Job overview
Dual Diagnosis Nurse
The Dual Diagnosis Nurse will work as part of the Low Secure inpatient service, providing specialist nursing care to individuals with severe and enduring mental illness alongside co‑existing substance use difficulties. Service users may present with complex needs, including formal mental health diagnoses combined with current or historical use of substances where each of these issues negatively impacts upon the other.
The post holder will manage a defined caseload, deliver specialist assessments and interventions, and contribute to the development of care pathways for dual‑diagnosis service users. They will act as a clinical resource for colleagues, offering expert advice, joint working, and training across the service.
Main duties of the job
See Job Description and Person Spec for full description
Clinical • To undertake comprehensive assessments for clients with mental health and drug and alcohol issues. • To agree and deliver these intervention / packages for a defined caseload of people with complex multiple needs. This will include people with and without a formal mental health diagnosis alongside current or historically use of substances where each of these issues negatively impacts upon the other. • To formulate and implement treatment / care plans with clients and other staff. • To manage a defined caseload using evidence-based practice. • Effectively monitor the progress of service users both individually and collectively through care plans and multi-disciplinary review ensuring effective case management. • To advocate and encourage health promotion in all aspects of work. • To utilise regular clinical supervision.
Development / Liaison • To work with a defined caseload, provide specialist advice and be a point of reference for other professionals to enhance and disseminate good practice for this client group. • To attend and participate in team meetings and clinical team meetings where appropriate. • To establish links with Housing, Drug and Alcohol Services and other agencies.
Education • To develop and facilitate training for staff coming into contact with mental health and drug and alcohol clients who are rough sleeping or at risk of increasing confidence and competency with this client group.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
See JD and PS
Clinical • Complete comprehensive nursing assessments for individuals with dual diagnosis needs, including mental health and substance use. • Plan, deliver, and evaluate tailored interventions for a defined caseload of service users with complex presentations. • Formulate and implement collaborative care plans with service users, carers, and the wider MDT. • Provide evidence-based nursing care and maintain effective case management. • Monitor service user progress through structured reviews and multidisciplinary meetings. • Promote physical health, wellbeing, and harm-reduction principles in all aspects of care. • Participate in regular clinical supervision and reflective practice. Development / Liaison Development / Liaison • Provide specialist dual-diagnosis advice to colleagues and act as a point of reference for complex cases. • Contribute to MDT meetings, clinical reviews, and service development discussions. • Build and maintain effective working relationships with Drug and Alcohol Services, community teams, and partner agencies to support continuity of care. Education • Deliver training sessions to staff to improve confidence and competence when working with dual-diagnosis service users. • Maintain up-to-date knowledge of the Mental Health Act, NICE guidance, and national policy relating to dual diagnosis. • Support the supervision and learning of students and junior staff. • Meet NMC revalidation and PREP requirements through ongoing professional development.
Person specification
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of risk assessment and risk-management processes relevant to low secure environments, including relational, procedural, and physical security.
- Awareness of NICE Guidance in the treatment of mental health problems and knowledge of treatments and interventions appropriate for different mental health needs
- Understanding of confidentiality and data protection issues
- Knowledge of substance misuse legislation and how this can be implemented in practice
- Understanding of Mental Health Act (1983/2007), Mental Capacity Act (2005), Care Act (2014), and forensic pathways relevant to detained patients
- Knowledge of harm-minimisation principles, relapse-prevention strategies, and evidence-based dual-diagnosis interventions.
- Understanding of recovery-focused practice and its application within a secure inpatient setting.
- Knowledge of substitute prescribing pathways and the nurse’s role in monitoring, supporting, and delivering treatment interventions.
- Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team and promote anti-discriminatory practice.
Desirable
- Knowledge of national substance‑misuse strategies and frameworks (e.g., Models of Care, DANOS).
Skills and abilities
Essential
- High-level assessment, risk assessment, and clinical decision-making skills appropriate for a low secure inpatient environment
- Ability to plan, deliver, and evaluate evidence-based nursing interventions for individuals with complex dual-diagnosis needs.
- Strong therapeutic-engagement skills, including de-escalation, motivational interviewing, and recovery-focused communication
- Ability to use electronic clinical systems and digital record-keeping
- Ability to recognise own limitations and seek support appropriately
- Ability to work within organisational policies, clinical governance frameworks, and secure-care procedures
- Effective time-management and prioritisation skills
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and apply information-governance principles in practice
- Ability to remain calm and professional during emergencies, incidents, or challenging behaviour
- Competent IT skills for clinical documentation, data input, and monitoring
Desirable
- Ability to deliver training to staff or patients
- Experience involving service users in service development or quality-improvement initiatives
Work Related Circumstances
Essential
- Ability to work within a low secure inpatient environment, including exposure to challenging behaviour and restrictive-practice settings
- Ability to work shifts, including nights, weekends, and unsocial hours
- Ability to travel between sites if required
- Willingness to work in accordance with Trust equality, diversity, and inclusion policies
- Enhanced DBS clearance required for regulated activity
Qualification and Experience
Essential
- RMN/ RNMH/ Social Worker or equivalent
- Evidence of training or experience in mental health and substance-use work
- Commitment to ongoing professional development within dual-diagnosis and secure-care nursing
Desirable
- Recognised qualification in substance misuse or dual-diagnosis practice (e.g., DANOS-aligned training)
- Additional training in trauma-informed care, forensic mental health, or secure-environment nursing
- Completion of preperation for mentorship/ practice teacher/ Fieldwork educator
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Dual Diagnosis Nurse - Inpatient Low Secure Service with Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust in Ashton Under Lyne, North West, England. It is listed as a Band 6 Nurse (adult and children) role. The advertised salary is £39,959 - £48,117 Per annum, pro rata. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 29 Jul 2026.
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