Clinical Nurse Lead

NHS; Pulborough; On-site; GBP 47,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A community health service provider in Pulborough seeks a Clinical Nurse Lead to coordinate and manage complex patient care. The ideal candidate will have advanced qualifications in clinical and leadership skills, with a focus on high-quality care and staff development. This is a permanent full-time position with a competitive salary range of £47,810 to £54,710 per year, offering a flexible working pattern.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Excellent training and development opportunities

Positive workplace culture

Qualifications

• Extensive clinical experience in case management.
• Evidence of maintaining high standards of care.
• Experience in clinical leadership at senior level.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate complex care and management of long-term conditions.
• Support staff development, including appraisals and supervision.
• Lead the monitoring and improving quality of care.

Skills

Clinical leadership

Case management

Analysis and problem-solving

Communication skills

Team dynamics and leadership

Education

Qualified RN

Post-graduate level degree or equivalent

Advanced physical assessment course

Non-Medical Prescriber qualification

Job description

Job Summary

Welcome to Rural North Chichester Community PCN Team

We have the pleasure in recruiting an experienced nurse who has the Specialist Practitioner Qualification.

Someone who is committed to nursing and attaining to the highest standards of assessment, treatment and support to our community patients and their carers.

If you read the job description and specification you will see that the role requires you to have expert clinical knowledge to guide and support staff in the team to provide the best care and support. To be energised in the role to encourage staff to develop and patients to engage in their treatment plans.

Main Duties of the Job

The post of Clinical Nurse Lead is for an experienced and qualified community specialist practitioner who has advanced practice qualifications including clinical and leadership skills.

You will be expected to coordinate complex care and the assessment and management of long term conditions. Case management skills are required to enable self‑management of health, independent living in the home/community, and reduction of hospital admissions through robust contingency plan provision.

The post holder will also be responsible for staff management, supervision and development, including appraisals and supervision of junior staff.

As an educator, mentor and preceptor working with others, you will take the lead in the development and supervision, particularly for the community nurses, as well as promoting self‑care management principles with patients using innovative patient activation strategies.

The focus of this role is to provide safe, effective and quality clinical care using advanced qualifications to support clinical practise along with strong clinical leadership, advice and support to the team.

Excellent communication and negotiation skills are essential in order to effectively liaise with members of the wider multi-disciplinary team as well as an ability to reflect upon and where needed challenge the status quo.

About Us

We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. We deliver essential care to adults and children, helping them manage their health, avoid hospital admissions, and reduce hospital stays.

Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community. We offer opportunities across medical, clinical, support, and corporate services.

Why Work for Us?

• Positive 2024 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeing
• Varied environments: community hospitals, patients' homes, and bases across Sussex
• Flexible working options: part-time, flexi‑time, annualised hours, and flexi‑retirement
• Excellent training, development, and research opportunities
• Cost‑effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brighton
• Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networks
• Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust
• Beautiful Sussex location near the South Downs and coast

Our Values

• Compassionate Care
• Working Together
• Achieving Ambitions
• Delivering Excellence

We embrace diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from ethnically diverse, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. We aim to create an inclusive environment and support reasonable adjustments during recruitment.

This post may close early if sufficient applications are received.

Job Details

Date posted: 18 November 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 7

Salary: £47,810 to £54,710 a year pro rata

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full‑time, Flexible working

Reference number: 150‑KB2211‑CC

Job location: Pulborough Medical Group, Spiro Close, Pulborough, RH20 1FG

Job Responsibilities

• Lead the processes for delivering, monitoring and improving the quality of care provided to patients, including risk management, compliance with CQC requirements, incidents, and clinical audit.
• Deliver effective skilled case management including care coordination, care planning and treatment for complex patients.
• Identify risks to service delivery and problem‑solve to ensure resources are allocated across team(s) to appropriately prioritise care.
• Ensure clinical research is conducted in line with Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust protocols and in liaison with the research team, ensuring that the research has had ethical approval.
• Ensure that patients receive the information they need and are treated with dignity and respect for their privacy.
• Carry out risk assessments and adhere to safe systems of work, including understanding reporting procedures for clinical and non‑clinical incidents/near misses. Attend relevant courses and mandatory updates, take a proactive role in risk identification and management, and respond to lessons learned from incidents and near misses.
• Report clinical and non‑clinical incidents and proactively manage risk to patients, including vulnerable adults and staff.
• Support, monitor and challenge caseload management processes to ensure quality, safe and effective care delivery.
• Promote an environment conducive to effective learning and comply with statutory and mandatory responsibilities in line with current local and National monitoring requirements.

See the job description and job specification for further information.

Person Specification – Experience

• Extensive clinical experience – case management.
• Evidence of up‑to‑date knowledge and skills, particularly in long‑term condition management.
• Evidence of ability to maintain/monitor high standards of care.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Clinical leadership experience at a senior level.

Skills and Knowledge – Essential

• Able to analyse complex situations and problem‑solve as necessary.
• Evidence of ability to identify and manage risk.
• Evidence of knowledge and experience of team dynamics and leadership role.
• Evidence of ability to work in an MD team.
• Evidence of embracing and implementing change to provide high quality health care.
• Ability to work in a flexible way and respond positively to change.
• Ability to work autonomously.
• Understanding of clinical governance.
• Understanding of national and local policy.
• Acknowledges limitations to own practice.
• Awareness of own development needs.
• Evidence of managing long‑term and chronic conditions.
• Evidence of complex case management.
• Evidence of compassionate leadership.
• Awareness of resilience.

Other Requirements – Essential

• Car driver with access to a car for work purposes, unless accommodated under the Equality Act for reasonable adjustments.

Professional Qualifications – Essential

• Qualified RN.
• Post‑graduate level degree or equivalent.
• Advanced physical assessment course – Masters Module.
• Non‑Medical Prescriber or willingness to work towards Masters qualification.
• Practice assessor – community specialist practice qualification (District Nurse) or equivalent qualification.
• Public health module or willingness to work towards it.
• Leadership qualification or HR leadership sessions.

Desirable

• Mentoring course or equivalent.

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: Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

Address: Pulborough Medical Group, Spiro Close, Pulborough, RH20 1FG

Website: https://www.sussexcommunity.nhs.uk/work-with-us/