinical, organizational and leadership/management experience
- Evidence of multi-professional working
- Patient coordination experience Evidence of advanced communication skills
- Ability to lead and influence change
Skills
- IT literate
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
- Teaching/assessment skills
- Able to undertake pertinent clinical skills
- Self-motivated with ability to plan, organise and prioritise workload
- Ability to work autonomously and as part of a team
- Ability to be flexible, adaptable and innovative
- Teaching and presentation skills
Knowledge
- Sound knowledge and experience of safeguarding children and vulnerable adults
- Clear understanding and commitment to clinical governance and quality assurance
- Relevant post-registration training/qualification
- Knowledge of communication with children with special educational needs or sensory impairment
- Ability to interpret and implement research and audit, awareness of current developments in knowledge and service development of pertinence to children’s complexity
Other requirements
- Understanding of, and commitment to, equality, diversity, and inclusion
- Experience and evidence of engagement around equality, diversity, and inclusion issues in relation to policy, service development and service delivery in respect of both services to users and the management of staff
- Role model our Trust values every day
- Act as an ambassador for the Roald Dahl Marvelous Children’s Charity
Equality, diversity and inclusion
East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion for all job applicants, staff, patients and the wider community. We want to create a workforce which represents the communities we serve. We are on a journey to become a more inclusive organisation and we welcome applications from everyone regardless of their background. In particular we encourage applications from candidates with disabilities, and candidates from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds who are currently under-represented in various parts of our workforce.
We will remove barriers that prospective candidates might face at any stage of our recruitment process. If you have a disability and would like the advert in an alternative format, or would like to talk about how we can adjust the interview process to best support you, please contact us.
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and achieved our status in 2019.
Flexible working
Employees are entitled to seek flexible working patterns. Requests are considered formally and balanced against service needs. The starting point is always to support making them happen.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Contact Head of Nursing and Quality for Women and Children, Fay Clark, Email fay.clark2@nhs.net, Telephone 01438 28 6431.
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