About this role
Job summary
Please note: at this stage, the role is open only to colleagues currently employed within Kent and Medway NHS Trusts, the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) and Medway Community Healthcare. Nursing vacancies are also open to Student Nurses and Newly Qualified Nurses.
We are seeking a motivated and clinically confident Community Diabetes Nurse Specialist to join our community nursing service. This role sits at the heart of our home-visiting team, supporting housebound patients with complex diabetes needs and providing expert clinical leadership to colleagues. You will act as a senior clinician within the service, using advanced assessment skills, sound clinical judgement and specialist diabetes knowledge to guide care planning, adjust prescriptions and reduce unnecessary visits where appropriate.
You will oversee the quality of care delivered by your team, triaging referrals, coordinating caseloads and ensuring staff are working to the right level of competency. As a visible clinical leader, you will support and develop colleagues, role-model best practice and help maintain a confident workforce. You will also contribute to service improvement, working closely with Primary Care Networks and the wider MDT to ensure joined-up, patient-centred care for the local population.
This is an excellent opportunity for nurses with a strong interest in diabetes who are undertaking or already hold the NMP qualification and are seeking a developmental Band 6/7 pathway.
Main duties of the job
You will provide advanced clinical assessment and management for patients with complex diabetes in their own homes, ensuring safe, effective and holistic care. You will support community nursing teams by reviewing and adjusting diabetes treatment plans, offering expert advice and helping reduce avoidable hospital admissions. Your role includes teaching and supporting staff--formally and informally--across key areas such as insulin management, EOL care, IV therapy and wider community nursing competencies.
You will ensure safe staffing, oversee team performance, manage incidents and complaints, and maintain high standards of clinical governance. Daily activities may include identifying quality improvement projects, presenting proposals to senior leaders, managing budgets, ensuring supervision frameworks are in place and providing hands-on clinical support when needed.
As a clinical expert and role model, you will help shape a high-performing, compassionate service focused on patient safety, experience and independence. Candidates should be willing to undertake postgraduate diabetes training if not already completed.
About us
Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we've got a passion for delivering high standards of patient care and excellent services to improve the health of our communities. To do this we need outstanding people who share our values compassionate Aspirational Responsive Excellent
We know a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion leads to better patient care and a happier workforce. We pride ourselves in being diverse and welcome applications from people with varied backgrounds, perspectives and experiences
We ask for information about your protected characteristics on our application forms. This isn't visible to anyone involved with shortlisting or interviewing you, except when you choose to be considered under the guaranteed interview scheme due to disability. Short listers will see two ticks alongside your application to ensure they apply the principles of the scheme to your submission
The data we collect helps us to ensure we are attracting diversity in our applicants, that all our colleagues have equitable access to career opportunities and supports us on our journey to being a Great Place to Work
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want you to be able to work in a way that is best for us, for our patients and for you. Talk to us about a flexible working arrangement that won't involve sacrificing time for personal interests or family commitments. We'll support you to work flexibly in a way that will suits us both
See where you can go with KCHFTcareer pathways
Job description Job responsibilities
As a community Trust, many of our roles require individuals to be able to drive to perform their duties. Where driving is a requirement of the role, you will be asked to confirm that you hold a full UK driving licence or a full driving licence issued by an EU country (not exchanged from a non-EU country) to proceed with your application. We are committed to supporting candidates with disabilities into employment. If you are unable to drive due to a disability, please contact the Recruitment Team via [email protected], quoting the vacancy reference number, so we can support you further.
The job description and person specification gives you all the information you need about this role. Please look carefully at the criteria in the person specification and tell us what you have done that shows you meet this in your application. If you need an application form in an alternative format please let our recruitment team know. All information you supply on your application should, to the best of your knowledge, be true and accurate.
Still have questions? The recruiting manager would love to hear from you, their contact details can be found in the job advert.
We can get a lot of applications for some roles so to be in with the best chance of being shortlisted please make sure you apply as soon as possible. A vacancy may close early if there is a lot of interest in the job.
At KCHFT we strongly encourage colleagues in clinical and non-clinical roles who have direct or social contact with patients to be fully vaccinated. In this way we will be doing all we can to ensure your safety and that of your colleagues and the patients we serve.
Find out more about the community difference here.
Good luck! We cant wait to meet you and welcome you to #teamKCHFT, #cometocommunity.
Person Specification
Qualifications, training and experience Essential
You'll need to have a Level 6 Degree in Nursing and completed the SPDN course You'll need to have experience within your area of practice. As well as managing complex caseloads and supporting/ mentoring others You will be a registered health care professional with the Nursing and Midwifery Council or Health and Care Professionals A full, valid UK driving licence or a full driving licence issued by an EU country
Knowledge and skills Essential
You will need to have a customer focussed approach Provide patients, clients and their families with the best possible experience You will need to be able to be able to use IT systems and databases. You will have knowledge of up to date clinical practice by using up- to- date skills and adhering to evidence-based procedures and clinical effectiveness frameworks. You will fully understand the role and remit of a health care worke
Desirable
Having an awareness of developments within the NHS would be an advantage as well as an understanding of National Service Frameworks and NICE guidance
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 Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust
Address QVMH Herne Bay
Herne Bay
CT6 6EB
Employer's website https://www.kentcht.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)