Job summary
The Alcohol Care Specialist Nurse will be an integral member of the Alcohol Care Team, which provides care and treatment for patients with alcohol misuse issues in a hospital environment.

They will work collaboratively with the Alcohol Care Team and wider multidisciplinary teams in order to support and assist the patients' health care journey, the Alcohol Care Specialist Nurse will assess the needs of the individual patient and facilitate the appropriate channels of support.

It is essential that the post holder will provide an empathic and sensitive point of contact for service users and to signpost into other services and integrate care with other providers of health services. It is essential for the post holder to develop strong professional relationships with colleagues, Trust employees, and staff from external agencies.

The Alcohol Care Specialist Nurse will be flexible to meet the needs of the team and will demonstrate knowledge, expertise and passion in working within the speciality of alcohol misuse.

The Alcohol Care Specialist Nurse will provide education and support on the role of Alcohol Care Team to internal staff and external teams to CDDFT.

Main duties of the job

• To assess, plan, implement and evaluate clinical, educational and investigational programmes, in order to meet the health and well-being needs of people experiencing problematic use of alcohol and those patients with liver disease.
• To lead in reducing average length of stay, Accident and Emergency attendances and Hospital admissions of people with alcohol related problems
• Support the Alcohol Care Team in CDDFT in developing excellence in care within the specialism in accordance with evidence based Guidelines
• To provide a continuously improving service in line with service requirements and within the SafeCare framework
• To communicate effectively with all members of the multi-disciplinary team, patients, carers and the public
• To act as a resource and role model for the profession at all times
• To provide education and training to clinical staff and internal /external agencies

About us
If you are being interviewed you must accept an interview slot in the system to continue, even if you have arranged with the manager.

You must be able to produce ALL certificates stated essential in the person specification or you will not be able to complete pre-employment checks.

We provide hospital services from two acute sites - Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham. We have a centre for planned care in Bishop Auckland and provide care from community hospitals in Chester-le-Street, Shotley Bridge, Barnard Castle, Sedgefield and Weardale as well as over 80 other community based settings and providing care in patients' homes.

We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under-represented.

Full Job Descriptions can be found in the adverts supporting documents.

Over reliance on AI-generated content is discouraged and may diminish the applicant's chances of success.

For the most up-to-date information on visa requirements and eligibility, please check online to determine whether you can apply.

Details
Date posted: 27 August 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 6
Salary: £39,959 to £48,117 a year
per annum, pro rata
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: C9439-2627-RP-N223
Job locations: Darlington Memorial Hospital NHS Trust, Hollyhurst Road, Darlington, County Durham, DL3 6HX, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

• To analyse and rigorously review aspects of the patient care plan, interpreting information and using specialist knowledge and judgement to initiate/recommend new course of action where necessary.
• To establish clear pathways and protocols to provide a seamless journey for patients between Hospital and Community services.
• To provide clinical advice, teaching and expertise to other nursing staff including Primary and Secondary Care, allied professionals, patients, families and carers.
• To lead in developing clinical nursing practice within the field of Alcohol Intervention and treatment in line with evidence based practice and Clinical Governance requirements.
• To be instrumental in mapping existing levels of service delivery.
• To be prepared to undertake further training/develop clinical skills in line with necessary service developments.
• The post holder will be part of a team who provides high quality specialist clinical care

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Degree / diploma in nursing

Desirable

• Teaching qualification
• Clinical skills course

Experience
Essential

• Broad knowledge, skills and experience in acute nursing
• Evidence of ongoing Professional Development and Clinical Practice Development (CPD)
• Ability to facilitate learning to others
• Ability to cope with and diffuse difficult and stressful situations
• Experience of multi-professional working

Desirable

• Relevant experience in specialist area
• Experience of change management
• Evidence of CPD in specialist area

Statutory Registration
Essential

• Registered Nurse (adult) on part 1 of the NMC register
• Valid UK NMC PIN

Special Skills & Knowledge
Essential

• High level of interpersonal and communication skills
• Organisational skills
• Evidence of an ability to prioritise their own workload

Desirable

• Counselling skills

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.

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.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer details
Employer name: County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Darlington Memorial Hospital NHS Trust, Hollyhurst Road, Darlington, County Durham, DL3 6HX, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.cddft.nhs.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Alcohol Care Clinical Nurse Specialist, Annalise Johnson, Annalise.johnson@nhs.net, 07786712238

We are an equal opportunities employer.