Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Associate Clinical Nurse Specialist (ACNS) in Palliative Care
The closing date is 10 June 2026
Were delighted to offer a brand new role within our supportive, multi-professional palliative care team. This is a great opportunity for a motivated nurse to develop skills in specialist community palliative care while working closely with an experienced Band 7 Clinical Nurse Specialist.
You’ll help manage a community caseload, delivering high-quality, person-centred care to people with complex palliative and end-of-life needs. With supervision and support, you’ll build confidence in holistic assessment, care planning, and symptom management—making a meaningful difference to patients and their families.
Main duties of the job
What you’ll do
* Deliver safe, effective, person-centred palliative care in the community
* Support holistic assessment, care planning, and ongoing review
* Manage a supported caseload, including triage of referrals
* Work collaboratively with patients, families, and the MDT to ensure coordinated care
* Provide skilled interventions to support symptom control and quality of life
* Contribute to team learning, service development, and quality improvement
About us
What we’re looking for
* A Registered Nurse with an interest in palliative or community care
* A thoughtful communicator who values compassionate, person-centred practice
* A team player who is keen to learn and develop
* Someone who wants to build specialist knowledge and skills
* Strong support and supervision from experienced CNS colleagues
* Opportunities for ongoing learning, CPD, and development
* A welcoming and collaborative MDT environment
* A role where you can make a real impact every day
If you’re looking to take the next step in your career and develop your skills in palliative care, we’d love to hear from you.
Job responsibilities
Job purpose:
* This is a new role to our multi-professional palliative care team. The role will involve working with a Band 7 Clinical Nurse Specialist to pro-actively manage a community palliative care patient caseload.
* Working with more senior colleagues, the post holder will develop skills and expertise in holistic palliative care assessment and care, working in a multi-professional team.
* To support the CNS/CPS team in delivering clinically effective, efficient, and high-quality care to individuals with complex palliative care needs.
* The role involves working with the MDT to assess, plan, and support the clinical management of a shared caseload of patients and their families, working collaboratively with other healthcare providers to ensure holistic and coordinated care.
Main duties and responsibilities:
Clinical Practice
* Practise as an accountable registered nurse, delivering safe, highquality, personcentred palliative care in line with NMC standards, Trust policies, and service guidelines, with access to senior clinical supervision.
* With Band 7 supervision undertake holistic palliative care assessment, care planning, and review for patients with complex palliative care needs.
* Proactively manage an allocated caseload with Band 7 support, including triage and prioritisation of new referrals.
* Deliver skilled nursing interventions to optimise symptom control, quality of life, and endoflife care.
* With Band 7 supervision work collaboratively with patients, families, carers, multidisciplinary teams, and partner agencies to support shared decisionmaking, coordinated care, and clear care pathways.
* Recognise and elevate deterioration, safeguarding concerns, and crises in accordance the team standard operating procedures and with organisational policy.
* Identify anticipatory, psychosocial, and bereavement needs, facilitating timely support and referral.
* Maintain accurate clinical records and contribute to audit, activity reporting, and quality improvement.
Professional & Team Contribution
* With Nad 7 support organise and prioritise workload effectively with senior colleagues to meet service demands.
* Participate in team, multidisciplinary, service, and Trust meetings, contributing to case discussion, service development, and learning.
* Support learning for students, and visitors, with appropriate guidance.
* Comply with Health and Safety requirements and report incidents, complaints, and risks appropriately.
* Engage in supervision, reflective practice, CPD, and service development activities.
Education & Development
* Contribute to internal education and learning activities that support highquality palliative care practice.
* Maintain and update professional knowledge and skills through mandatory training, CPD and relevant education, sharing learning with the team.
Research, Audit & Governance
* Participate in research, audit, service evaluation and clinical governance activities with senior support.
* Apply evidencebased guidance, research findings, and national policy to clinical practice.
Communication
* Communicate sensitive and complex information effectively with patients, carers, colleagues, and partner agencies.
* Ensure appropriate information sharing, including provision of correspondence to patients in line with Trust policy.
* Escalate concerns or complaints promptly to the Team Leader and contribute to presentations or training when required.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Registered Nurse (Adult)
* Achieved or working towards first degree
* Relevant post-registration qualification in palliative care/oncology/long-term conditions
Experience
* Substantial post registration, in appropriate speciality, and at band 5/6
* Experience of case or ward management
* Experience of teaching clinical staff and patients and families
* Experience of caring for patients in their own home
* Teaching experience and confidence in teaching the MDT
Skills and Knowledge
* Clear understanding of why you want to work in community palliative care
* Basic computer literacy
* Excellent verbal and written communication
* Ability to work individually and as a team member
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.
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
£47,951 to £56,863 a year pro rata per annum incl. HCAS
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