Job overview

We’re looking for hardworking, reliable, and compassionate Dental Nurses who take pride in delivering excellent care. If you thrive both independently and as part of a supportive team, are highly organised, and able to use your initiative, we’d love to hear from you.

As part of our Special Care Dental Service, you’ll help provide specialist dental treatment for patients referred by General Dental Practitioners, GPs, and other health and social care professionals. Running Monday to Friday across the county, plus opportunities to support domiciliary visits, general anaesthetics and sedation sessions,.

We have a variety of posts available across our five sites in Chichester, Worthing, Brighton, Haywards Heath, and Crawley. Please let us know your preferred location(s) when applying.

This is your chance to join a friendly and dedicated NHS team where your skills, commitment, and compassion will be truly valued.

Please note: Due to recent changes in UK immigration and visa rules, this role may not be eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Applicants who do not currently have the right to work in the UK may not be considered. Candidates requiring sponsorship should review the eligibility criteria on the gov.uk website before applying to assess their eligibility for a Certificate of Sponsorship for this role.

Skilled Worker visa: going rates for eligible occupation codes - GOV.UK

Health and Care Worker visa: If you’ll need to meet different salary requirements - GOV.UK

Main duties of the job

·         Clinical support: Provide chairside assistance to Consultants, Specialists, Dental Officers, and Therapists during treatments in surgery, including sedation procedures, general anaesthetic sessions, and domiciliary (home) visits.

·         Flexibility: Provide cover at other clinics if needed, including both clinical and administrative duties

·         Patient care: Provide care before, during, and after treatment; offer reassurance, oral health advice, and post-operative instructions.

·         Infection prevention & safety: Prepare and maintain the clinical environment, follow decontamination and infection control procedures, ensure safe waste disposal, and meet Health & Safety requirements. Complete all associated quality assurance processes

·         Equipment & materials: Maintain and monitor dental equipment, stock levels, expiry dates, emergency drugs, and laboratory work.

·         Emergency readiness: Participate in management of medical emergencies and quality assurance checks (e.g. radiography, decontamination, emergency drugs).

·         Administrative duties: Carry out reception tasks (appointments, payments, correspondence), maintain accurate records, arrange transport/translators, and support CQC evidence collation.

·         Community & outreach: Support domiciliary visits

·         Professional standards: Maintain GDC registration, continuous professional development, and adhere to SCFT policies, guidelines, and values.

Working for our organisation

We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. We deliver essential care to adults and children, helping them manage their health, avoid hospital admissions, and reduce hospital stays.

Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community. We offer opportunities across medical, clinical, support, and corporate services.

Why work for us?
•    Positive 2023 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeing
•    Varied environments: community hospitals, patients’ homes, and bases across Sussex
•    Flexible working options: part-time, flexi-time, annualised hours, and flexi-retirement
•    Excellent training, development, and research opportunities
•    Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brighton
•    Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networks
•    Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust
•    Beautiful Sussex location near the South Downs and coast

Our values—Compassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellence—guide everything we do.

We embrace diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from ethnically diverse, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. We aim to create an inclusive environment and support reasonable adjustments during recruitment.

This post may close early if sufficient applications are received.