Infection Prevention & Control Clinical Nurse Specialist

LSCft; Darwen; On-site; GBP 49,000 - 57,000; Full time

Job summary

Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT) is seeking an experienced Infection Prevention & Control Clinical Nurse Specialist (Band 7) to join the IPC team at Darwen Health Centre. The role focuses on delivering safe, high‑quality infection prevention and control across the organisation, advising staff and leading policy development.

You will provide expert education, audit activities and surveillance, supporting national guidelines and regulatory requirements, with a clear

Qualifications

• NMC registration (level 1) required.
• Specialist infection prevention knowledge with formal education or equivalent experience.
• First degree or evidence of significant professional development.

Responsibilities

• Lead and deliver IPC services and develop infection control policies.
• Advise clinical staff on IPC issues and educate staff; conduct surveys and audits.
• Collaborate across professional and organisational boundaries to implement IPC practices.

Skills

IPC knowledge

Staff education

Healthcare teamwork

Education

NMC registration

First degree / professional development

Job description

Infection Prevention & Control Clinical Nurse Specialist

Band 7

Main area Nursing Grade Band 7 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 351-CS2963-MF

Site Darwen Health Centre Town Darwen Salary £49,387 - £56,515 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 08/11/2026 23:59

Our Vision is to provide the best mental health, learning disability, autism, community, and physical health services for the populations we serve.

As an integrated Trust, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT) delivers a comprehensive range of services, including:

• Primary and secondary mental health care for children and adults, including specialist inpatient child and adolescent mental health provision, perinatal mental health, and forensic services with low and medium secure care.
• Specialist mental health inpatient care for individuals with learning disabilities, alongside specialist community support for children and adults with learning disabilities and autism, including intense support.
• Extensive community physical health and well-being services for children and adults, covering prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and long‑term condition management.

The Trust was first established in 2002 and employs approximately 7,500 staff who provide care from more than 400 sites. The organisation offers opportunities for medics, mental health, general nurses, children’s nurses, allied health professionals, psychology, administration and clerical staff, apprentices and volunteers, as well as those specialising in learning disabilities and community physical health services.

Join Our Team and Help Protect Patients, Staff and Communities

We are seeking an experienced, motivated and forward‑thinking Clinical Nurse Specialist in Infection Prevention and Control to join our Infection Prevention and Control Team.

This is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic registered nurse with substantial experience in infection prevention and control to play a key role in supporting the delivery of high‑quality, safe patient care across our organisation. Working alongside multidisciplinary teams, you will provide expert advice, education and leadership to ensure compliance with national standards, best practice guidance and regulatory requirements.

The successful candidate will be passionate about improving patient outcomes, reducing healthcare‑associated infections and promoting a culture of safety and quality improvement.

Main duties of the job

• The registered nurse will assist to deliver a safe, responsive and effective Infection Prevention & Control (IPC) service to Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, acting as a resource for specialist knowledge, taking a lead in the development of infection control policies and ensuring that the requirements of local and national standards and targets relating to infection control are met.
• They will advise clinical staff on IPC issues relating to planning, implementation and evaluation of patient and equipment care, and educate staff regarding Infection Prevention & Control. They will organise and conduct surveys and audits.
• The role is a collaborative role working with individuals and groups across professional and organisational boundaries.
• The post holder will support the Head of IPC in developing and implementing local and national policies for infection prevention and control, decontamination, surveillance, investigation and clinical audit.

Working for our organisation

LSCFT values diversity and inclusion, recognising that talent from varied backgrounds creates a flexible, creative, and effective workforce. We actively challenge discrimination and welcome applications from all, regardless of age, disability (including those with experience of accessing or caring for someone who has accessed mental health or learning disability services), ethnicity, gender, religion, belief, or sexual orientation.

Our aim is to reflect the communities we serve, so we particularly encourage applications from under‑represented groups. If you’d like to discuss your application, please ask.

We also welcome individuals with lived experience relevant to the role or service area, as your insight brings authenticity to our services.

LSCFT support flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as term time, part time, compressed hours and flexi‑time.

The wellbeing of our people is at the heart of everything we do. We offer a wide range of resources, tools and support to help you thrive both in and out of work.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For more details on this vacancy please review the attached job description and person specification.

Person specification

Qualifications

• NMC level 1 registration
• Specialist knowledge obtained through formal Infection Control Education &/or underpinned by work‑based experience.
• Relevant 1st degree or evidence of significant professional development

Knowledge

• Knowledge and experience of managing healthcare associated infections in a variety of settings.
• Knowledge of transmission of infection
• Knowledge of current DoH guidelines on Infection Control and implementation in NHS settings

Experience

• Previous IPC experience

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.