School Health Practitioner

At OFG we believe in creating a better work life balance Job Title: School Health Practitioner Location: Underley Garden School, Kirkby Lonsdale LA6 2DZ Hours: 40 hours per week | Monday to Friday | 8.00am – 4.00pm Salary: £25,000 per annum (not pro rata) + Travel allowance Contract: Permanent | Term Time Only Start: September 2026 UK applicants only – no sponsorship available About the Role Are you passionate about caring for children and young people? Looking for a rewarding healthcare role that offers a fantastic work-life balance with term-time only working? At Underley Garden School, we're looking for a compassionate and dedicated School Health Practitioner to join our friendly multidisciplinary team. This is an opportunity to combine your healthcare skills with a rewarding career supporting children and young people with autism, learning disabilities and complex needs. Every day is different. One moment you'll be supporting a pupil with their healthcare needs, the next you'll be helping a child build confidence and independence or working alongside therapists and education staff to ensure every young person has the best possible school experience. If you're someone who enjoys building relationships, working as part of a supportive team and making a genuine difference, we'd love to hear from you. What you will be doing • Provide high-quality healthcare and wellbeing support to children and young people throughout the school day. • Safely administer prescribed medication and maintain accurate medication records. • Support pupils with personal care, feeding and individual healthcare needs with dignity, compassion and respect. • Monitor and review healthcare plans, ensuring pupils receive safe, personalised support. • Promote pupils' health, wellbeing, independence and emotional development. • Deliver or support medication and healthcare training for colleagues where appropriate. • Work closely with therapists, teachers, families and external healthcare professionals to provide joined-up care. • Maintain first aid rooms, medical equipment and supplies to the highest standards. • Respond calmly and confidently to medical situations and emergencies. • Ensure safeguarding, infection prevention and health and safety procedures are always followed. Who We're Looking For We're looking for someone who is: • Passionate about improving the lives of children and young people. • Experienced in a healthcare, care, therapy support or clinical support role. • Comfortable providing personal and intimate care with dignity and compassion. • Calm, organised and confident when responding to changing situations. • An excellent communicator who enjoys working as part of a multidisciplinary team. • Proactive, flexible and able to manage a varied workload. • Committed to safeguarding and promoting children's wellbeing. • Holds a full UK Driving Licence and is happy to drive school vehicles where required. Desirable • • Level 3 Health & Social Care (or equivalent). • Experience supporting children or young people with autism, learning disabilities, complex medical needs or SEMH. • Previous experience within education, therapy or specialist healthcare settings. This role could be ideal if you've worked as a: • Healthcare Assistant (HCA) • Children's Support Worker • Therapy Assistant • SEN Teaching Assistant with medical responsibilities • Residential Childcare Worker • Care Assistant • Nursing Assistant • Health & Social Care Practitioner About Us Underley Garden School is a large school with small class sizes, focusing on pupils, aged 5-19, who have a range of complex needs associated with autism and learning disabilities, including complex communication, sensory and behavioural needs associated with their disabilities. Our School adopts a holistic, person-centred approach to the development of our pupils and endeavours to ensure that they achieve as high a standard as possible. We offer a comprehensive portfolio of education, care and therapy to meet the individual requirements of students with complex special educational needs. At Underley Garden, we aim to make a positive difference to the personal, social and learning lives of the people entrusted to our care. Located near the market town of Kirkby Lonsdale on the edge of the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales in a commutable distance of Lancaster, Cumbria and surrounding areas. For over 19 years, Options Autism has provided specialist care and education for children, young people, and adults with autism, complex needs, and learning difficulties. As part of Outcomes First Group, we are pioneering innovative, evidence-based approaches that deliver meaningful, measurable outcomes for everyone in our care. We are really proud to say that in 2025 Outcomes First Group were officially certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the sixth year running. Why Join Us? We place pupils and vulnerable young adults at the heart of everything we do, so every day brings the satisfaction of making a real difference. We are committed to the safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils and young people. All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS. • Life Assurance • Pension scheme with options to increase contributions • “Your Wellbeing Matters” – mental health support and physical health checks • Flexible Benefits Platform (Vista), including: • Health, wellbeing and insurance benefits • Hundreds of UK and international discounts • Cycle to Work Scheme & Electric Car Purchase Scheme • Critical illness cover • Family Growth Support, including enhanced maternity/paternity leave and paid fertility treatment support We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications. Outcomes First Group is committed to carrying out a fair, thorough and efficient recruitment process in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education. Whilst we aim to keep applicants informed throughout, Outcomes First