Peripatetic Senior Dental Nurse

Integrated Care System; Truro; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading dental care provider in Truro is seeking a Peripatetic Senior Dental Nurse to provide clinical and operational support across multiple practices. The ideal candidate will excel in leadership and mentoring, ensuring high standards in patient care and infection control. GDC registration is required, and opportunities for professional development are available. Join us in making a difference in dental health across West Cornwall.

Benefits

27 days paid annual leave

Occupational pension scheme

Extra day off for birthday

Qualifications

• GDC Registered dental professional.
• Experience in dental nursing and team leadership.
• Knowledge of infection control and compliance.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality dental nursing and leadership across Smile Together sites.
• Maintain infection control standards and compliance.
• Support staff induction and mentoring.

Skills

Dental care expertise

Leadership and mentoring

Infection control knowledge

Communication skills

Education

GDC Registration

Job description

Are you passionate about helping others and making a real difference? Do you want to be part of a team where your work truly impacts your community, the environment, and the future of healthcare? Then Smile Together is the place for you!

What are we looking for?

Are you an experienced dental nurse who thrives on variety, flexibility, and making a real impact? This is an exciting opportunity to take your skills on the road across West Cornwall, supporting our teams to deliver excellent patient care where and when it's needed most.

Main duties of the job

As a Peripatetic Senior Dental Nurse, you will provide clinical and operational support across multiple Smile Together practices. From short-notice cover to planned support, you will play a key role in maintaining continuity of care and upholding the highest standards in infection control, safeguarding, compliance, and patient experience.

You will work closely with Practice Managers to support day-to-day operations, and act as a role model and mentor to dental nurses and trainees, helping them settle into practice life and grow in confidence. Whether it's preparing a surgery, supporting a colleague, or helping implement service improvements, your reliability, professionalism, and clinical experience will make you an invaluable team member.

About us

Why Join Us?

We are more than just a dental practice; we're proud to be:

• The UK's first dental practice to be B Corp certified
• A Community Interest Company (CIC)
• Proud to be employee-owned, giving our team a voice within the business

This means we're committed to doing business differently for the benefit of our people, the communities we serve, and our planet. From reducing our environmental footprint with sustainable practices to actively improving oral health across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, our mission goes beyond dentistry: we change lives, and we'd love you to be part of that!

Mentorship and Professional Development:

We'll help you develop your skills with access to our Smile Together Training Academy, including a paid subscription to Agilio for continuous professional development, mentorship opportunities, and unique chances to work across Cornwall, including in our Mobile Dental Unit.

Paid Indemnity & GDC Registration:

We’ve got you covered so you can focus on your career.

Workforce Benefits Package:

• Occupational pension scheme
• 27 days paid annual leave plus bank holidays (pro-rata)
• National Living Wage Employer
• An extra paid day off to celebrate your birthday!

Shareholder Opportunities: Have a real voice in shaping the future of our employee-owned company.

Job responsibilities

• Peripatetic Practice and Team Leadership: Provide high-quality dental nursing and leadership support across Smile Together sites in West Cornwall, including short-notice cover when required. Work collaboratively with Practice Managers to deliver practice KPIs and ensure seamless patient care. Support site teams with the induction, mentoring, and professional development of dental nurses and trainees. Act as a visible role model and clinical lead across locations, fostering teamwork, communication, and high performance.
• Clinical and Operational Excellence: Maintain consistent standards of infection control, compliance, and operational excellence across different practice sites. Act as Radiation Protection Supervisor and Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Lead when operating at specific sites, ensuring local policies are followed. Provide safeguarding support and guidance where concerns arise, ensuring policies are adhered to. Support stock control, equipment maintenance, and resource use across sites. Assist in implementing and monitoring clinical governance frameworks.
• Quality, Safety, and Service Improvement: Support audit activities and service development across the West Cornwall region. Identify and share service improvement opportunities with Practice and Service Managers. Ensure accurate and timely incident reporting and support colleagues in developing safe practices.
• Professionalism and Representation: Represent Smile Together professionally and with integrity across sites. Maintain full GDC registration and engage in ongoing professional development through the Smile Together Training Academy and Perform system. Collaborate with wider teams to foster continuous improvement. Act as a champion for Smile Together's vision, mission, and values, demonstrating expected behaviours in a social enterprise.
• Performance and KPIs: The role will be reviewed against key performance indicators, including coverage and support response times, clinical audit results, safeguarding compliance, staff development outcomes, resource efficiency, leadership contributions, and overall performance in supervision and appraisal processes.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• GDC Registered

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975, and a Disclosure check will be required to verify any criminal convictions.