Clinical Nurse Specialist

Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust; Bury St Edmunds; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider is looking for a Clinical Nurse Specialist to deliver advanced mental health care for individuals in crisis. The role involves leadership within a multidisciplinary team, conducting thorough assessments, and providing effective home treatment solutions. Candidates should have significant clinical experience, a relevant nursing qualification, and excellent interpersonal skills. The successful applicant will play a key role in improving service delivery and ensuring high standards of patient care in a supportive environment.

Benefits

Ongoing training and development opportunities

Supportive team environment

Career advancement opportunities

Qualifications

• Extensive experience supervising and mentoring.
• Proven track record of delivering high-quality care.

Responsibilities

• Undertake biopsychosocial assessments for individuals in crisis.
• Deliver high-level clinical interventions and crisis formulations.
• Provide clinical leadership during MDT reviews and handovers.
• Support service development and quality initiatives.

Skills

Clinical assessment

Leadership

Communication

Mentoring

Crisis management

Education

RMN or RNLD qualification

Non-Medical Independent Prescriber

Job description

The Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) will be a senior practitioner within the Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team (CRHTT), providing expert clinical leadership, advanced assessment, and evidence-based interventions to individuals experiencing acute mental health crisis. The post holder will support the CRHTT in delivering intensive community-based alternatives to hospital admission, ensuring timely, safe, and person‑centred care within patients' homes and community settings.

Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, the CNS will model high standards of clinical practice, undertake complex mental state and risk assessments, lead on clinical decision‑making, and contribute to gate‑keeping processes for acute admissions. The post holder will provide specialist clinical advice, consultation, and formulation to colleagues across the acute care pathway—including MHLT, AMHP Service, Bed Management, and Community Mental Health Teams—to promote safe and effective crisis management.

The CNS will take a leading role in service development and quality improvement, supporting governance, supervision, training, and implementation of key clinical frameworks. They will act as a role model for compassionate and recovery-focused care, promoting least-restrictive practice and instilling a culture of continuous learning, safety, and responsiveness.

Main duties of the job

• Undertake comprehensive biopsychosocial and risk assessments for individuals in acute mental health crisis.
• Deliver high-level clinical interventions and crisis formulations, ensuring safe and effective home treatment.
• Provide clinical leadership during daily MDT reviews, handovers, and SBAR planning.
• Act as a specialist resource to colleagues and external teams.
• Provide clinical supervision, reflective practice, and mentorship to junior staff.
• Support service development, QI initiatives, and audit programmes.
• Contribute to workforce planning, skill‑mixing, and clinical standards within the CRHTT.
• Support investigations, learning reviews, and implementation of safety actions.
• Promote a culture of civility, psychological safety, and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with MHLT, AMHPs, CMHTs, police, ambulance, urgent treatment centres, and inpatient services to ensure smooth crisis pathways.
• Act as a liaison point for families, carers, and external stakeholders.

About us

Here at NSFT we pride ourselves on being a welcoming, talented, friendly and supportive team that shares experiences and learns from each other. In addition to ongoing training and development opportunities, we are committed to providing an environment in which you can thrive.

Why work for us?

We have challenges as a Trust but are pushing ahead with exciting transformation work and we need dedicated individuals to support us on our journey. We have strong, established professional networks coupled with an exceptional leadership team who will ensure you feel truly cared for and cared about.

Why Norfolk and Suffolk?

The people here are warm and welcoming, you’ll never be far from the beautiful coastline or Broads National Park. We’re an hour and a half away from London and have an international airport in Norwich. Our villages, towns and cities are packed full of history, independent cafés, shops, and theatres. We have excellent shopping, eating out, top-ranking schooling and affordable house prices.

Job description

The role requires advanced clinical expertise, leadership capability, and the ability to work under pressure in a fast‑paced, highly variable crisis environment. The CNS will support the Team Leader and Matron in ensuring the team meets key operational standards including handover quality, response targets, gate‑keeping compliance, and safe caseload oversight while maintaining a focus on patient experience and staff wellbeing.

Person specification

Experience

• Extensive experience supervising and mentoring others.
• Extensive experience of practice within the clinical area with a proven track record in delivering high quality care.

Qualifications

• RMN or RNLD professional qualification.
• Non-Medical Independent Prescriber.

Knowledge

• Able to demonstrate sound clinical expertise and knowledge of mental health disorders and their treatments.

Other

• Ability to travel to all Trust locations if required.

Skills

• Ability to communicate widely in a clear manner.
• Ability to self‑manage time and meet agreed deadlines.

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Address

CRHTT Wedgwood House, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 2QZ

Employer's website

https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/Pages/Home.aspx