Specialist Nurse Practitioner (prescribing) for the homeless

NHS; Chester; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Chester seeks a Specialist Nurse Practitioner (Prescribing) to deliver holistic care to the homeless. This role combines clinical autonomy with essential nursing duties, focusing on health equity and social justice. The successful candidate will join a collaborative team, managing complex health needs and participating in outreach efforts. Professional growth and a supportive environment are key aspects of this unique opportunity.

Benefits

Training and development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience in managing complex primary care needs.
• Training in substance misuse, mental health, or safeguarding.

Responsibilities

• Provide advanced clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prescribing.
• Manage acute and long-term conditions including respiratory disease and diabetes.
• Conduct comprehensive health assessments including mental health considerations.

Skills

Compassion

Clinical Autonomy

Health Equity

Social Justice

Education

Registered Nurse Adult

Advanced Clinical Practice qualification

Job description

Specialist Nurse Practitioner (prescribing) for the homeless

Join our dedicated team at St Werburghs Practice for the Homeless in Chester as a Specialist Nurse Practitioner (Prescribing) and make a meaningful impact on one of the most vulnerable populations in healthcare. This is a unique opportunity for a compassionate, experienced nurse to combine the clinical autonomy of an Advanced Nurse Practitioner with the critical hands-on duties of practice nursing in a small, collaborative team environment.

Youll deliver holistic, person-centred care to individuals experiencing homelessness, many of whom face complex challenges including trauma, addiction, and mental health issues. As an independent prescriber, youll manage both acute and chronic conditions, lead nurse-led clinics, and participate in outreach efforts that directly address health inequalities. Your work will extend beyond the clinic walls, collaborating with mental health professionals, addiction specialists, and social care providers to deliver integrated, trauma-informed care.

Were seeking someone who is not only highly skilled and experienced in managing complex primary care needs but also driven by a deep commitment to health equity and social justice. If you're looking for a flexible, full-time or part-time role where your expertise, empathy, and leadership can make a lasting difference, we invite you to bring your talents to a team that values innovation, compassion, and community-focused care.

Main duties of the job

As a Specialist Nurse Practitioner (Prescribing) at St Werburghs Practice for the Homeless, you'll play a vital role in delivering high-quality, person-centred care to people facing complex health and social challenges. Youll use your advanced clinical skills to assess, diagnose, treat, and prescribe for a wide range of conditions, while also carrying out essential nursing duties such as immunisations, wound care, and health checks.

The role offers a unique blend of autonomy and collaboration, working closely with a small multidisciplinary team and engaging in outreach to support individuals who are often excluded from mainstream healthcare. You'll help connect patients to wider support services, improve access to preventative care, and contribute to reducing health inequalities.

We are committed to supporting professional growth and offer training and development opportunities for the right candidate. If youre passionate about making a difference and want a role with purpose, flexibility, and real impactthis is it.

About us

St Werburghs is a small, specialist GP practice located in the heart of Chester, dedicated to providing compassionate, person-centred care to people experiencing homelessness and social exclusion. Our unique setting allows us to build strong, trusting relationships with our patients, many of whom face complex physical, mental, and social health challenges.

We are proudly supported by our parent practice, Issa Medical, which provides robust clinical governance, management support, and shared expertise. This connection ensures that our team benefits from the resources of a larger organisation while maintaining the close-knit, community-focused atmosphere of a small practice.

We are an integral part of the Chester Central Primary Care Network (PCN), collaborating with other local practices to improve health outcomes across the city. Our team works closely with a wide network of statutory and voluntary services, including mental health providers, housing support, addiction services, and outreach organisations. This collaborative, multidisciplinary approach lies at the heart of everything we do.

The atmosphere at St Werburghs is warm, inclusive, and highly supportive. We value empathy, flexibility, and initiative, and we are deeply committed to tackling health inequalities. Working with us means being part of a team that is driven by purpose, guided by respect, and supported to growboth personally and professionally.

Job responsibilities

Role Summary:

This role combines the autonomy of an Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) with core elements of practice nursing to meet the broad and complex needs of patients experiencing homelessness. Working as an independent prescriber, the Specialist Nurse Practitioner will provide comprehensive care from initial consultation to diagnosis, treatment, and evaluation. The role also supports the running of nurse-led chronic disease management and preventative care services, reflecting the small-team setting and complex social determinants of health affecting the patient population.

Key Responsibilities:

Clinical Duties:

• Provide advanced clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prescribing for patients.
• Manage acute and long-term conditions including respiratory disease, diabetes, wounds, and infections.
• Offer holistic, person-centred care that reflects the lived experience of homelessness, addiction, trauma, and mental health issues.
• Undertake practice nursing tasks such as immunisations, wound care, cervical cytology, ear care, travel health, and new patient health checks.
• Conduct comprehensive health assessments including mental health and safeguarding considerations.
• Lead on or support chronic disease clinics (e.g. diabetes, COPD, hypertension).
• Refer patients to community, social care, and secondary care services as appropriate.
• Provide outreach service, working with local homeless service providers
• Participation in MDT specific forums, including Rough Sleeper Initiative (MARS)

Prescribing & Medication Management:

• Prescribe safely, effectively, and in accordance with national guidance and local policies.
• Monitor patient compliance and manage medication reviews.
• Liaise with local pharmacies and specialist prescribing teams.

Health Promotion & Preventive Care:

• Deliver education and lifestyle advice to patients with a focus on harm reduction.
• Promote preventative screening and routine care among hard-to-reach patients.
• Address social and health inequalities through outreach or collaboration with local services.

Professional and Team Responsibilities:

• Support training and development of junior staff, including PN and nursing students.
• Engage in quality improvement, audits, and reflective practice.
• Maintain accurate clinical records in line with NMC and practice standards.
• Work flexibly and collaboratively with GPs, mental health workers, addiction specialists, and social prescribers.

Safeguarding Responsibilities:

• Be alert to signs of abuse, neglect, and trauma.
• Respond appropriately and in line with safeguarding policy.
• Participate in safeguarding training and multidisciplinary safeguarding meetings.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse Adult with the Nursing and Midwifery Council NMC
• Advanced Clinical Practice qualification or equivalent significant experience in primary care
• Additional training in substance misuse, mental health, or safeguarding

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.