About this role
Job summary
Are you an experienced mental health nurse ready to step into a pivotal leadership role? As our new Deputy Ward Manager on the Priority House site, you will provide senior clinical leadership and support the Ward Manager and across the site in the 24-hour management of the acute inpatient environment. You will act as a role model for the nursing team, ensuring that patients in the most acute phase of their mental illness receive safe, compassionate, and evidence-based care. When the Ward Manager is away, you are the clinical lead on the ground, making pivotal decisions to ensure ward safety and flow.
Main duties of the job
Clinical Leadership: Lead the nursing teams in delivering high-quality care, overseeing complex admissions and discharges, and ensuring Care Programme Approach (CPA) standards are met, this may be across site.
Operational Management: Assist in the management of rosters, recruitment, InPhase and safeguarding reviews, and the supervision of Band 5 Nurses and Healthcare Assistants.
Risk & Safety: Lead on risk assessments and safety plans. You will be a key figure in managing incidents, conducting debriefs, and ensuring the ward remains a therapeutic environment.
Quality Improvement: Participate in audits (i.e. IPC audits, Risk Assessment and Care Plan Audits, MRSA audits etc. ) and drive clinical excellence through the implementation of "Safety Culture Bundle".
Mentorship: Act as a Practice Supervisor/Assessor for student nurses and a preceptor for newly qualified staff, fostering a culture of continuous learning.
About us
We are Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust. We care for the mental health and wellbeing of people across Kent and Medway.
Our teams support children, young people and adults with a wide range of mental health needs. We also provide specialist services, including all-age eating disorder services and neurodevelopmental assessments for children and young people, such as autism and ADHD.
Because we work across the whole county and across hospital and community settings, we can make care more joined up and easier to access for the people we serve.
Our vision is simple: we are here to help communities not just live with mental illness, but live well. It's why we're passionate about working with communities to make mental health care better for everyone. Everything we do is guided by our values: caring, inclusive, curious and confident.
Join us if you share our passion for better mental health care and want to be part of a team that's working well together.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description for the full details on the responsibilities and person specification
Person Specification
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Good working knowledge of and ability to apply relevant legislative frameworks and policies relating to care e.g. Mental Capacity Act, Safeguarding, Consent to Treatment.
- Good organisational and time management skills
- Excellent verbal, interpersonal and written communication skills
- Computer skills
- Ability to provide, undertake and use supervision effectively
- To be competent in assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating care
- To pass medication and physical health competencies Significant awareness of clinical governance and its relationship to clinical effectiveness and patient safety and patient experience.
Desirable
- Ability to support and develop an environment which ensures effective clinical care and innovation.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in an inpatient setting
- Up to date knowledge and clinical leadership on all aspects of mental health and learning disability nursing
Desirable
- Previous experience as a Band 6
Training, Qualifications and Registration
Essential
- Maintain NMC registration through agreed CPD.
Desirable
- Be on the live register of mentors and participate in student mentorship and preceptorship.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust
Address
Priority House
Hermitage Lane
Maidstone
ME16 9PH
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.kentmedwaymentalhealth.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)