Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Clinical Nurse Specialist

The closing date is 04 January 2026

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Job summary

The Clinical Nurse Specialist will be a senior practitioner within the Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team (CRHTT), providing expert clinical leadership, advanced assessment, and evidence-based interventions to individuals experiencing acute mental health crisis. The post holder will support the CRHTT in delivering intensive community-based alternatives to hospital admission, ensuring timely, safe, and person-centred care within patients' homes and community settings.

Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, the CNS will model high standards of clinical practice, undertake complex mental state and risk assessments, lead on clinical decision-making, and contribute to gatekeeping processes for acute admissions. The post holder will provide specialist clinical advice, consultation, and formulation to colleagues across the acute care pathway--including MHLT, AMHP Service, Bed Management, and Community Mental Health Teams--to promote safe and effective crisis management.

The CNS will take a leading role in service development and quality improvement, supporting governance, supervision, training, and implementation of key clinical frameworks. They will act as a role model for compassionate and recovery-focused care, promoting least-restrictive practice and instilling a culture of continuous learning, safety, and responsiveness.

Main duties of the job

Clinical

  • Undertake comprehensive biopsychosocial and risk assessments for individuals in acute mental health crisis.

  • Deliver high-level clinical interventions and crisis formulations, ensuring safe and effective home treatment.

  • Provide clinical leadership during daily MDT reviews, handovers, and SBAR planning.

  • Act as a specialist resource to colleagues and external teams.

Leadership & Supervision

  • Provide clinical supervision, reflective practice, and mentorship to junior staff.

  • Support service development, QI initiatives, and audit programmes.

  • Contribute to workforce planning, skill-mixing, and clinical standards within the CRHTT.

Governance & Safety

  • Support investigations, learning reviews, and implementation of safety actions.

  • Promote a culture of civility, psychological safety, and continuous improvement.

Partnership Working

  • Collaborate with MHLT, AMHPs, CMHTs, police, ambulance, urgent treatment centres, and inpatient services to ensure smooth crisis pathways.

  • Act as a liaison point for families, carers, and external stakeholders.

About us

Here at NSFT we pride ourselves on being a welcoming, talented, friendly and supportive team who like nothing better than sharing experiences and learning from each other. In addition to ongoing training and development opportunities, we are committed to providing an environment in which you can thrive.

Why work for us? We have challenges as a Trust, but we have ambitious aspirations, are pushing ahead with exciting transformation work and we need dedicated individuals to support us on our journey. We have strong, established professional networks coupled with an exceptional leadership team who will ensure you are truly cared for and cared about.

Why Norfolk and Suffolk? The people here are warm and welcoming, you'll never be far from the beautiful coastline or Broads National Park. We're an hour and a half away from London and have an international airport in Norwich too. Our villages, towns and cities are packed full of history, independent cafes, shops and theatres. We have excellent shopping, eating out, top ranking schooling and affordable house prices too.

Details

Date posted

19 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year pa/pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

10 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

246-WSU7669098

Job locations

CRHTT Wedgwood House

Bury St Edmunds

IP33 2QZ


Job description

Job responsibilities

The role requires advanced clinical expertise, leadership capability, and the ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced, highly variable crisis environment. The CNS will support the Team Leader and Matron in ensuring the team meets key operational standardsincluding handover quality, response targets, gatekeeping compliance, and safe caseload oversightwhile maintaining a focus on patient experience and staff wellbeing.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The role requires advanced clinical expertise, leadership capability, and the ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced, highly variable crisis environment. The CNS will support the Team Leader and Matron in ensuring the team meets key operational standardsincluding handover quality, response targets, gatekeeping compliance, and safe caseload oversightwhile maintaining a focus on patient experience and staff wellbeing.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Extensive experience at which has required supervision and mentorship of others.
  • Extensive experience of practice within clinical area with proven track record in delivering high quality care.

Qualifications

Essential

  • RMN or RNLD professional qualification
  • Non-Medical Independent Prescriber

Knowledge

Essential

  • Able to demonstrate sound clinical expertise and knowledge of mental health disorders and their treatments

Other

Essential

  • Ability to travel to all Trust locations if required.

Skills

Essential

  • Ability to communicate widely in a clear manner
  • Ability to self-manage time and meet agreed deadlines.
Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Extensive experience at which has required supervision and mentorship of others.
  • Extensive experience of practice within clinical area with proven track record in delivering high quality care.

Qualifications

Essential

  • RMN or RNLD professional qualification
  • Non-Medical Independent Prescriber

Knowledge

Essential

  • Able to demonstrate sound clinical expertise and knowledge of mental health disorders and their treatments

Other

Essential

  • Ability to travel to all Trust locations if required.

Skills

Essential

  • Ability to communicate widely in a clear manner
  • Ability to self-manage time and meet agreed deadlines.

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

Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Address

CRHTT Wedgwood House

Bury St Edmunds

IP33 2QZ


Employer's website

https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/Pages/Home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Address

CRHTT Wedgwood House

Bury St Edmunds

IP33 2QZ


Employer's website

https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/Pages/Home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Modern Matron

Brendan McConnellogue

b.mcconnellogue@nsft.nhs.uk

Details

Date posted

19 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year pa/pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

10 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

246-WSU7669098

Job locations

CRHTT Wedgwood House

Bury St Edmunds

IP33 2QZ


Supporting documents

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