Senior Dental Nurse
Company: Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
Job ID: C9349-26-3325
Closing date: 09 November 2026

Job summary
There are Five Health Centre's/Clinics providing dental services within the Manchester Local Care Organisation. Manchester Community Dental Service (MCDS) provides a high standard of professional care for patients who are unable to access care in the General Dental Services due to their special and additional needs. It provides comprehensive dental care for people in priority groups to ensure that they are able to access primary and specialist dental care. In addition, MCDS provides a specialised dental service which complements the existing primary dental services. In particular, it provides dental care for patients of all ages with challenging medical conditions, learning difficulties, mental and physical disability, special dental conditions and social and behavioral limitations. Emphasis is given to the promotion of dental health and the prevention of disease.

Main duties of the job
The Senior Dental Nurse will be responsible for providing day-to-day line management support for the city-wide Manchester Community Dental Service dental nursing staff under the direction of the Dental Nurse Manager. Deputize for the Dental Nurse Manager as required.

Additional responsibilities will include leading the Dental Nurse Teams and to support the service in the delivery of treatment under sedation to children and adults who are unable to access general dental treatment due to complex physical, medical, mental, behavioral, social, emotional, intellectual, sensory impairment or disability.

They will use their knowledge and skills to ensure that clinical support is provided to the clinical lead, consultant, specialists and other professional dental staff. The post holder will also have a wider role for specific Service functions carrying out work involving greater responsibility and autonomy than Dental Nurse Team Leaders.

Key relationships

• MCDS Dental Nurse Manager
• MCDS Clinical Lead
• MCDS Service Manager
• Consultant in Special Care Dentistry
• MCDS Specialist in Special Care Dentistry
• MCDS Specialist in Paediatric Dentistry

About us
MFT is one of the largest NHS Trusts in England with a turnover of £2.8bn and is on a different scale than most other NHS Trusts. We are creating an exceptional integrated health and social care system for the 1 million patients who rely on our services every year.

Bringing together 10 hospitals and community services from across Manchester, Trafford and beyond, we champion collaborative working and transformation, encouraging our 30,000 workforce to pursue their most ambitious goals. We set standards that other Trusts seek to emulate so you will benefit from a scale of opportunity that is nothing short of extraordinary.

We have also created a digitally enabled organisation to improve clinical quality, patient and staff experience, operational effectiveness and driving research, and innovation through the introduction of Hive; our Electronic Patient Record system which launched in September 2022.

We are proud to be a major academic Research Centre and Education provider, providing you with a robust infrastructure to encourage and facilitate high-quality research programmes. What is more, we are excited to be embarking on our Green Plan which sets out how MFT continues to play its part in making healthcare more sustainable.

At MFT, we create and foster a culture of inclusion and belonging, provide equal opportunities for career development that are fair, open, and transparent, protecting your health and wellbeing and shaping the future of our organisation together.

Details
Date posted: 03 November 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: 349-LCOD-8389685-RL3
Job location: Community Dental Service Head Office, 1 Nicolas road, Manchester, M21 9NJ, United Kingdom

Essential qualifications

• NVQ in Oral Health Care Level 3: Dental Nursing or equivalent
• Registration with General Dental Council
• Formal managerial qualification or demonstrable experience.
• Post qualification in Conscious Sedation

Desirable qualifications

• Delivering better Oral Health and application of Fluoride varnish.

Essential skills

• Knowledge of Community Dental Services
• Ability to lead a team
• Ability to act on own initiative
• Ability to manage competing priorities and work under pressure
• Thorough knowledge of policies and procedures relevant to dentistry including COSHH, HTM01-05, IR(ME)R 2018, IRR2017
• Well-developed communication skills
• Good level of computer literacy including use of commonly used I.T. systems
• Demonstrates knowledge of local and national issues regarding Dental Care Professionals
• Ability to plan and organise own and others' work
• Evidence of continuing professional education and personal development

Desirable skills

• Willing to develop skills and undertake further training

Essential experience

• Relevant experience of working at a Band 5 level in a Team Leader role in the Salaried Dental Services or equivalent
• Evidence of experience in providing care for Special Care and Paediatric patients
• Evidence of experience of working with patients of all ages with additional needs and challenging behaviour.
• Understanding of Clinical Governance and audit
• Experience of recruitment processes
• Experience of multi-disciplinary working

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.

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

Contact
Dental Nurse Manager: Joanne Dickinson, joanne.dickinson@mft.nhs.uk, 01615296025

MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post.