Clinical Nurse Specialist (Addictions)

Job Overview

To provide safe, effective and person-centred nursing care to individuals experiencing drug and alcohol dependency. The Band 5 Substance Misuse Nurse will undertake clinical assessments, support treatment and medication management, deliver harm reduction interventions, coordinate care and promote recovery while ensuring compliance with professional standards and clinical governance requirements

Main duties of the job

Clinical Assessment: Undertake comprehensive nursing assessments, identify health needs and develop individualised care plans.

• Treatment and Medication Management: Support OST delivery, monitor treatment effectiveness and ensure safe medication management.
• Harm Reduction: Provide health education, overdose prevention, naloxone training, BBV screening and alcohol detoxification support.
• Care Coordination: Work collaboratively with GPs, doctors, recovery practitioners and partner agencies to ensure continuity of care.
• Clinical Governance and Documentation: Maintain accurate clinical records, undertake risk assessments, follow safeguarding procedures and comply with NMC standards.

Working for our organisation

CNWL Addictions is a well-established NHS provider offering a wide range of high-quality drug and alcohol treatment interventions to the diverse and multicultural population across Ealing, Brent, Hillingdon, Hackney, and Hounslow. In addition, we also have the tri-borough Club Drug Clinic as well as our National Problem Gambling Service.

The service is committed to a harm minimisation philosophy and to partnership working. Our main partners are primary care services, social and the third sector.

Treatments are provided across all our clinical centres. Clinical Governance framework is well established, and the service prides itself on its continuous development towards becoming a learning organisation.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

To provide safe, effective and compassionate nursing care to individuals experiencing drug and alcohol dependency. The post holder will undertake clinical assessments, support treatment interventions, promote harm reduction and work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team to improve clients' health, wellbeing and recovery outcomes.

Main Responsibilities

• Clinical Assessment and Care Planning: Undertake comprehensive nursing assessments, identify health needs, assess risks and develop individualised care plans.
• Treatment and Medication Management: Support opioid substitution treatment (OST), monitor clients' progress and ensure safe medication management in line with clinical protocols.
• Harm Reduction and Health Promotion: Deliver harm reduction interventions, including naloxone training, overdose prevention, BBV screening and safer drug and alcohol advice.
• Care Coordination: Work closely with doctors, GPs, recovery practitioners and partner agencies to ensure coordinated care and appropriate referrals.
• Clinical Documentation and Governance: Maintain accurate clinical records, participate in clinical reviews and audits, follow safeguarding procedures and work in accordance with NMC standards.
• Health Monitoring and Interventions: Monitor clients' physical and mental health, identify clinical concerns and escalate appropriately.
• Safeguarding and Risk Management: Identify and respond to safeguarding concerns, clinical deterioration and risks to clients or others.

Overall Purpose

To support individuals affected by substance misuse to access appropriate treatment, reduce harm, improve their physical and psychological health, and achieve sustained recovery.

Person specification

Education And Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Education and Qualifications - RGN, RMN, Evidence of completing of preceptorship or continuing personal development and post registration training in care, assessment and treatment of Mental Health and Substance Misuse Service Users.

Previous experience

Essential criteria

• Experience in undertaking Risk Assessments and Risk Management, care planning

Skills and knowledge

Essential criteria

• Good communication skills (verbal and written) plus good levels of numeracy.
• Ability to work autonomously and to prioritise effectively
• An appreciation of the range of issues that may affect substance misusers
• An understanding of harm minimisation and health promotion in the specific context of substance misuse
• IT literate: competent using Microsoft Word and able to report clinical activity data on patient information systems.

Attitudes, aptitudes, personal characteristics

Essential criteria

• Able to build constructive relationships with warmth and empathy, using good communication skills
• Ability to treat service users with respect and dignity at all times, adopting a culturally sensitive approach, which considers the needs of the whole person.
• Non-judgmental attitude to client group
• Committed to multidisciplinary team work Committed to User and carer involvement
• Flexible & responsive to a developing service.
• The post holder must have the ability to understand and implement the Equal and Diversity policy at a level appropriate to the job