Inpatient Detox Nurse

NHS; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 43,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading health and social care charity in Birmingham seeks an Inpatient Detox Nurse to provide specialized clinical interventions for residents with substance misuse issues. The role offers professional development, a supportive work environment, and aims to enhance patient recovery through evidence-based practices. Ideal candidates are registered nurses with a passion for holistic care and effective communication skills.

Benefits

Access to educational opportunities

Protected professional development time

Wellbeing resources

Qualifications

• Experience in drug and alcohol treatment preferred.
• Ability to manage emergency situations proficiently.
• Knowledge of issues facing substance misusers including medical interventions.

Responsibilities

• Provide evidence-based, person-centered care to residents.
• Administer treatments in accordance with national guidelines.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation.

Skills

Clinical auditing skills

Motivational interviewing techniques

Ability to assess and recovery plan service users

Education

First level registered nurse with recent relevant post qualification experience

Job description

Job Summary

Change Grow Live is one of the UKs leading health and social care charities and the Inpatient Detox Nurse role is a varied one. You will be supporting people with multi-faceted issues related to the impact of substance use on their physical and mental health.

Nurses are an integral member of our multidisciplinary teams, offering specialist clinical interventions to people who use our services. Every person who comes into our service is treated as an individual, so understanding the importance of a whole person approach along with being curious, a good listener, a clinically robust practitioner and having a flexible approach are essential skills.

At Change Grow Live we want to support you to recognise and achieve your goals:

• We hold regular national nurse and HCA forums, and you will have regular 1:1s and appraisals
• We actively support our nurses to revalidate with protected continuing professional development time, which totals up to 6 days per year.
• We also have a wide range of educational opportunities including free access to the RCNi learning platform and we pay for your NMC fee
• We offer you the opportunity to use the government backed Apprenticeship Levy fund to develop nursing practice in line with your specific role
• All our staff are encouraged to take a wellbeing hour every week and access personal well -being resources

Job Details

Date posted: 20 November 2025

Pay scheme: Other

Salary: £43,384.61 to £47,792.23 a year Pro Rata, depending on experience

Contract: Fixed term

Duration: 8 months

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: U0080-2025-18221

Job locations: 15 Park Road South, Birmingham, B18 5QL

Job Responsibilities

Main purpose of the role

As directed by the Lead Nurse, the post-holder will be an integral member of a multidisciplinary team offering specialist clinical interventions to a cohort of residents at the service.

All nurses in this role will provide evidence-based care that is person centred, recovery focused and in line with national and organisational policies and procedures.

As this is a residential unit the care provided needs to be holistic and may encompass managing chronic long term health problems that may or may not be associated with their addiction.

It is important that as a nurse you strive to increase your knowledge and skills in all aspects of safe and effective care.

All members of staff are required to always act in accordance with CGL expectations of attitudes and behaviours. These attitudes and behaviours include, but are not limited to:

Representing CGL in a professional manner on all occasions.

Striving to improve and share good practice, and work towards continuous improvement

Maintaining and promoting effective communication and shared good practice across the organisation as a whole and externally.

Promoting mutual trust and respect as a guiding principle for all working relationships both internal and external

Adopting a Co-operative approach to service delivery which draws on the strength, knowledge and expertise of all individuals including service users, staff and volunteers

To be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.

Reporting relationships:

The role will report directly to the Lead Nurse. Reporting relationships may change.

Role-specific responsibilities

Clinical Practice

All interventions delivered must be recovery focused, integrated, effective, and delivered to a high standard.

To be professionally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your own work and that of the team you are working with including the management of residents in your care.

Ensure nursing treatment to residents is in line with national guidelines and local inpatient detox policies and protocols.

Provide education, health promotion and screening for blood borne viruses (BBV). Provide Hepatitis B vaccinations when indicated.

Work within and consolidate integrated care and treatment pathways for individuals who are identified as being infected with BBV/s (Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and/or HIV).

Undertake full clinical assessments and manage the health needs, planning, delivery, and evaluation of care.

Care for both acute and chronic conditions, integrating both drug- and non-drug-based treatment methods into residents treatment plans.

Undertake phlebotomy, as required, ensuring adherence to identified pathways for blood sample labelling, collection, obtaining results and signposting.

Use blood results to support the assessment of the current health status of service users prior to admission and the suitability for inpatient detoxification.

Maintain accurate, comprehensive, and up to date documentation in line with the NMC Code of Conduct, NMC Guidelines on Medicines Management and the NMC Guidelines on Record Keeping and any relevant change grow lives policies.

Contribute to CGLs Naloxone Strategy by training staff and residents in the use of Naloxone. Ensuring Naloxone is distributed to residents at every opportunity.

Offer wound care assessment and basic wound dressing to service users. Organise signposting to other services as required and ensure clear pathways into other treatment arenas as appropriate.

To accurately gather and interpret clinical information about residents, instigate appropriate remedial action and promptly record changes on CRiiS.

Understand and adhere to the legislation surrounding the use of patient group directives (PGDs).

Utilise psychosocial in both one-to-one and group settings to promote engagement in treatment services and ownership of recovery planning.

Have a clear understanding and adherence to the Controlled Drugs process in line with the Standard Operating Procedure for Controlled Drugs.

Be thorough and diligent in all drug administration and demonstrate a duty of candour in relation to any incidents relating to medicines management.

Ensure understanding and adherence to change grow lives infection control procedures through a clear understanding of enhanced requirements associated with a residential setting.

Demonstrate a sound understanding of Clinical Governance and be active in applying to your work situation, including maintaining own continuous professional development by keeping up to date in clinical practice, national guidelines and developments, and incorporate them as necessary into your work.

Have a clear understanding of the Health and Safety aspects of your work and implement any policies which may be required to improve the safety of your work area. Including your prompt recording, recording any accidents, and ensuring the safe use of equipment. To risk assess all areas of your work including manual handling risks, know when and how to use the hoist, biohazards from body fluids, and managing anxious or upset residents or residents with mental health or cognitive dysfunctions.

Have a demonstratable ability to manage emergency situations by being proficient in intermediate life support and defibrillation plus carry out emergency anaphylactic and Naloxone administration as required until paramedic ambulance crew arrive, whilst maintaining the safety of all concerned.

Ensure residents involvement in the planning of their care to maximise engagement and retention.

Communication

Develop therapeutic alliances with people who have substance misuse problems and develop effective partnerships with them to support their individual recovery journeys, offering health promotion and harm reduction advice.

Communicate effectively within the referring Team and other partner agencies, prompting open and trusting relationships and develop effective communication pathways and partnerships.

Ensure that there is good communication of treatments offered, treatment progress and outcome of any investigations to referring service and other healthcare agencies, including GPs.

Maintain a current knowledge of appropriate interventions. Ensure that all revalidation requirements are being met and communicated to line manager.

Develop and provide health education, regarding problematic alcohol and drug use and alcohol and drug detoxification.

Attend meetings appropriate to the development and maintenance of the role in agreement with and under the direction of the Lead Nurse.

Delivering a Quality Service

The post-holder will contribute to the service to ensure that people who use substances consistently receive high quality services that adhere to the best practice guidelines and to the highest professional standards.

Ensure that procedures are constantly reviewed to promote best practice and evidence based practice in accordance with UK Guidelines on Clinical Management, NICE guidance, and CGL clinical protocols and procedures.

Leadership

Provide clinical leadership within the service, including providing support, coaching and teaching to staff working at the service around harm reduction and BBV, covering both drug and alcohol service users.

Team Working

Contribute to the overall performance of the service to ensure that contractual output targets are achieved.

Working with colleagues in the service to design and deliver opiate and alcohol detoxification plans utilising a care co-ordinated approach to service user care.

Risk Management

Provide harm reduction advice and health promotion information to residents in the unit and awaiting admission.

Undertake risk assessments and contribute to risk management plans for residents in the unit and awaiting admission.

Utilise appropriate prevention techniques to reduce substance misuse related harm and to aid in the prevention of multiple physical harms caused by drugs and alcohol.

Managing Information

Record and input client data and information in order that the service operates within contractual, administrative, and financial requirements.

Ensure that all data requirements in relation to service users are met within defined deadlines.

The above is an outline of the post holders duties and responsibilities. It is not intended as an exhaustive list and may change from time to time to meet the changing needs of CGL.

Staff will need to work flexibly across operational sites as required within an agreed number of hours to maintain the most appropriate level of service provision.

This role works as part of a team to a shift pattern that includes nights, weekends and bank holidays.

Person Specification

Experience Desirable

• Experience of contributing to project development.
• Relevant recent experience of working within drug and alcohol treatment.
• Experience of working with people with complex substance misuse and health concerns with an understanding of how this is reflected within an inpatient setting.

Skills & Abilities Desirable

• Ability to assess and recovery plan service users and formulate written reports, as necessary.
• Maintain professional boundaries and work effectively with partnership agencies.
• Demonstrate skills to undertake administrative duties.
• Clinical auditing skills to inform evaluation of the service and identify areas for development.
• Communicate confidently and effectively, verbally and in writing.
• Respond flexibly to the demands of the post.
• Show a capacity to work alone and the ability to keep calm under pressure.
• Employ a professional, empathetic, and non-judgmental attitude towards service users and all stakeholders.
• Show commitment to facilitating positive outcomes for service users.
• A clear understanding of the need for and ability to deliver quality services.
• Sound and demonstrable knowledge of harm reduction and health promotion interventions.
• Knowledge of the issues facing substance misusers including appropriate medical interventions, social care, and health issues.
• Knowledge of local services and geography.
• Motivational interviewing techniques.
• Sound and demonstrable knowledge of clinical prescribing issues.
• Ability to travel between services.

Qualifications Essential

• First level registered nurse with recent relevant post qualification experience and a current PIN.

Qualifications Desirable

• Qualification(s) in substance misuse.
• Trained in phlebotomy.

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer Details

Change Grow Live

15 Park Road South

Birmingham

B18 5QL

https://www.changegrowlive.org/ (Opens in a new tab)