Alcohol Drug Clinical Nurse Specialist
The closing date is 16 February 2026
The purpose of the Drug and Alcohol Clinical Nurse Specialist post is to provide a range of interventions that will divert those patients presenting with high-risk substance misuse from acute services into community-based treatment to avert future hospital admissions and readmissions.
The role of the addictions nurse specialist is to assess and provide brief nursing interventions, including personalised feedback and motivational interviewing, to dependent and other high-risk drinkers and drug users attending UCLH ED or admitted to hospital. The post will safely manage care and treatment of drug and alcohol use /dependence. As part of discharge planning the post holder will support them to access community-based structured treatment as appropriate.
Main duties of the job
The role of the addictions nurse specialist is to assess and provide brief nursing interventions, including personalised feedback and motivational interviewing, to dependent and other high-risk drinkers and drug users attending UCLH ED or admitted to hospital. The post will safely manage care and treatment of drug and alcohol use /dependence. As part of discharge planning the post holder will support them to access community-based structured treatment as appropriate.
The post-holder will ensure that ED and ward staff are aware of drug and alcohol related issues and committed to screening, identifying, and referring patients who are dependent or high-risk drinkers and drug users. The post-holder will offer ongoing on-the-job training, equipping hospital staff to deliver brief interventions to harmful and hazardous drinkers and drug users. The post-holder will also function as a source of expert advice, guidance, and support for both ED and ward staff on drug and alcohol matters. They will assist in the development of corporate guidance for clinicians throughout the hospital on alcohol and drug -related matters, including managing withdrawal and detoxification.
About us
CNWL- Addictions and Offender Care Directorates
CNWL Addictions is a well-established NHS provider offering a wide range of high-quality drug and alcohol treatment interventions to the diverse and multicultural population across Ealing, Brent, Hillingdon, Hounslow and Milton Keynes. In addition, we also have the tri-borough Club Drug Clinic as well as our National Problem Gambling Service.
The service is committed to a harm minimisation philosophy and to partnership working. Our main partners are primary care services, social and the third sectors.
Treatments are provided across all our clinical centres. Clinical Governance framework is well established and the service prides itself in its continuous development towards becoming a learning organisation.
Job responsibilities
Please see attached Job description which is attached to the file. Please let me know if you have any queries.
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
* First Level Registered Nurse (RMN and or RGN)
* Evidence of post - qualification clinical training
* BSc/degree in Drug & Alcohol Studies or other relevant qualification
* Brief intervention, solution focused or similar counselling training & Motivational Interview
* ENB 998-7/ NVQ Assessor or equivalent
Experience
* The post holder must have post qualification clinical employment, or experience working in substance misuse or drug and alcohol service
* Experience of drug & alcohol work at Band 6
* Familiar with clinical risk assessment and management of vulnerable client groups
* Experience in planning and delivering training to multi-disciplinary staff of all levels
* Experience as a registered nurse in mental health
* Experience in substance misuse hospital or GP liaison
* Experience of working in a community drug & alcohol treatment / counselling service
* Experience of staff management, development and appraisal
* Experience of developing new services and managing the change process
* Experience of providing education in drug & alcohol awareness for nurses and other professionals
* Experience of developing and implementing quality approaches such as standard setting and clinical audit
* Experience of substance misuse liaison working with Accident & Emergency setting
* Experience of undertaking published clinical research on alcohol
Skills and knowledge
* Ability to co-ordinate and deliver services within a multi-disciplinary setting
* Ability to provide and co-ordinate clinical and management supervision
* Ability to lead and facilitate decision making processes
* Demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills in varied settings
* Ability to provide drug & alcohol awareness training to wide - ranging multidisciplinary groups
* Knowledge of current legislation and initiatives in substance misuse and accident and emergency medicine
* Understanding of the competencies associated with coordination of an drug and alcohol liaison service
* Ability to deliver evidence-based interventions to service users with drug & alcohol problems
* Knowledge of the legal and ethical issues relating to substance misuse and health care.
* Knowledge of the physical and mental health effects of excessive alcohol consumption
* Knowledge and experience of the full range of treatment modalities for alcohol problems.
* Knowledge of prescribing interventions for drug & alcohol detoxification and abstinence support.
* Understanding of brief interventions, motivational interviewing and other counselling techniques.
* Be able to demonstrate flexibility and creativity when developing care packages.
* Good verbal and written presentation skills.
* Ability to plan, co-ordinate and develop local policy and procedure in line with government strategies and recommendations
* Knowledge and understanding of relapse prevention programme.
* Knowledge of local services for alcohol and other substance misuse problems.
* Computer literacy and ability to manage and present information clearly.
* Commitment to interagency involvement in service, partnership and teamwork
* Empathy towards client group
* To carry out monitoring of referrals and feedback to referrers.
* Ability to devise, deliver, commission and evaluate drug & alcohol training based on A&E and hospital need
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
£56,276 to £63,176 a yearper annum inc HCAS (pro rata if P/T)
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