NHS Shetland
Team Leader – Substance Misuse Recovery Service
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Team Leader – Substance Misuse Recovery Service (Ref: 250935)
Role Overview
The Substance Misuse Recovery Service delivers community-based, holistic, and recovery-focused care to individuals experiencing harm from drug or alcohol use across Shetland. This critical opportunity is for a Registered General or Mental Health Nurse with significant management experience to lead, develop, and deliver an evidence-based, human rights-focused approach that drives health, psychological, social, and economic recovery for clients.
Working closely with local authority and third-sector colleagues, the Team Leader will oversee:
- The delivery of clinical and psychological interventions
- Compliance with controlled drugs management
- Collaboration across hospital and community-based primary care environments
- Service transformation, including systems, processes, and workforce development
Duties & Responsibilities
The role requires expertise in:
Care Delivery & Clinical Leadership
- Managing and evaluating evidence-based substance misuse treatment
- Ensuring compliance with UK legislation and Shetland-specific policies
- Overseeing safe handling and administration of controlled drugs
People & Systems Management
- Team leadership, mentoring, and developing clinical staff
- Policy and service development aligned with national and local frameworks
- Process improvement to enhance recovery pathways
Collaborative Working
- Partnerships with Sheltand Council, third sector, and NHS Scotland teams
- Representing the service at strategic and operational meetings
Requirements
- Qualified as a Registered General Nurse or Mental Health Nurse in the UK
- Proven management experience in substance misuse, mental health, or community nursing
- Evident expertise in:
- Hospital and community-based substance use services
- Controlled drugs management (prescription, auditing, safe use)
- Recovery-focused care models (e.g., trauma-informed, motivational interviewing)
- Up-to-date knowledge of local and national policy (e.g., Public Health (Scotland) Act 2008, NICE guidelines)
- Strong analytical and organisational skills with a commitment to system improvement
- Experience in multi-agency working and service transformation
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Person Specification Highlights
- Genuine desire to improve lives through recovery-oriented practice
- Adaptability to Shetland’s unique healthcare context
- Innovative problem-solving to address emerging substance use challenges
- Passion for equality, inclusion, and community-led practice
Benefits & Compensation
- Band 7: £52,845–£61,466 per annum
- Distant Island Allowance of £2,578 per annum
- Max relocation assistance: Up to £8,000 (covering household removal, temporary accommodation, travel)
- A fulfilling role in a thriving rural setting with moving cost-of-living benefits alongside access to:
- Shetland’s outstanding healthcare infrastructure (world-class facilities on a small island)
- Exceptional outdoor lifestyle (world-class fishing, diving, walking, and renewable-energy landscapes)
- Secure travel links (direct flights from Edinburgh ~1 hour flight time)
- Proximity to calm urban centres (Lerwick, Scalloway) with minimal pollution or crime
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Working Conditions
Remote location (Shetland archipelago) with expectations to travel as operational demands require.
Additional Considerations
- This role requires joinership to NHS Scotland’s Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme pre-starting employment (part of the application process).
- Disability Confident Employer: Adjustments available for candidates requiring participation support – please contact:
- Recruitment Team at recruitment@shetland.nhs.scot (subject line: *Application): key details below).
- NHS Shetland’s recruitment support department for technical queries: support@shetland.nhs.scot, with "Vacancy Ref: 25935 | NHS Shetland" in subject.
Applications & Deadlines
- Closing Date: 26 July 2026
- Interviews: 20 August 2026
- To arrange a casual discussion, contact Aine McDonald (Clinical Nurse Manager) at 01595 743006—her team would love to hear how your professional journey might advance Shetland’s influential harm reduction ecosystem!
** Asher Clark**
—this role is Vacancy Ref 250935. Full details, including information about the NHS Trust (Shetland Health and Social Care), are accessible here and via product news.
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