Position: Lead Nurse - Addiction/Rehabilitation
Location: Primrose Lodge, Guildford, GU3 3RF
Salary: £40,000 - £45,000 per annum
Shifts: Monday to Friday (40 hours per week)
Join the UK's Leading Provider of Alcohol & Drug Rehab Services, where we pride ourselves on offering world-class treatment in welcoming and affordable facilities across the country.
Job Summary
Primrose Lodge, part of the UK Addiction Treatment Group (UKAT), is seeking a Lead Nurse to join our experienced clinical team and play a key role in delivering exceptional detox and recovery care.
As Lead Nurse, you'll clinically lead our support teams, ensuring that every client receives safe, effective, and person-centred care throughout their detox and treatment journey. You'll take pride in upholding high standards, providing clinical supervision, and supporting the development of others all within a caring and collaborative environment.
Benefits of Joining Our Team:
- Career Progression: Amazing growth opportunities within UKAT
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Training & Development: Free access to ongoing training and development
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Birthday Off!
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Pension Scheme: Secure your future with our company pension plan
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Free On-site Parking
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Wellness Programme: 24/7 free counselling support via BUPA
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Blue Light Card: Enjoy thousands of retail discounts
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Employee of the Month: Earn up to £100 in monthly vouchers
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Small Client Caseload: Maximum of 19 clients
Our Core Values:
At the heart of everything we do are our four core values:
- Understanding – listening, empathising, and responding to individual needs.
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Kindness – treating everyone with dignity, respect, and compassion.
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Accountability – taking responsibility for our actions and maintaining high standards.
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Teamwork – working collaboratively to achieve the best outcomes for our clients.
- Clinically lead our support teams, providing guidance, supervision, and expertise to ensure high-quality care at all times.
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Assess, plan, and implement detox programmes, including alcohol detox tapers, Librium (Chlordiazepoxide) protocols, and withdrawal monitoring.
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Conduct and oversee COWS (Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale) and CIWA-Ar assessments to guide safe detox progression.
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Monitor and interpret vital signs (BP, pulse, respiration, O2 sats, and temperature) to identify early signs of deterioration.
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Respond effectively to clinical and medical emergencies, ensuring client safety and adhering to clinical best practice.
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Maintain accurate clinical documentation, support audits, and contribute to quality improvement initiatives.
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Work collaboratively with doctors, therapists, GPs, and external professionals to deliver integrated treatment.
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Mentor and develop support workers, promoting continuous learning, detox knowledge, and best practice across the team.
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Oversee daily clinical operations, stepping into centre management responsibilities when required.
- NMC-registered nurse (RGN/RMN) with post-registration experience.
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Strong clinical leadership and communication skills.
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A proactive, compassionate professional who thrives in a multidisciplinary setting.
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Experience in detoxification, substance misuse, mental health, or acute clinical settings
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Strong working knowledge of withdrawal management tools (e.g. COWS, CIWA-Ar) and detox medications such as Librium.
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Confident in risk assessment, triage, and emergency response.
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Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
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Strong attention to detail with a commitment to accurate clinical record-keeping.
- Competitive salary of £40,000 – £45,000 (DOE).
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Monday to Friday schedule – no regular weekend or night shifts.
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Opportunities for professional development and training.
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Supportive team culture with a focus on staff wellbeing and clinical excellence.
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The chance to make a real difference in people's lives every day.
The Recruitment Process:
- You will have an initial phone conversation with the talent acquisition specialist, which will be an informal chat and opportunity to ask questions about the position
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If you are successful in your initial phone conversation, you will be required to undertake an interview on-site or via video conference. (please note that if you have a video interview, you will be required to visit the centre at a later date for a tour.)
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Our shortlisted candidates will be notified if they are successful within 5 working days post interview.
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer, committed to making our recruitment process inclusive and accessible to all
