Specialist Lead Community Nurse

Overview

We are looking for a dynamic, enthusiastic, resilient and dedicated nurse and AHP Operational Manager to lead the daily clinical and operational staff management for our Urgent Community Response team in Islington, North London. This fast‑paced but rewarding role suits an experienced nurse or AHP with a background in acute, community or other urgent and emergency response teams.

The post holder will be operationally and financially accountable to the Urgent Response Service Manager, will deputise for that manager when required, and will lead on the continuing development of Urgent Response areas in line with current health strategies, improving integrated working with other agencies.

• Accountable for the delivery of urgent response services, ensuring clinical standards of practice, advising or leading on recruitment and retention of staff, and giving professional advice to other service managers.
• Act as an effective change agent, proactively seeking new methods of working, initiating changes in policy or procedures, and reviewing the skill mix within the teams.
• Coordinate and ensure delivery of ongoing training for all staff members under your management, ensuring equity and opportunity of access to training.
• Foster cross‑professional working with professionals across the Trust, including developing training, liaison, and joint working.
• Lead on operational management, including budgeting, staff rota planning, and resource allocation.
• Provide senior clinical and operational leadership within the Urgent Community Response team, acting as the lead nurse for neighbourhood‑based frailty care.
• Practice with a high level of autonomy, taking responsibility for complex clinical decision‑making and escalation to senior clinicians as required.
• Identify, assess, and proactively manage rising clinical risk within the neighbourhood, ensuring timely intervention and clear escalation to avoid unnecessary admissions.
• Prioritise referrals, ensuring patients are directed to the most appropriate pathway within the neighbourhood model.
• Conduct Comprehensive Geriatric Assessments, including detailed history-taking, physical examination, functional assessment and interpretation of clinical findings.
• Demonstrate expert knowledge of frailty syndromes, dementia, delirium, falls, pressure damage, incontinence, malnutrition, self‑neglect and polypharmacy.
• Assess, diagnose and contribute to the management of older people with complex acute and chronic conditions in community, neighbourhood and acute settings.
• Lead and contribute to case conferences, family meetings and multidisciplinary decision‑making, ensuring coordinated, person‑centred care.
• Undertake mental state and cognitive assessments, applying the Mental Capacity Act, best‑interest decision‑making and behaviour support strategies.
• Lead clinical risk assessment and management planning, supporting safe discharge and admission avoidance.
• Maintain high‑quality clinical documentation and provide leadership to ensure consistent standards across the team.
• Work collaboratively with consultants, GPs, neighbourhood teams and system partners to agree and deliver integrated care plans.
• Organise and chair regular governance meetings for the team.
• Act as a visible clinical leader, modelling compassionate, inclusive and accountable leadership.
• Lead and support service improvement and change, using quality improvement methodologies to improve outcomes for older people.
• Provide clinical supervision, mentorship and leadership development for nursing and MDT colleagues.
• Contribute to and lead multidisciplinary and frailty‑focused education, including training delivery and inter‑professional learning.
• Support professional development through appraisal, supervision and 360° feedback.
• Maintain strong professional networks locally and nationally to support innovation and best practice.
• Promote and role‑model high standards in infection prevention, pressure ulcer prevention and safe clinical practice.
• Lead organisation of frailty education for colleagues in allied services such as mental health and general practice.
• Lead and contribute to the development of neighbourhood‑based…