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 or working on the Staff Bank within these organisations. Nursing and AHP vacancies are also open to Student Nurses and Newly Qualified Nurses/AHPs.

Are you a Respiratory Nurse Specialist or a Respiratory Nurse with at least four years of experience, and wanting to take the next step into a specialist role? Respiratory nursing is important now, more than ever before as illustrated in the NHS 10-year plan and the move towards neighbourhood working.

The team has developed over recent years into a multi-disciplinary team helping to keep more patients with respiratory disease at home and out of hospital. That's where you come in. This Band 7 leadership role will be based in a Thanet locality supporting patients living with respiratory disease, with an emphasis on self-management and support in the community as part of their care pathway. We aim to enhance the quality of life for people living with respiratory disease, whatever stage they are at. We believe in innovation and working together to achieve the best results. Whilst this is a full-time role, we would consider 0.8 WTE (30 hrs) or above. If you're able to demonstrate a passion and commitment to this role but don't fully meet all desirable criteria, we would consider a one-year development pathway from Band 6 to Band 7.

Main duties of the job
To undertake the assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of care required for patients with complex, long term, high risk respiratory conditions. Provide the necessary health education and advice resulting in fewer hospital admissions. Undertake continuous professional development to enable the provision of pioneering specialist respiratory services to meet the population of the locality in line with multiple national and local targets. Establish an effective workplace culture across the respiratory service that sustains person-centred, safe and effective care through self-awareness, leadership, active learning, development, improvement and innovation. To contribute and lead on the development of performance indicators relevant to the provision of safe health care within the respiratory service. To assist in strategic work with tertiary, secondary and primary care services, the respiratory network and local authorities to link and plan respiratory services for the future. To act as a source of specialist knowledge on respiratory conditions to primary and secondary care. To autonomously manage a caseload of respiratory patients requiring specialist services.

It is also essential you are a car driver. So, if you can bring fresh ideas and a genuine interest in helping people with respiratory disease to live well for longer, we'd love to hear from you.

About us
Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust is due to integrate with Medway Community Healthcare on 1 October 2026. Following integration and to align our community services to the new Neighbourhood Model of care delivery, there will be a period of consultation which may result in changes affecting some services, teams or roles. Depending on the area you are applying to work in, this could include potential changes to your role, work base, reporting arrangements, or terms and conditions of employment. Any changes would be subject to consultation and managed sensitively and in line with relevant employment processes. Please do contact the recruiting manager if you have any concerns about this so they can answer any questions you might have.

Rated 'Outstanding' by CQC, we deliver high-quality care that improves the health of our communities. We are looking for people who share our values: Compassionate, Aspirational, Responsive and Excellent.

We are proud to be an inclusive, welcoming organisation and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We use protected characteristic information for monitoring only and it is not seen by recruiting managers, except where applicants choose to be considered under our disability guaranteed interview scheme.

We know life outside work matters. As a flexible working-friendly organisation, we welcome conversations about arrangements that help you thrive while supporting excellent care for our patients.

Explore KCHFT career pathways

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 kentchft.recruitment@nhs.net, 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 can't wait to meet you and welcome you to #teamKCHFT, #cometocommunity.

Qualifications, Training and Experience
Essential

• Has a Level 6 Degree or equivalent qualification in relevant subject i.e. Nursing,
• Has a Specialist Respiratory qualification and evidence of a Level 7 qualification in relevant area of practice or the willingness to undertake.
• Has highly developed specialist knowledge across a range of issues in relation to respiratory practice, leadership, research and education

Desirable

• Be an independent Nurse Prescriber or be willing to undertake this.
• Has a basic qualification in CBT or be supported to undertake this

Knowledge and Skills
Essential

• Has sound communication skills in order to understand and communicate both verbally and in writing. Including imparting highly complex, sensitive and sometimes contentious information, utilising motivational and reassurance skills and empathy.
• Able to work well under pressure and be able to organise your own work.
• Has highly developed specialist knowledge across a range of issues in relation to respiratory practice, leadership, research and education.

Desirable

• Has an awareness of developments within the NHS would be an advantage as well as an understanding of National Service Frameworks and NICE guidance.

Working Environment
Essential

• Has a full, valid UK driving licence or a full driving licence issued by an EU country (not exchanged from a non-EU country) and the ability to travel independently.

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.

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).

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: Thanet Community Health Hub, Broadstairs, CT10 2WA, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.kentcht.nhs.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Specialist Respiratory Nurse Clinical Co-ordinator, Clair Gough, clair.gough@nhs.net