Huntington\'s Disease Specialist Nurse in Plymouth

Job Summary

37.5 hours per week.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Band 6 Huntington\’s Nurse Specialist to join Livewell Southwest. This is a permanent, full‑time position for a registered nurse with experience in Huntington\’s disease and a passion for delivering high‑quality, person‑centred care.

You will play a key role in supporting individuals and families affected by Huntington\’s disease in the community, working collaboratively with the Older Peoples Mental Health (OMPH) Functional Team.

As a Huntington\’s Nurse Specialist, you will provide expert nursing assessment, care planning, and ongoing support for individuals living with Huntington\’s disease in the community. Acting as a key point of contact for patients and their families, you will offer advice, education, and emotional support. You will work collaboratively with the OPMH Functional Team and other professionals to ensure integrated, holistic care.

To succeed in this role, you must be a Registered Nurse with current NMC registration and have demonstrable experience in Huntington\’s disease. Strong communication and interpersonal skills are essential, along with the ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team. A commitment to person‑centred care and improving outcomes for patients and carers is fundamental to this role.

This is a unique opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of people affected by Huntington\’s disease.

Main duties of the job

• Facilitate high‑quality care and support for individuals with Huntington\’s disease and their families through specialist assessment, planning, coordination, implementation, and signposting to appropriate professionals and agencies.
• Provide advanced clinical advice using sound clinical reasoning and accountable decision‑making to patients, families, and the wider multidisciplinary team, aiming to enhance quality of life, promote self‑management, and prevent avoidable deterioration.
• Actively contribute to research, audit, and service development initiatives, supporting evidence‑based practice and fostering innovation within the Huntington\’s disease service.
• Work autonomously as a specialist practitioner under the responsibility to the Manager of the Older Persons Functional Community Mental Health Service.
• Ensure individuals are supported in a timely, effective and safe manner, making autonomous decisions on a daily basis without direct supervision.
• Create, implement and update care plans and risk assessments, involving individuals, carers and other professionals as appropriate.
• Identify risks and formulate risk management plans within the community.
• Provide advice, information and support about Huntington\’s disease to individuals, carers and other professionals in the community setting.
• Promote safeguarding and welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults; implement NICE guidelines, statutory guidelines and best practice.
• Maintain up‑to‑date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies, and best practice relevant to the post.
• Deliver education and training to people with Huntington\’s disease, carers, health and social care practitioners, and care at home/care home staff.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and treatments.
• Undertake home visits, supporting patients, their families/carers, and health and social care colleagues.

About Livewell Southwest

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award‑winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of Devon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, and health hubs.

We are guided by our values of kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and collaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, while empowering staff and those we serve.

Job Details

• Posted: 12 February 2026
• Band: 6
• Salary: £38,682 to £46,580 per year (pro‑ratio)
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full‑time, part‑time, job share, flexible working
• Location: 200 Mount Gould Road, Mount Gould, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 7PY

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse with current NMC registration.
• Post‑Graduate Specialist knowledge and/or experience in a Community Mental Health setting.
• Evidence of recent professional development.

Desirable Qualifications

• Ongoing mandatory training.
• HD: An enabling approach to supporting families.
• Continued professional development.

Specific Skills – Essential

• Skilled and experienced clinician, particularly in assessment management of risk and crisis intervention.
• Good communication skills (verbal and written).
• Empathic outlook on health care delivery which respects clients’ dignity and human rights.
• Interpersonal skills.
• Supervisory skills.
• Leadership skills.
• Negotiation skills.
• Risk assessment and management skills.
• Calm and adaptable.
• Ability to work flexibly.
• Ability to work autonomously and as part of MDT.
• Recognise and manage stress in self and others.
• Ability to commute around the locality.
• Creative, enthusiastic and self‑motivated.
• Ability to manage change.
• Willingness to participate in service development.
• Ability to work flexibly and dynamically to support the Manager in developing a healthy team culture and driving forward team improvements and change at all times.

Specific Skills – Desirable

• Skills in working with IT systems such as Microsoft Teams, online diary systems, patient recording systems.
• Understanding of Continuing Health Care.

Experience – Essential

• Experience of working in a community health or hospital setting.
• Relevant experience of working with adults with a diagnosis of Huntington\’s disease.
• Significant experience of working with people with complex presentations in the community or hospital setting.

Experience – Desirable

• Caseload management.
• Experience of supporting people and their families with a long‑term progressive neurological condition.

Knowledge – Essential

• Understanding of the motor, cognitive and psychiatric impact of Huntington\’s Disease.
• Knowledge and understanding of current treatments and best practice for Huntington\’s Disease.
• CMHF/PCF and record keeping.
• NSF & MHA and NICE guidelines.
• Demonstrate a commitment to professional development and be an able educator.
• Evidence of life‑long learning (academically and professionally).
• Competent and knowledgeable in regards to Livewell policies relevant to the role.
• IT knowledge/skills.
• Knowledge of national and local strategies and developments in mental health services.

Knowledge – Desirable

• Able to draw upon a range of skills to support and deliver change within an MDT.
• Understanding of the health and social care landscape across Plymouth.

Person Specification

Essential and desirable items for all categories (qualifications, skills, experience, knowledge) are listed above.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and a submission for disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB) will be required to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. Further information can be found on the UK Visas and Immigration website.