Job overview
This role provides expert clinical leadership in the assessment, treatment, and ongoing management of individuals experiencing alcohol or drug-related difficulties.
The role combines advanced clinical practice with service development, staff supervision, and partnership working to ensure high‑quality, evidence‑based care across the treatment pathway.
This senior clinician leads on complex case management, risk assessment, detoxification planning, harm‑reduction interventions, and relapse‑prevention strategies. They act as a specialist resource for multidisciplinary colleagues, offering consultation, training, and clinical oversight to enhance the team’s competence and confidence in delivering substance misuse care.
A key part of the role involves developing and implementing clinical protocols, ensuring compliance with national and local guidance, maintaining standards and improvements in patient outcomes.
The Band 7 works closely with internal and external partners—including primary care, mental health services, social care, safeguarding teams, and voluntary sector organisations—to promote integrated, person‑centred support.
Main duties of the job
Main tasks and responsibilities
Provide specialist assessment, care planning, and treatment for people with complex alcohol or drug related needs.
- Lead clinical decision making for detoxification, harm reduction interventions, and relapse‑prevention work. Hold a specialist caseload while offering expert guidance on high‑risk or complex cases. Deliver clinical supervision, mentorship, and training to staff across the service. Ensure safe, evidence‑based practice in line with NICE guidance and local protocols. Coordinate multi‑agency care with mental health, primary care, social care, community substance teams, and criminal justice partners. Lead on safeguarding, risk assessment, and risk‑management processes. Support service development, audits, quality‑improvement projects, and policy implementation. Promote a recovery‑focused, trauma‑informed, and person‑centred approach across the team. Contribute to operational tasks such as rota planning, incident reporting, and workforce development.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For a full list of duties and main responsibilities please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification.
Person specification
Skills
Essential
- Skilled in the use of alcohol screening and assessment tools including AUDIT-C, AUDIT and CIWA-Ar.
- Risk assessment and management of vulnerable patients.
- Decision-making in complex clinical situations.
Desirable
- Extensive Understanding of NICE guidance, NHS Long Term Plan priorities, and national alcohol care standards relating to prevention, identification, assessment and treatment of alcohol misuse.
- Assessment and management of alcohol dependence and withdrawal.
- Care planning for patients with complex alcohol-related needs.
- Clinical leadership and role modelling
- service improvement
Knowledge
Essential
- Basic understanding of NICE guidance, NHS Long Term Plan priorities, and national alcohol care standards relating to prevention, identification, assessment and treatment of alcohol misuse.
- Basic Knowledge of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for alcohol withdrawal and relapse prevention.
- Experience of developing and implementing alcohol care pathways to improve patient outcomes and reduce hospital admissions.
Desirable
- Extensive Understanding of NICE guidance, NHS Long Term Plan priorities, and national alcohol care standards relating to prevention, identification, assessment and treatment of alcohol misuse.
- Extensive Knowledge of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for alcohol withdrawal and relapse prevention.
- Experience of developing and implementing alcohol care pathways to improve patient outcomes and reduce hospital admissions.
Communcation
Essential
- excellent communication skills - verbal and written
- Ability to engage with patients displaying challenging behaviours
Desirable
- Building relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
- Policy and guideline development.
Partnership working
Essential
- Collaborative working with acute, community and mental health services.
- Liaison with safeguarding teams, social care and third-sector organisations.
Desirable
- Developing integrated care pathways.
- Influencing across organisational boundaries.
Education and Training
Essential
- Designing and delivering staff training programmes.
- Developing clinical competencies.
Desirable
- Data analysis and performance monitoring.
- Understanding of clinical governance and risk management.
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Alcohol & Substance Team Service Lead with Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Warrington, North West, England. It is listed as a Band 7 Manager and corporate role. The advertised salary is £49,387 - £56,515 per annum. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 03 Aug 2026.
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