West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

Junior Sister - Community

The closing date is 27 October 2025

Job summary

There is an exciting opportunity to join the community Nursing Teams based in Bury Town as a Band 6 Junior Sister.

The nursing teams form part of the Integrated Neighbourhood Team (INT) and would see the successful applicant joining one of our dynamic and friendly team of community nurses, therapists, community matrons and colleagues across social care.

You will be providing nursing services to patients in the community and have the chance to work in an autonomous manner with the support of the wider multidisciplinary team including the Community Matrons, tissue viability team and diabetic nurse specialists.

Within your role you will be able to provide clinical and supervisory leadership to staff and students within the team. Supporting the management of the nursing staff by taking responsibility, in partnership with the District Nurse, for the day-to-day co-ordinating, planning and delivery of the nursing services within the INT.

You will be supporting the management of patients with multiple and complex needs, using evidence-based practice to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions to improve patient health.

Main duties of the job

Your role will be:

  • To provide clinical and supervisory leadership to junior staff and students within the team.
  • To be responsible for the day-to-day planning and delivery of the nursing services within the Community Healthcare Team.
  • To manage a caseload of patients with multiple and complex needs, using evidence-based practice to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions, with the patient at the centre.
  • To provide specialist Nursing input into planning, development and evaluation of clinical services within the team.
  • To support change and drive quality improvement through auditing.

You will be using a wide range of nursing skills and will need to be confident in your assessment skills and in your ability to provide safe, effective treatments whilst working in a community setting.

Experience in leadership as well as clinical experience in palliative care, wound management and catheter management will be an advantage.

If you have the necessary skills, experience and qualities to help us to put patients first, please contact Rob Moran, Health Team Lead for Bury Town, 07974854196 robert.moran@wsh.nhs.uk for an informal discussion or visit.

About us

#BeKnown at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. By us. By our patients. By our community

We are a busy, friendly, rural NHS Trust providing high-quality care and compassion to more than a quarter of a million people across west Suffolk. We care for, treat and support people in hospital, at home and in various community settings.

The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds provides acute and secondary care services (emergency department, maternity and neonatal services, day surgery unit, eye treatment centre, Macmillan unit and children's ward). It has 500+ beds and is a partner teaching hospital of the University of Cambridge.

Adult and paediatric community services, provided in collaboration with West Suffolk Alliance partners, include a range of nursing, therapy, specialist, and ongoing temporary care and rehabilitation, some at our Newmarket Community Hospital.

We do our utmost to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes for patients and our values of fairness, inclusivity, respect, safety and team work guide how we work and behave as a team.

With nearly 5,000 staff, from all over the world, we strive to make our organisation a great place to work. Whatever your role or ambition, we want to help you be the best you can be.

We promote a diverse and inclusive community where everyones voice counts and you can #BeKnown for whoever you are.

Join us. What will you #BeKnown for?

Details

Date posted

15 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year Pro rata per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

179-7488632-I

Job locations

Technology House

Western Way

Bury St Edmunds

IP33 3SP


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the full job description for more detail in supporting information

JOB PURPOSE:

  • To provide clinical and supervisory leadership to junior staff and students within the team.

  • To be responsible for the day-to-day planning and delivery of the nursing services within the community healthcare Team.

  • To manage a caseload of patients with multiple and complex needs, using evidence based practise to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions, with the patient at the centre

  • To provide specialist Nursing input into planning, development and evaluation of clinical services within the team.

  • Role of Practice Development Nurse is to provide support and direct supervision to facilitate and enable clinical training and competency assessment of unregistered and registered nursing staff, including nursing apprenticeship students across the six Community Health Teams in West Suffolk.

The Practice Development Role will be protected supernumerary time to invest in the development of nursing staff across the 6 community healthcare teams, unless clinical priorities and safety dictate a requirement for the time to be non-Practice Development activity.

Working Pattern:

The service operates between 8am and 6pm and you will be required to work shifts between these times.

You may be required to work a 24 hour shift pattern in the future, should this service be commissioned by the Trust.

KEY TASKS:

  • To assess and prescribe care packages for patients with long term conditions, the frail and elderly and palliative care
  • To work alongside the Community Matron and Community nursing service and actively contribute to the development of the service
  • To work within the integrated team to facilitate early discharge from hospital
  • To work within the integrated team to prevent unnecessary admission to hospital
  • To work with all health care professionals, and statutory/non-statutory agencies to provide a seamless, integrated service to our service users
  • Contribute to the induction and development of individualised training packages to meet the needs of nursing staff moving to the community setting.
  • To work alongside staff to consolidate training and develop skills.
  • To work closely and in association with the Clinical Skills and Education Team to ensure co-ordinated and consistent staff development. The role may include the delivery of training to community nursing staff where appropriate.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Clinical

The post holder will:

  • To manage a caseload of patients with healthcare needs within a designated population, using specialist knowledge to carry out assessments.
  • Assesses, develops and implements individualised and specialist nursing care programmes in the community.
  • To evaluate treatment interventions for the caseload and modify healthcare plans. To encourage the patient towards self-care and independence, and to provide training, education and advice.
  • To work toward preventing inappropriate admission to acute hospital settings.
  • To support discharges into the community.
  • To effectively manage and oversee the triage of all referrals to the team.
  • To ensure all aspects of care offered by the team meet with agreed national, professional and local standards.
  • To be responsible for the coordination of the day to day planning and delivery of District Nursing services within the team, prioritising clinical needs and delegating where needed to provide an effective service.
  • To be responsible with other senior colleagues to provide the total needs of the patient/client group, planning and delivering services.

Professional

The post holder will:

  • To establish and maintain multi-disciplinary communication and work collaboratively with the team patients, carers and other health workers and agencies involved in patient care.
  • To promote awareness of the role of District Nursing within the wider health and social care economy. To ensure junior Nursing team members maintain robust communication systems within their own profession and with other professionals.
  • To contribute to professional and other relevant meetings.
  • To ensure verbal complaints are dealt with in a sensitive, effective and timely way in accordance with local and Trust complaints procedure.
  • To ensure that self and all members of the team maintain up-to-date electronic and written records in accordance with professional standards and trust policy.
  • To undertake 1-1s, PDRS and support members of the team to develop and reach their potential and delegate as appropriate.
  • To act as a mentor and take responsibility for preceptor programmes
  • To contribute to a local induction process for all new staff in the team and all students on placement.
  • To participate in and support the Practice Placement Education of individuals placed within the team. To plan, contribute and participate in training for the staff, including mandatory training.
  • To apply highly developed specialist knowledge and skills in order to demonstrate professional competence and fitness to practice in multi-disciplinary services.(person spec)
  • To maintain own portfolio and support other members of the team in maintaining theirs.
  • To ensure that self and junior members of the team work effectively within the service to support the planning and achievement of local and Trust objectives.
  • To be actively involved in integrated working across and between Health, Adult Community Services (ACS), and local voluntary and statutory agencies.
  • To ensure self and junior staff members are aware of budgetary constraints and work within them
  • To be responsible for monitoring and maintaining stock levels, advising on resources needed to carry out the service and stock security.
  • To be responsible for submitting statistics and monthly returns for audit and monitoring purposes as required by the organisation
  • To actively engage in practice development, evaluation, audit and research activities to promote Evidence Based Practice and ensuring this is reflected in your practice
  • To participate in the recruitment and appointment of staff
  • Be accountable for own professional actions as determined by the nursing and midwifery council code of conduct.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the full job description for more detail in supporting information

JOB PURPOSE:

  • To provide clinical and supervisory leadership to junior staff and students within the team.

  • To be responsible for the day-to-day planning and delivery of the nursing services within the community healthcare Team.

  • To manage a caseload of patients with multiple and complex needs, using evidence based practise to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions, with the patient at the centre

  • To provide specialist Nursing input into planning, development and evaluation of clinical services within the team.

  • Role of Practice Development Nurse is to provide support and direct supervision to facilitate and enable clinical training and competency assessment of unregistered and registered nursing staff, including nursing apprenticeship students across the six Community Health Teams in West Suffolk.

The Practice Development Role will be protected supernumerary time to invest in the development of nursing staff across the 6 community healthcare teams, unless clinical priorities and safety dictate a requirement for the time to be non-Practice Development activity.

Working Pattern:

The service operates between 8am and 6pm and you will be required to work shifts between these times.

You may be required to work a 24 hour shift pattern in the future, should this service be commissioned by the Trust.

KEY TASKS:

  • To assess and prescribe care packages for patients with long term conditions, the frail and elderly and palliative care
  • To work alongside the Community Matron and Community nursing service and actively contribute to the development of the service
  • To work within the integrated team to facilitate early discharge from hospital
  • To work within the integrated team to prevent unnecessary admission to hospital
  • To work with all health care professionals, and statutory/non-statutory agencies to provide a seamless, integrated service to our service users
  • Contribute to the induction and development of individualised training packages to meet the needs of nursing staff moving to the community setting.
  • To work alongside staff to consolidate training and develop skills.
  • To work closely and in association with the Clinical Skills and Education Team to ensure co-ordinated and consistent staff development. The role may include the delivery of training to community nursing staff where appropriate.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Clinical

The post holder will:

  • To manage a caseload of patients with healthcare needs within a designated population, using specialist knowledge to carry out assessments.
  • Assesses, develops and implements individualised and specialist nursing care programmes in the community.
  • To evaluate treatment interventions for the caseload and modify healthcare plans. To encourage the patient towards self-care and independence, and to provide training, education and advice.
  • To work toward preventing inappropriate admission to acute hospital settings.
  • To support discharges into the community.
  • To effectively manage and oversee the triage of all referrals to the team.
  • To ensure all aspects of care offered by the team meet with agreed national, professional and local standards.
  • To be responsible for the coordination of the day to day planning and delivery of District Nursing services within the team, prioritising clinical needs and delegating where needed to provide an effective service.
  • To be responsible with other senior colleagues to provide the total needs of the patient/client group, planning and delivering services.

Professional

The post holder will:

  • To establish and maintain multi-disciplinary communication and work collaboratively with the team patients, carers and other health workers and agencies involved in patient care.
  • To promote awareness of the role of District Nursing within the wider health and social care economy. To ensure junior Nursing team members maintain robust communication systems within their own profession and with other professionals.
  • To contribute to professional and other relevant meetings.
  • To ensure verbal complaints are dealt with in a sensitive, effective and timely way in accordance with local and Trust complaints procedure.
  • To ensure that self and all members of the team maintain up-to-date electronic and written records in accordance with professional standards and trust policy.
  • To undertake 1-1s, PDRS and support members of the team to develop and reach their potential and delegate as appropriate.
  • To act as a mentor and take responsibility for preceptor programmes
  • To contribute to a local induction process for all new staff in the team and all students on placement.
  • To participate in and support the Practice Placement Education of individuals placed within the team. To plan, contribute and participate in training for the staff, including mandatory training.
  • To apply highly developed specialist knowledge and skills in order to demonstrate professional competence and fitness to practice in multi-disciplinary services.(person spec)
  • To maintain own portfolio and support other members of the team in maintaining theirs.
  • To ensure that self and junior members of the team work effectively within the service to support the planning and achievement of local and Trust objectives.
  • To be actively involved in integrated working across and between Health, Adult Community Services (ACS), and local voluntary and statutory agencies.
  • To ensure self and junior staff members are aware of budgetary constraints and work within them
  • To be responsible for monitoring and maintaining stock levels, advising on resources needed to carry out the service and stock security.
  • To be responsible for submitting statistics and monthly returns for audit and monitoring purposes as required by the organisation
  • To actively engage in practice development, evaluation, audit and research activities to promote Evidence Based Practice and ensuring this is reflected in your practice
  • To participate in the recruitment and appointment of staff
  • Be accountable for own professional actions as determined by the nursing and midwifery council code of conduct.

Person Specification

Education & Qualification

Essential

  • oDiploma or 1st level degree in Nursing, or equivalent experience
  • oRGN
  • oAssessor/mentorship preparation; ENB 998 or equivalent
  • oCurrent NMC registration
  • oEvidence of continuing professional development

Desirable

  • oIndependent/supplementary prescribing qualification
  • oConsultation skills

Experience & Knowledge

Essential

  • oEvidence of working at the relevant level within the community setting
  • oKnowledge of additional specialist areas through in-house training and short courses

Desirable

  • oExperience of working in a teaching role
  • oAdditional teaching qualifications

Skills & Abilities

Essential

  • oExcellent communication skills
  • oAble to provide high standards of care
  • oAble to work alone and under professional supervision.
  • oDemonstrate tact and diplomacy
  • oDemonstrate empathy and sensitivity
  • oGood observational and reporting skills
  • oAbility to manage stressful situations
  • oFlexible approach to working hours/duties accommodate patient/service needs
  • oThe ability to travel to rural locations

Desirable

  • oCannulation / IV Therapy administration

Personal Qualities

Essential

  • oBe able to: Kneel, bend and stoop, and work in cramped environments
  • oManoeuvre patients using handling aids
Person Specification

Education & Qualification

Essential

  • oDiploma or 1st level degree in Nursing, or equivalent experience
  • oRGN
  • oAssessor/mentorship preparation; ENB 998 or equivalent
  • oCurrent NMC registration
  • oEvidence of continuing professional development

Desirable

  • oIndependent/supplementary prescribing qualification
  • oConsultation skills

Experience & Knowledge

Essential

  • oEvidence of working at the relevant level within the community setting
  • oKnowledge of additional specialist areas through in-house training and short courses

Desirable

  • oExperience of working in a teaching role
  • oAdditional teaching qualifications

Skills & Abilities

Essential

  • oExcellent communication skills
  • oAble to provide high standards of care
  • oAble to work alone and under professional supervision.
  • oDemonstrate tact and diplomacy
  • oDemonstrate empathy and sensitivity
  • oGood observational and reporting skills
  • oAbility to manage stressful situations
  • oFlexible approach to working hours/duties accommodate patient/service needs
  • oThe ability to travel to rural locations

Desirable

  • oCannulation / IV Therapy administration

Personal Qualities

Essential

  • oBe able to: Kneel, bend and stoop, and work in cramped environments
  • oManoeuvre patients using handling aids

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

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

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Technology House

Western Way

Bury St Edmunds

IP33 3SP


Employer's website

https://www.wsh.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Technology House

Western Way

Bury St Edmunds

IP33 3SP


Employer's website

https://www.wsh.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Health Team Manager

Rob Moran

Robert.moran@wsh.nhs.uk

07974854196

Details

Date posted

15 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year Pro rata per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

179-7488632-I

Job locations

Technology House

Western Way

Bury St Edmunds

IP33 3SP


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)