Paediatric Diabetes Lead Nurse

Job overview

The Diabetes Lead Nurse will provide strategic, clinical, and operational leadership for the paediatric diabetes service, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, patient-centred care that achieves excellent clinical outcomes. Working at an advanced level of practice, the post holder will exercise a high degree of autonomy, judgement, and decision-making in the assessment, treatment, and ongoing management of children and young people with diabetes. The role requires expert clinical knowledge alongside strong leadership capability to drive service improvement, influence clinical pathways, and ensure care is aligned with national standards and best practice guidance. The post holder will act as a visible clinical leader, supporting the multidisciplinary team and promoting innovation, particularly in the use of advancing diabetes technologies. They will play a key role in clinical governance through audit, research, and quality improvement initiatives, ensuring continuous development of the service. In addition, the Diabetes Lead Nurse will contribute to workforce development by supporting, supervising, and mentoring nursing staff, fostering a culture of learning and excellence. Working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders, including consultants, community teams, and network partners, the post holder will ensure seamless care across the patient pathway while maintaining a strong focus on safety, safeguarding, and patient experience.

Main duties of the job

The Diabetes Lead Nurse will lead the delivery and development of the diabetes service, ensuring safe, effective, and evidence-based care for patients and their families. They will oversee the management of complex clinical caseloads, including patients with highly specialised needs, and provide expert advice to both nursing and medical colleagues. The role involves coordinating care across the patient pathway, including admissions and discharges, and using advanced clinical judgement to determine and adapt treatment plans. As an independent prescriber, the post holder will manage medications appropriately while ensuring compliance with professional and organisational standards. A key aspect of the role is leadership of the multidisciplinary team, including chairing meetings, facilitating communication, and ensuring coordinated, patient-focused care. The post holder will also drive service improvement through audit, data analysis, and implementation of national guidelines, ensuring compliance with standards such as the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit and NICE guidance. Education and workforce development are central to the role, with responsibility for delivering training, supporting staff development, and acting as a clinical mentor. Additionally, the Diabetes Lead Nurse will manage resources effectively, including staffing, budgets, and equipment, ensuring the service operates efficiently and sustainably while meeting the needs of patients.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Diabetes Lead Nurse is responsible for providing expert clinical leadership and ensuring the highest standards of care within the diabetes service. This includes overseeing complex patient care, monitoring clinical outcomes, and intervening where necessary to ensure patient safety and quality of care. The post holder will lead on the development and implementation of clinical policies, guidelines, and pathways, ensuring alignment with local and national standards. They will actively contribute to clinical governance processes, including audit, incident investigation, and quality improvement initiatives, using data to identify gaps and drive change. A significant component of the role involves staff management, including recruitment, appraisal, performance management, and professional development, ensuring a skilled and motivated workforce. The post holder will also take responsibility for service planning and operational management, balancing clinical demand with available resources and ensuring effective use of budget and staffing. In addition, they will play a key role in education and research, supporting the development of training programmes and contributing to research activity and dissemination of findings. Working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, networks, and external partners, the Diabetes Lead Nurse will ensure integrated care across the patient pathway. They will also uphold safeguarding responsibilities, information governance standards, and organisational policies, ensuring safe, compliant, and patient-focused service delivery.