Dual Diagnosis Nurse

Change Grow Live are a charity dedicated to the belief that we can make a difference to our Service Users' lives. Our core values are Be open, be compassionate and be bold, and our teams apply these daily, offering support and respect in a safe environment, treating each individual as unique and working with them to find the right treatment and care options.

A fantastic opportunity has arisen to become a Dual Diagnosis Nurse, supporting individuals who experience co-existing mental health and substance misuse needs. This role is integral in improving outcomes for people with complex presentations by enhancing engagement, strengthening partnership working and ensuring individuals receive the right support at the right time.

Our Dual Diagnosis Nurse will play a key role in Change Grow Live's mission to help people change the direction of their lives, grow as individuals and live life to their full potential. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, you will provide specialist clinical leadership and interventions for individuals experiencing both mental health and substance misuse challenges.

Where: Barnet and surrounding areas
Hours: Full Time, 37.5 hours per week

Contract: Fixed term for 10 months

*Please note: Full-time hours at Change Grow Live are 37.5 hours per week. For part-time roles, the salary and payments will be pro rata based on contracted hours. 

Responsibilities

The Dual Diagnosis Nurse role is varied and rewarding. The successful candidate will be an integral member of a multidisciplinary team, supporting individuals who experience co-existing mental health and substance misuse needs, often presenting with complex risks and barriers to engagement.

No two days are the same. Every person we support is treated as an individual, making a person-centred, trauma-informed and recovery-focused approach essential. Strong clinical skills, excellent communication and the ability to build effective partnerships across services are key to success in this role.

Your role will include:

• Identifying and supporting individuals who present with co-existing mental health and substance misuse needs through comprehensive assessment and care planning.
• Undertaking specialist mental health assessments and providing clinically robust interventions to support recovery and improve outcomes.
• Providing bespoke interventions that engage individuals in the most appropriate services for their needs, reducing crisis presentations and promoting sustained recovery.
• Managing a caseload of identified dual diagnosis clients and coordinating care across multiple services where required.
• Working collaboratively with Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs), psychological therapy services, primary care and other partner agencies to develop and strengthen integrated care pathways.
• Improving communication, consultation and referral pathways between mental health services, substance misuse services and other partner organisations.
• Identifying gaps in service provision and contributing to pathway development and implementation of best practice models of dual diagnosis care.
• Providing consultation, training and support to colleagues to improve confidence and competence in working with people who have dual diagnosis needs.
• Promoting harm reduction, safeguarding, physical health monitoring and health promotion interventions as part of a whole-person approach to care.
• Acting as an advocate for service users, supporting informed choice, independence and recovery while ensuring risk is appropriately identified and managed.
• Working flexibly across locations in Barnet including evenings and weekends where it meets service need.

About You

We are looking for an enthusiastic, compassionate and skilled nurse who is passionate about improving outcomes for individuals with complex mental health and substance misuse needs.

You will have:

• A recognised mental health qualification and experience within mental health practice.
• First level registered nurse qualification with a current NMC registration and PIN.
• Relevant experience working within mental health and/or substance misuse services.
• Experience supporting individuals with co-existing mental health and substance misuse needs.
• Experience managing a caseload of clients with complex needs.
• Knowledge and skills in therapeutic interventions appropriate for people with dual diagnosis.
• Strong understanding of current mental health, substance misuse and dual diagnosis policy, guidance and legislation.
• Excellent assessment, risk management and care planning skills.
• The ability to build effective partnerships and work collaboratively across organisational boundaries.
• A professional, empathetic and non-judgemental approach towards service users and stakeholders.
• A commitment to delivering high-quality, recovery-focused and person-centred care.

We want to support you to recognise and achieve your goals:

• We hold regular national nurse and HCA forums, and you will have regular 1:1s and appraisals
• We actively support our nurses with revalidation with protected continuing professional development time, which totals up to 6 days per year.
• We also have a wide range of educational opportunities including free access to the RCNi learning platform and we pay for your NMC fee
• We offer you the opportunity to use the government backed Apprenticeship Levy fund to develop nursing practice in line with your specific role
• All our team members are encouraged to take a wellbeing hour every week and access personal well -being resources
• Our nursing pay is competitive with the NHS Agenda for Change pay bands.

What we will give to you:  

• 25 days holiday (+ bank holidays) rising by 1 day for each years’ service “Capped at 30 days” 
• Paid ‘Wellness’ hour each week along with a ‘Wellness’ hub and Employee Assist Programme  
• Contributory pension scheme  
• Annual reimbursement of your NMC fee  
• Dedicated and protected professional development time  
• Access to excellent training programmes including the RCNi learning platform  
• A great selection of benefits incl. discounts for shopping, cinema, holidays, etc.  
• A friendly and supportive team  
• Training, career development & progression opportunities  
• Protected monthly CPD 
• Our nursing pay is competitive with the NHS Agenda for Change pay bands. 

A note about using AI in your application

AI can be a really helpful tool when putting together your application, and we're happy for you to use it. However, what we're most interested in is you.

We want to understand your experiences, achievements and strengths, so please make sure your application reflects your own story and clearly shows how you meet the essential criteria and the impact you've made in previous roles.

There's no need to write in a particular style. The strongest applications are authentic, specific and clearly demonstrate your skills, experience and potential. We look forward to learning more about you.

Please ensure that when completing your application form and supporting statement, you reflect on the details outlined in the job description. This will help us understand how your skills and experiences align with the requirements of the role. 

As we want to get to know you, not an AI tool. Please make sure your application is written in your own words and genuinely reflects your skills, experience and motivation for this role. 

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high number of applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.