Purpose – The role of the learning disability (LD) nurse has developed and expanded significantly within recent years, especially their responsibility for delivering a variety of specialist treatment programmes. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the facilitation of Sex Offender Treatment Programmes (SOTP) and the issues this raises in providing support for LD nurses. Design/methodology/approach – This is an opinion paper and the views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of any organisation or group with which the author is affiliated. The aims of this paper are: first, to explore the support needs of the LD nurse facilitators of SOTPs; second, to consider the practical implications of providing clinical supervision and support for LD nurse facilitators of SOTPs; and third, to highlight the need for further research in this area. Findings – This paper does not contain original research findings but offers a discussion of the support needs of the LD nurse who facilitate SOTP, concentrating on the specific themes of training, clinical supervision and support. Practical implications – Implications for clinical practice are identified and recommendations for further research are made. Originality/value – Whilst this is not the first consideration of the support needs of facilitators of SOTPs, it offers a contribution to the discussion of how best to support the LD nurse to continue to deliver the high quality, specialist care for people with learning disabilities.