Job summary
Consultant Nurse - Community Nursing (District Nursing)
Band 8B | Base: Berkshire (flexible across District Nursing teams)
We are seeking an outstanding Consultant Nurse to provide expert clinical leadership & shape the strategic future of District Nursing across Berkshire. This senior, autonomous role is suited to an experienced District Nurse committed to delivering high-quality, safe, person & family-centred care, alongside leadership in practice, education, service development & research.
You will practise at an advanced level, spending a minimum of 50% of your time in direct clinical care with responsibility for a defined patient & carer cohort. You will provide visible clinical leadership across Community Nursing services & work flexibly across all District Nursing teams.
Working within multidisciplinary teams, you will influence policy, lead evidence-based practice & provide expert professional advice. You will also deliver professional assurance across District Nursing in relation to clinical standards, education, workforce development & research, & contribute to the wider Consultant Nurse community to promote consistency, innovation & excellence.
You must be an NMC-registered nurse with a Specialist Practice Qualification in District Nursing, V300 non-medical prescribing qualification, & specialist knowledge equivalent to master's level.
If you are ready to make a significant impact on patient care & the future of District Nursing, we welcome your application.
Main duties of the job
Advanced and Expert Level Practice
-
Lead advanced, autonomous clinical care for adults living with frailty, including assessment, prescribing, and care planning.
Consultancy and Leadership
-
Act as a senior clinical leader, offering expert advice, driving quality improvement, and promoting patient safety.
Education and Training
About us
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.
Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:
- Caring for and about you is our top priority
- Committed to providing good quality, safe services
- Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions
Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:
- Flexible working options to support work-life balance
- 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
- Generous NHS pension scheme
- Excellent learning and career development opportunities
- 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
- Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
- Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
We have identified that this is a role where we have underrepresentation of ethnically diverse colleagues. As part of our commitment to inclusion and Unity Against Racism we offer guaranteed interviews to candidates who meet the essential criteria and identify as: Asian or Asian British, Black or Black British, Mixed and 'Other' Ethnic Groups.
Interviews will be held week commencing 2nd February 2026.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The must haves for this role:
1. Registered Nurse with the NMC
2.Teaching qualification with recent experience of delivering training
3.Advanced history taking and physical examination with clinical reasoning qualification
4.Non-medical prescribing
5. Leadership & management qualification
6. Previous experience within older adult care.
7. Advanced and effective leadership/communication skills, written & verbal.
8. UK driving licence
For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.
We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.
Were committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.
Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The must haves for this role:
1. Registered Nurse with the NMC
2.Teaching qualification with recent experience of delivering training
3.Advanced history taking and physical examination with clinical reasoning qualification
4.Non-medical prescribing
5. Leadership & management qualification
6. Previous experience within older adult care.
7. Advanced and effective leadership/communication skills, written & verbal.
8. UK driving licence
For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.
We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.
Were committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.
Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications/Training
Essential
- Registered Nurse
- Masters and /or other higher degree
- Teaching qualification with recent experience of delivering training/seminars
- Advanced History Taking and Physical Examination with Clinical Reasoning qualification
- Non-medical prescribing
- Leadership/ Management qualification
Desirable
- PhD
- Post graduate diploma in managing patients with long term conditions
Continuous Professional Development
Essential
- Evidence of continuing professional development.
Previous Experience
Essential
- Recent experience within community nursing
- Extensive experience of managing a team of nurses/AHPs
- Experience of analysis and reporting of data
- Extensive senior leadership experience
- Audit and research experience
- Working and liaising with external partners
- Experience of policy and protocol development and production
- Engaging with senior managers and directors
- Provide evidence of presenting and working with external professional networks
- Minimum of 6 yrs. post registration at senior nurse/management leve
- Minimum of 3 yrs. practising at an advanced clinical level with adults with complex needs
- Proven experience of implementing major change initiatives in a clinical setting
- Evidence of leading service improvement programmes across services and with MDT's and in partnership with patients
- Evidence of managing budgets and budget setting
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Advanced and effective leadership/communication skills, written and verbal, to enable communication with a wide range of stakeholders for clinical purposes, negotiation, leadership and influence
- Ability to lead and manage system wide change
- Breadth of knowledge of national and local policies specific to the frailty agenda and the NHS long-term plan
- Detailed knowledge of current clinical professional issues relevant to the field
- Evidence of driving leading edge clinical practice, supported by advanced theoretical & practical knowledge
- Ability to write for publication
- Demonstrate transformational leadership ability
- Ability to handle and analyse complex information and deliver key messages to a range of staff including experienced clinicians and managers
- Ability to manage resources; this includes involvement in workforce planning and staff budgeting
- Evidence of advanced clinical skills
- Able to respond to and prioritise highly complex and unpredictable health presentations and ensure effective interventions are actioned
- Flexible and adaptable in order to manage competing priorities
- Excellent IT skills for data management, reporting, presentation and communication
- Self motivated and able to organise a large and varied work programme
- Knowledge of Quality Improvement methodologies and experience of successful delivery in practice
Additional Requirements
Essential
- UK Driving Licence
- Daily use of a car
- Ability to travel between multiple sites efficiently
- Ability to work as a team as well as autonomously
- Resilience under situational pressure, professional challenges and change
- Demonstrates a desire to explore innovative new ways of delivering services
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications/Training
Essential
- Registered Nurse
- Masters and /or other higher degree
- Teaching qualification with recent experience of delivering training/seminars
- Advanced History Taking and Physical Examination with Clinical Reasoning qualification
- Non-medical prescribing
- Leadership/ Management qualification
Desirable
- PhD
- Post graduate diploma in managing patients with long term conditions
Continuous Professional Development
Essential
- Evidence of continuing professional development.
Previous Experience
Essential
- Recent experience within community nursing
- Extensive experience of managing a team of nurses/AHPs
- Experience of analysis and reporting of data
- Extensive senior leadership experience
- Audit and research experience
- Working and liaising with external partners
- Experience of policy and protocol development and production
- Engaging with senior managers and directors
- Provide evidence of presenting and working with external professional networks
- Minimum of 6 yrs. post registration at senior nurse/management leve
- Minimum of 3 yrs. practising at an advanced clinical level with adults with complex needs
- Proven experience of implementing major change initiatives in a clinical setting
- Evidence of leading service improvement programmes across services and with MDT's and in partnership with patients
- Evidence of managing budgets and budget setting
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Advanced and effective leadership/communication skills, written and verbal, to enable communication with a wide range of stakeholders for clinical purposes, negotiation, leadership and influence
- Ability to lead and manage system wide change
- Breadth of knowledge of national and local policies specific to the frailty agenda and the NHS long-term plan
- Detailed knowledge of current clinical professional issues relevant to the field
- Evidence of driving leading edge clinical practice, supported by advanced theoretical & practical knowledge
- Ability to write for publication
- Demonstrate transformational leadership ability
- Ability to handle and analyse complex information and deliver key messages to a range of staff including experienced clinicians and managers
- Ability to manage resources; this includes involvement in workforce planning and staff budgeting
- Evidence of advanced clinical skills
- Able to respond to and prioritise highly complex and unpredictable health presentations and ensure effective interventions are actioned
- Flexible and adaptable in order to manage competing priorities
- Excellent IT skills for data management, reporting, presentation and communication
- Self motivated and able to organise a large and varied work programme
- Knowledge of Quality Improvement methodologies and experience of successful delivery in practice
Additional Requirements
Essential
- UK Driving Licence
- Daily use of a car
- Ability to travel between multiple sites efficiently
- Ability to work as a team as well as autonomously
- Resilience under situational pressure, professional challenges and change
- Demonstrates a desire to explore innovative new ways of delivering services
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).
