Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

Drug & Alcohol Nurse Specialist

The closing date is 20 July 2025

Job summary

Join Our Team as an Alcohol Specialist Nurse

Are you passionate about making a difference in patients' lives through expert care and leadership? We are seeking a dedicated Alcohol Specialist Nurse to play a vital role in our community health services.

About the Role:

  • Assess patients' care needs and develop tailored care programmes
  • Implement and evaluate care plans for specific patient groups, serving as the named care provider
  • Support the holistic care of all patients within the service

Leadership & Support:

  • Provide daily clinical and managerial leadership to nursing and support staff
  • Promote evidence-based practice across the team
  • Support the Alcohol Service Manager in the smooth running of the service and deputise in their absence

What We Offer:

  • An opportunity to lead and shape specialist alcohol care services
  • A supportive environment committed to professional development and excellence in patient care

Make a difference in your community--join us today

Main duties of the job

Are you a healthcare professional with expertise in managing clients with complex substance use issues? We are seeking a dedicated specialist to provide expert care and leadership

About the Role:

  • Deliver clinical expertise in the identification, assessment, treatment, and management of clients who use drugs and alcohol, including those at increasing risk, experiencing harm, or dependency
  • Provide hospital-to-home detoxification services and offer advice, treatment, and management for dependent drinkers and drug users across hospital settings
  • Support improved standards of care through practice supervision, clinical audits, evidence-based approaches, and professional teaching
  • Play a key role in clinical governance and contribute to continuous service improvement

Leadership & Collaboration:

  • Support the Trust-wide Alcohol Steering Group to enhance care and reduce drug and alcohol-related harm
  • Help develop pathways for seamless transition to community services
  • Contribute to case management of frequent hospital attenders and undertake assertive outreach as needed

What We Offer:

  • An opportunity to lead and influence specialist alcohol and drug services
  • A collaborative, supportive environment focused on improving patient outcomes and reducing harm

About us

The Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (NCA) provides hospital and integrated health and social care services to over one million people living across Greater Manchester. Our 20,000 colleagues care for people in hospital and in the community, working across Bury, Rochdale, Oldham and Salford, to save and improve lives.

As a large NHS trust we are committed to enhancing the health of our local population by delivering consistently high standards of care and working closely with local authorities and key partners. We believe in our power and potential to make a difference and we're always looking for people who demonstrate our three core values - care, appreciate and inspire - to join our team.

In return, we can offer you a job role with purpose and flexibility. The size and scale of the NCA means we can provide more challenge and opportunities so your career can always be moving in the right direction. By joining us you can also access a competitive benefits package, including, a fantastic annual leave allowance, flexible working opportunities and protected hours for health and wellbeing activities, helping you to achieve more personal downtime and a better work-life balance.

Learn more about us in our Candidate Information Pack (opens in existing window)

Details

Date posted

04 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£37,338 to £44,962 a year Per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working, Compressed hours

Reference number

236-RCO-NM384-25

Job locations

Rochdale Infirmary

Whitehall Street

Rochdale

OL12 0NB


Job description

Job responsibilities

To read more information about the advertised role, and the main job duties/responsibilities please open the Job Description and Person Specification located under the supporting documents heading. You can also read more information about working at the Northern Care Alliance within the attached Candidate Information Pack or by visiting our careers website:www.careers.northerncarealliance.nhs.uk

Job description

Job responsibilities

To read more information about the advertised role, and the main job duties/responsibilities please open the Job Description and Person Specification located under the supporting documents heading. You can also read more information about working at the Northern Care Alliance within the attached Candidate Information Pack or by visiting our careers website:www.careers.northerncarealliance.nhs.uk

Person Specification

Registration & Qualification

Essential

  • Registered Nurse with current NMC registration (Part 1 Adult / General Level 1 or 2
  • Nursing degree or equivalent

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Essential

  • Experience in identification, assessment and management of alcohol withdrawals
  • Evidence of continuous professional development (CPD)
  • Demonstrates evidence based clinical knowledge of specialty (Alcohol)
  • Experience of delivering alcohol related interventions within a clinical setting
  • Communicates succinctly, clearly and accurately both verbally and in writing
  • Be an effective team member who is able to relate to colleagues at all levels
  • Demonstrate initiative to proactively problem solve with a solution focus
  • Ability to use reflective practice, to continuously improve the standard of patient care
  • Ability to travel to different geographical locations across the Trust footprint in line with service needs

Desirable

  • Full UK driving license with willingness to use own car for work purposes
Person Specification

Registration & Qualification

Essential

  • Registered Nurse with current NMC registration (Part 1 Adult / General Level 1 or 2
  • Nursing degree or equivalent

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Essential

  • Experience in identification, assessment and management of alcohol withdrawals
  • Evidence of continuous professional development (CPD)
  • Demonstrates evidence based clinical knowledge of specialty (Alcohol)
  • Experience of delivering alcohol related interventions within a clinical setting
  • Communicates succinctly, clearly and accurately both verbally and in writing
  • Be an effective team member who is able to relate to colleagues at all levels
  • Demonstrate initiative to proactively problem solve with a solution focus
  • Ability to use reflective practice, to continuously improve the standard of patient care
  • Ability to travel to different geographical locations across the Trust footprint in line with service needs

Desirable

  • Full UK driving license with willingness to use own car for work purposes

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Rochdale Infirmary

Whitehall Street

Rochdale

OL12 0NB


Employer's website

https://www.northerncarealliance.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Rochdale Infirmary

Whitehall Street

Rochdale

OL12 0NB


Employer's website

https://www.northerncarealliance.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Senior Alcohol Practitioner

Anne Livesey

anne.livesey@nca.nhs.uk

01706517520

Details

Date posted

04 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£37,338 to £44,962 a year Per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working, Compressed hours

Reference number

236-RCO-NM384-25

Job locations

Rochdale Infirmary

Whitehall Street

Rochdale

OL12 0NB


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust 's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)