Via

Independent Prescriber

The closing date is 21 September 2025

Job summary

An exciting opportunity for an experienced Independent Prescriber to join our Cheltenham team. With a background in either nursing or as a pharmacist you will have sound and demonstrable knowledge of clinical/prescribing issues relating to substance use disorders, including appropriate recovery, harm reduction and health promotion interventions. The post is based at our Cheltenham Hub with some satellite clinic cover.

Main duties of the job

The main purpose of this role is to provide high-quality clinical care to people accessing treatment, improving health and supporting recovery outcomes.

Key responsibilities include:

  • Clinically assessing and initiating prescribing for new service users seeking opiate substitution therapy - Methadone, Espranor, Buvidal - ensuring timely access to treatment.
  • Assessing alcohol-dependent individuals for suitability for ambulatory - community, detox and supporting the nursing team during detox and with relapse prevention prescribing, e.g. Acamprosate.
  • Supporting continuity-of-care prescribing from prisons and inpatient settings.
  • Conducting regular clinical reviews in line with best practice.
  • Encouraging OST reduction plans, community detoxes, and inpatient detoxification where appropriate.
  • Routinely offering harm reduction advice, including overdose prevention and naloxone, and supporting informed treatment choices using tools like SODA.
  • Supporting the wider multidisciplinary teamincluding recovery practitioners, volunteers, and apprenticesby enhancing understanding of clinical decision-making and holistic care planning.
  • Attending and chairing weekly MDTs and Vias Central Clinical Meeting.

About us

Adult Drug and Alcohol Services across Gloucestershire transferred to Via on 1st April 2024. The role is part of Vias structure and provides a great opportunity to build on existing service strengths, drive new developments and make a positive impact as part of this new contract.

Details

Date posted

10 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£50,194 to £53,172 a year You will be paid under Via T&C's, not AfC

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

B0427-JOB0263

Job locations

Bramery House Bramery Business Park

Alstone Lane

Cheltenham

Gloucestershire

GL51 8HE


Job description

Job responsibilities

Role Purpose

Provide high quality service delivery to people who use substances and their significant others.

Contribute to the overall performance of designated services to ensure that contractual output targets and high clinical standards are achieved.

Provide safe, effective and evidence-based clinical, including prescribed interventions within the designated services, partnership agencies as required by service configuration.

Key duties and activities of the role

Work as a registered health care professional - prescriber, in designated services.

Deliver health and wellbeing interventions for designated services.

Assist in the development of systems, pathways and documents that promote holistic delivery of services, e.g. criminal justice, blood borne viruses.

Provide clinical, including prescribing and community alcohol detoxification, interventions associated with the designated services, ensuring that they are in line with all relevant legislation, best practice guidance, professional and CQC standards and organisational documents.

Ensure appropriate clinical management of people who use the designated services.

Encourage people using services to access education and employment services and holistic health, wellbeing, harm reduction and recovery support activities.

Contribute to ensuring effective use of clinical resources, including staffing, consideration of financial and contractual issues, for the designated services.

Promote and support organisational interface, for example with commissioners, suppliers, primary and secondary care services, including public health, wholesalers, community pharmacy - GPs and hospitals respectively.

Assist implementation of - medicines, drug, devices, infection control etc- alert responses in collaboration with the Clinical Department.

Be involved in relevant audits, ongoing monitoring and implementation of associated recommendations and action plans.

Contribute to the collation and use of clinical data and have involvement in subsequent improvements required, relating to quality and performance indicators.

Contribute to the reporting, investigating and resolution of incidents, complaints and disciplinary matters to reduce the risk of recurrence.

Provide competency assessment and training of staff, students, volunteers, identify and support development needs of others and support colleagues to develop in their roles to deliver excellent services.

Undertake continuing professional development to maintain confidence and competence, to meet organisational and professional regulator revalidation requirements.

Work in line with all relevant legislation, best practice guidance, professional and CQC standards and organisational documents.

Provide advice and guidance on clinical, including prescribing issues to staff working in the designated services, as well as other colleagues and partner agencies.

Work alongside management and their direct reports to support a one team approach.

Where relevant, provide clinical and line management supervision for other staff and support facilitation of relevant meetings and training events.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Role Purpose

Provide high quality service delivery to people who use substances and their significant others.

Contribute to the overall performance of designated services to ensure that contractual output targets and high clinical standards are achieved.

Provide safe, effective and evidence-based clinical, including prescribed interventions within the designated services, partnership agencies as required by service configuration.

Key duties and activities of the role

Work as a registered health care professional - prescriber, in designated services.

Deliver health and wellbeing interventions for designated services.

Assist in the development of systems, pathways and documents that promote holistic delivery of services, e.g. criminal justice, blood borne viruses.

Provide clinical, including prescribing and community alcohol detoxification, interventions associated with the designated services, ensuring that they are in line with all relevant legislation, best practice guidance, professional and CQC standards and organisational documents.

Ensure appropriate clinical management of people who use the designated services.

Encourage people using services to access education and employment services and holistic health, wellbeing, harm reduction and recovery support activities.

Contribute to ensuring effective use of clinical resources, including staffing, consideration of financial and contractual issues, for the designated services.

Promote and support organisational interface, for example with commissioners, suppliers, primary and secondary care services, including public health, wholesalers, community pharmacy - GPs and hospitals respectively.

Assist implementation of - medicines, drug, devices, infection control etc- alert responses in collaboration with the Clinical Department.

Be involved in relevant audits, ongoing monitoring and implementation of associated recommendations and action plans.

Contribute to the collation and use of clinical data and have involvement in subsequent improvements required, relating to quality and performance indicators.

Contribute to the reporting, investigating and resolution of incidents, complaints and disciplinary matters to reduce the risk of recurrence.

Provide competency assessment and training of staff, students, volunteers, identify and support development needs of others and support colleagues to develop in their roles to deliver excellent services.

Undertake continuing professional development to maintain confidence and competence, to meet organisational and professional regulator revalidation requirements.

Work in line with all relevant legislation, best practice guidance, professional and CQC standards and organisational documents.

Provide advice and guidance on clinical, including prescribing issues to staff working in the designated services, as well as other colleagues and partner agencies.

Work alongside management and their direct reports to support a one team approach.

Where relevant, provide clinical and line management supervision for other staff and support facilitation of relevant meetings and training events.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Sound and demonstrable knowledge of clinical and prescribing issues relating to problematic substance use, including appropriate recovery, harm reduction and health promotion interventions.
  • Solution-focused, with an inclusive and innovative approach to service development.
  • Demonstrable ability to deliver an excellent quality level of service to vulnerable people with complex needs. This includes the ability to complete assessments, care and support plans, risk assessments and to complete case recording to a high standard and in a timely way.
  • Good IT skills including use of Microsoft Office programs and digital meeting platforms and Case Management Systems such as Nebula.
  • A demonstrable understanding of the Health and Social Care regulatory requirements including the CQC, NICE and any other relevant bodies.
  • A demonstrable commitment to working in partnership with other professionals such as criminal justice agencies, primary care, secondary care, commissioners, community groups and other stakeholders to achieve good outcomes for people who use our services.
  • The ability to work calmly under pressure, ensuring that deadlines are met, and ensure all information is recorded in a timely manner.
  • The ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, in different settings, e.g., written, spoken, presented, etc and to different groups of people.
  • Great team working, communication, interpersonal skills and cooperative approach to supporting colleagues and the whole team to deliver organisational objectives, as well as in working directly with people who use our services and their significant others.
  • Desirable:
  • oRelevant post-graduate qualifications and completion of relevant recognised qualifications e.g. RCGP Drugs Part 1 and 2 Certificates, CMHP Credentialed, as appropriate.
  • oExperience of providing clinical services for people who use substances.
  • oExperience of contributing to audits, performance indicators, incident and complaints management processes and education, learning, professional development.
  • oProfessional affiliation e.g. RCN, RPS, CMHP, Addiction Professionals as appropriate
  • oExperience of providing clinical supervision, line management and appraisals.

Qualifications

Essential

  • Healthcare professional registered with NMC, HCPC, GPhC.
  • Qualified prescriber, able to prescribe independently, including controlled drugs for the management of substance use.
Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Sound and demonstrable knowledge of clinical and prescribing issues relating to problematic substance use, including appropriate recovery, harm reduction and health promotion interventions.
  • Solution-focused, with an inclusive and innovative approach to service development.
  • Demonstrable ability to deliver an excellent quality level of service to vulnerable people with complex needs. This includes the ability to complete assessments, care and support plans, risk assessments and to complete case recording to a high standard and in a timely way.
  • Good IT skills including use of Microsoft Office programs and digital meeting platforms and Case Management Systems such as Nebula.
  • A demonstrable understanding of the Health and Social Care regulatory requirements including the CQC, NICE and any other relevant bodies.
  • A demonstrable commitment to working in partnership with other professionals such as criminal justice agencies, primary care, secondary care, commissioners, community groups and other stakeholders to achieve good outcomes for people who use our services.
  • The ability to work calmly under pressure, ensuring that deadlines are met, and ensure all information is recorded in a timely manner.
  • The ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, in different settings, e.g., written, spoken, presented, etc and to different groups of people.
  • Great team working, communication, interpersonal skills and cooperative approach to supporting colleagues and the whole team to deliver organisational objectives, as well as in working directly with people who use our services and their significant others.
  • Desirable:
  • oRelevant post-graduate qualifications and completion of relevant recognised qualifications e.g. RCGP Drugs Part 1 and 2 Certificates, CMHP Credentialed, as appropriate.
  • oExperience of providing clinical services for people who use substances.
  • oExperience of contributing to audits, performance indicators, incident and complaints management processes and education, learning, professional development.
  • oProfessional affiliation e.g. RCN, RPS, CMHP, Addiction Professionals as appropriate
  • oExperience of providing clinical supervision, line management and appraisals.

Qualifications

Essential

  • Healthcare professional registered with NMC, HCPC, GPhC.
  • Qualified prescriber, able to prescribe independently, including controlled drugs for the management of substance use.

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).

Additional information

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

Employer name

Via

Address

Bramery House Bramery Business Park

Alstone Lane

Cheltenham

Gloucestershire

GL51 8HE


Employer's website

https://via.ciphr-irecruit.com/Applicants/vacancy (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Via

Address

Bramery House Bramery Business Park

Alstone Lane

Cheltenham

Gloucestershire

GL51 8HE


Employer's website

https://via.ciphr-irecruit.com/Applicants/vacancy (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Clinical Director (Residential) and Clinical Lead

Jane Simons

jane.simons@viaorg.uk

Details

Date posted

10 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£50,194 to £53,172 a year You will be paid under Via T&C's, not AfC

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

B0427-JOB0263

Job locations

Bramery House Bramery Business Park

Alstone Lane

Cheltenham

Gloucestershire

GL51 8HE


Supporting documents

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