About this role
Job summary
We are seeking a dynamic and experiencedNurse to join our Integrated Alcohol Care Pathway. This unique role sits at the heart of a collaborative partnership between South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) and King's College Hospital (KCH). You will be joining a service that bridges the gap between acute hospital care and community outreach, bringing together the Addiction Care Teamand the Alcohol Care Outreach Teamto provide seamless, person-centered support for individuals with complex alcohol and addiction related needs.
As the Lead Nurse, you will be the senior nursing authority within the Integrated pathway.l. This is a pivotal leadership position where you will balance high-level clinical expertise with the operational management of a dedicated team of Liaison Nurses. If you are a visible, approachable leader with a passion for improving outcomes in addiction and physical health, this role offers the opportunity to shape a high-profile integrated service.
Main duties of the job
Your leadership will ensure that the service consistently meets its key performance targets while maintaining the highest standards of evidence-based practice. You will be responsible for the direct line management, supervision, and professional development of our Band 6 Liaison Nurses, helping them grow in confidence and clinical skill.
A significant and exciting part of this role involvescross-service leadership. You will take the lead on nursing training and development across both the hospital-based ACT and the community-based ACOT. A key priority will be enhancing the team's competencies in physical health assessment and management, ensuring our staff are equipped to handle the complex interplay between substance use and physical illness
About us
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) provide the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK as well as substance misuse services for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. We work closely with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London and are part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre. There are very few organisations in the world that have such wide-ranging capabilities working with mental illness. Our scope is unique because it is built on three major foundations: care and treatment, science and research, and training.
SLaM employ around 5000 staff and serve a local population of 1.1 million people. We have more than 230 services including inpatient wards, outpatient and community services. Currently, provide inpatient care for approximately 5,300 people each year and treat more than 45,000 patients in the community in Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark; as well as substance misuse services for residents of Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich.
Job description Job responsibilities
As theBand 7 Lead Nurse, you will provide vital clinical and operational leadership for the Addiction Care Teamat Kings College Hospital. This role is a cornerstone of the Integrated Alcohol Care Pathway, which unites hospital-based support with assertive community outreach to deliver seamless care for individuals with complex alcohol and substance-related need
You will be the senior nursing presence within the ACT and ACOT, ensuring that care is safe, effective, and person-centred. Beyond managing the hospital team, you hold a unique cross-service mandate to lead nursing training and development for both the ACT and the Alcohol Care Outreach Team. This involves bridging the gap between physical and mental health, building staff confidence in clinical assessments, and acting as a practice development resource within a world-class Academic Health Sciences Centre
Clinical Leadership: Provide day-to-day operational leadership for the Addiction Care Team, ensuring the service meets key targets and adheres to local and national guidelines. Staff Management: Provide direct line management, supervision, and annual appraisals for Band 6 Liaison Nurses, supporting their professional growth through personalized development plans. Specialist Advice: Act as a senior clinical resource, offering expert guidance on complex assessments, alcohol withdrawal management, risk safeguarding, and clinical decision-making. Training & Development: Lead nursing training across both ACT and ACOT, with a primary focus on enhancing skills in physical health assessment and evidence-based practice. Practice Support: Support the induction of new staff and act as a practice development resource for Band 5 and 6 nurses, assisting with competency sign-offs. Clinical Communication: Ensure clinical recommendations are communicated clearly and promptly to ward teams, emergency departments, and community partners. Educational Outreach: Design and deliver specialist training on substance use and brief interventions to the wider hospital workforce, including medical and allied health teams. Data & Governance: Maintain high-quality clinical activity data and ensure the team remains compliant with all health and safety, safeguarding, and clinical governance standards. Service Integration: Work closely with the ACOT Team Manager and Clinical Service Lead to ensure consistent nursing standards and smooth communication across the entire pathway. Strategic Representation: Deputise for the Clinical Service Lead when required, representing the service at internal Trust and hospital-wide meetings.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Current NMC registration as a Registered General Nurse (RGN) or Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMN) Clear evidence of continuing professional development
Desirable
Possession of a Non-medical prescribing qualification. Advanced assessment skills or other postgraduate clinical qualifications.
Experience Essential
Significant experience working with individuals with alcohol and/or drug-related needs across acute, liaison, or community settings. Direct experience in staff supervision, conducting appraisals, and providing clinical support. Proven track record of delivering teaching and developing the clinical confidence of staff. Experience in performance management and working within multi-disciplinary/multi-agency teams
Desirable
Experience working specifically at the interface between hospital and community care Previous experience in quality improvement or service development projects.
Knowledge Essential
Comprehensive understanding of alcohol-related harm, co-occurring mental and physical health needs, safeguarding, and risk assessment Ability to undertake complex clinical assessments and formulate safe, effective care plans Strong leadership and communication skills, with the ability to maintain professional credibility across various clinical settings Proficiency in IT systems, including word processing and spreadsheet software
Desirable
Knowledge of national policy and quality standards relevant to Alcohol Care Teams (ACT) and assertive outreach. Confidence in using data, audit findings, and quality information to drive practice development.
Personal Essential
A visible and approachable leader with high emotional intelligence and a commitment to equality and diversit High levels of resilience, flexibility, and a positive, service-user-focused attitude.
Desirable
A track record of championing innovation and reflective practice within a team
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 South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Address Kings College Hospital
Denmark Hill
London
SE5 8AZ
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.slam.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)