Nursery Nurse

This fixed-term maternity cover post, for up to 12 months at 30 hours a week, sits in the Community Perinatal Service at Devon Partnership NHS Trust. The Nursery Nurse helps mothers with perinatal mental health problems care for their babies and supports the parent-infant relationship. Teams are multidisciplinary and based in antenatal clinics and community mental health bases across Devon. Applicants need a Level 4 qualification or equivalent experience, and must complete the Care Certificate within six months of starting.

• Help mothers with perinatal mental health problems to care for their babies
• Ensure babies' emotional and physical needs are met
• Engage in activities that promote the parent-infant relationship
• Demonstrate and teach sound care of infants under two to colleagues
• Keep practice in line with the Trust's safeguarding and child protection policy and Devon child protection procedures
• Involve specialist safeguarding services when necessary
• Work within multidisciplinary perinatal teams alongside psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, midwives and health visitors

• Level 4 qualification or above, or equivalent experience
• Care Certificate within the first six months if not already held

• Recent hands-on work with young babies, contributing to service development
• Supporting close and loving mother and baby relationships
• Relevant post-qualification experience
• Observing babies' physical and psychological changes and building staff skills in monitoring them
• Working independently and as part of a team
• Community working and home visiting

• Detailed knowledge of child development, infant emotional wellbeing, developmental milestones and age-appropriate play
• Knowledge of the Children Act, child protection guidelines and children's safeguarding
• Primary health care and UNICEF infant feeding and nutrition for young infants
• Ability to apply learning in practice and demonstrate reflective practice
• Understanding of infant brain development, emotional regulation and mother-infant interaction in the first 1001 critical days
• Understanding of working with mothers and infants in the perinatal period with mental illness, and awareness of evidence-based parent-infant resources

• IT skills
• Experience of managing or supporting staff
• Experience of working in a mental health setting
• Awareness of the National Service Framework for Children and other government initiatives
• Ability to manage difficult situations or advise others to act appropriately

• Comprehensive induction with ongoing support
• Supervision and professional development within an established multidisciplinary team
• Career progression opportunities across professional groups
• Part-time and flexible working applications considered and supported where possible