Deputy Ward Manager

Job overview
As a Deputy Ward Manager, you will provide senior clinical leadership and support the Ward Manager and across 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.

Working for our organisation
We are the Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust. We care for the mental health and wellbeing of people across Kent and Medway. Our teams support adults with a wide range of mental health needs. Because we cover the whole county and both hospital and community settings, we can make care more joined up and easier to access for the 1.8 million people of Kent and Medway. Rated 'Good' by the CQC, we care for over 2,000 people in our hospitals and 54,000 in the community each year.
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. And 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 doing well together.
Take a look at our Community Nursing Video

Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description for the full details on the responsibilities and person specification

Person specification

Knowledge and Skills

Essential criteria

• 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

Desirable criteria

• Ability to support and develop an environment which ensures effective clinical care and innovation.

Qualification

Essential criteria

• RMN completion of Preceptorship programme
• Leadership experience

Desirable criteria

• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Evidence of leadership courses/training courses

Experience

Essential criteria

• Leadership Experience
• 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 criteria

• Training in leadership
• Previous experience as a Band 6

Important Information:
In cases where we receive a high volume of applications for a post, it may be necessary to bring the closing date forward. Please submit your completed application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
Due to the high volume of applications received, it is not possible to respond individually to your application. Should you not hear from us within six weeks of the vacancy closing, please assume that your application has not been successful.

Probation Period. New employees external to the trust are subject to a six-month probationary period.
To deliver an effective service it is essential in some of our roles that you are able to travel between work bases in a timely manner.
Production of false or forged documents/qualifications in order to obtain employment is a criminal offence and will be reported to the Police.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check.
Certain roles are subject to criminal record checks called Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. Therefore, you will be required to submit a completed Disclosure form to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust are signed up to NHS England's Sexual Safety in Health Care Organisational Charter
The trust takes a systematic zero-tolerance approach to tackle any unwanted, inappropriate and/or harmful sexual behaviours within the workplace and in our care provision. We are committed to sexual safety which encompasses prevention, support and decisive action against perpetrators. We are committed to keeping you and our patients safe.

Use of AI when writing job applications
While AI tools can be helpful in generating ideas and drafting initial versions, they should never be the sole source for writing your job application.
AI cannot truly understand the specific job you're applying for or what makes you a good fit. Therefore, it's crucial to personalise any AI-generated content to accurately reflect your skills, experiences, and aspirations.
Relying solely on AI to write your application may result in generic, impersonal, and potentially inaccurate content. Always review and refine any AI-generated text to ensure it effectively communicates your experience, skills, accomplishments, and aspirations, and demonstrates your suitability for the position.