Camhs Deputy Ward Manager

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous pay, pensions and leave

Flexible working options

Career development and mentoring

Car lease

Accommodation for staff

NHS discounts

Counselling services

Wellbeing events

Long service awards

Cycle to work

Season ticket loan

Childcare vouchers

Staff restaurants

Job summary

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust seeks a Deputy Ward Manager to lead CAMHS inpatient services. You will support the Ward Manager, oversee safe staffing, and drive high-quality, compassionate care for adolescents in general and PICU wards.

You will mentor junior staff, participate in training programs, and advance through CAMHS Nursing Academy as part of a structured leadership pathway within the Royal Bethlem Hospital site in Beckenham.

Qualifications

• Nursing degree in mental health and/or learning disabilities nursing or equivalent.
• Strong leadership and mentorship capabilities.
• Experience with clinical governance and staff development.
• Ability to supervise and train junior staff and preceptors.

Responsibilities

• Support Ward Manager and multi-disciplinary teams to ensure safe staffing and high-quality care.
• Lead on risk assessment and safe, least-restrictive care planning.
• Provide coaching and supervision for nursing staff, including apprentices and trainees.
• Apply knowledge of Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, and Children Act in daily practice.

Skills

Teaching ability

Empathy

Resilience

Leadership

Education

Nursing degree (RMN or RMN-related)

Job description

Job summary

Are you ready to take the next step in your leadership journey within CAMHS? Do you want to work in a team where you feel empowered, supported, and proud to make a difference in young people's lives? If so, joining the CAMHS Inpatient Units as a Deputy Ward Manager could be the opportunity you've been looking for. We are committed to delivering high-quality, patient-centred care across our adolescent inpatient services, including general and PICU wards. Our patients are at the heart of everything we do, and we strive to create a safe, therapeutic environment that promotes recovery and resilience. As a Deputy Ward Manager, you will play a key role in supporting the clinical leadership of the ward, ensuring safe staffing, effective care delivery, and a positive team culture. You'll work closely with the Ward Manager and multidisciplinary teams to uphold clinical standards, drive service improvements, and mentor junior staff. We believe that providing excellent care starts with recruiting exceptional people. We're looking for compassionate, motivated leaders who are ready to go the extra mile for our patients and colleagues. Whether you're stepping into your first leadership role or building on existing experience, we'll support your development through structured training, coaching, and career progression opportunities. At SLaM, there's always a place for you to grow. Please note vacancy can be closed early once maximum applications received.

Main duties of the job

During this role you will have the opportunity to learn new specialist skills through our excellent learning and development opportunities which will include leadership and managerial skills alongside clinical interventions. It is important to show through your application and interview, what transferable skills and experience you have. As well as our inhouse development programme, we also have our CAMHS Nursing Academy which is a training and development program which is based on the four pillars of advanced nursing practice. This oppertunity is based within our CAMHS Bethlem Adolescent Inpatient Unit on the beautiful grounds of the Royal Bethlem Hospital site, based in Beckenham.

About us

We are committed to ensuring our staff get the most out of their benefits package and understand the importance of a healthy work life balance. There is an extensive range of excellent benefits for you and your family. We want you to feel like you are part of a close knit team at SLaM. It's important to us that you valued and appreciated and that are why we have a comprehensive benefits package on offer

• Generous pay, pensions and leave, we offer a comprehensive pay, pensions and leave package which is dependent on the role and length of service.
• Work life balance, flexible working and support a range of flexible options, such as: part-time working and job sharing.
• Career development, There are plenty of opportunities to progress your career and we support your development through a number of programmes such as mentoring, coaching, positive people management, collective leadership and other talent programmes
• Car lease, our staff benefits from competitive deals to lease cars
• Accommodation, our staff benefits from keyworker housing available which is available on selected sites
• NHS discounts, with discounts up to 10% from a variety of well-known retail brands though Health Service Discounts website.

Other benefits include:

• Counselling services
• Wellbeing events
• Long service awards
• Cycle to work scheme
• Season ticket loan
• Childcare vouchers
• Staff restaurants

Job responsibilities

Working with young people in CAMHS is both demanding and deeply rewarding. As a Deputy Ward Manager, you will have the opportunity to support young people at a critical point in their mental health journey, helping them build resilience and a more positive outlook for their future. In this leadership role, you will contribute to the planning and delivery of high-quality clinical care, working closely with the Ward Manager and wider multidisciplinary team. You will use your clinical expertise to help maintain a safe, therapeutic environment and support the development of junior staff. You will be confident in assessing and managing riskboth formally and informallyand will understand how to balance this with least restrictive practice, ensuring care remains person-centred and recovery-focused. You will bring a solid working knowledge of key legal frameworks, including the Mental Health Act (1983), Mental Capacity Act (2005), and Children Act (1989), and apply this knowledge to support safe and effective care delivery. You must be a qualified RMN with a strong interest in working in an inpatient CAMHS setting. An understanding of the challenges facing nurses working with young people today is essential, as is the ability to demonstrate resilience, empathy, and a commitment to supporting young people in creative and meaningful ways. We offer excellent learning and development opportunities, including access to leadership and management training, clinical interventions, and our CAMHS Nursing Academya structured programme based on the four pillars of advanced nursing practice. We welcome applications from nurses with sound clinical skills who are keen to develop their career in CAMHS, whether or not they have prior experience in the field. Professional development is actively encouraged, and we support staff in pursuing additional training and academic qualifications. Where relevant to the service, there may be opportunities for training to be funded by the organisation.

Qualifications

Essential

• Nursing Degree in either; Registered Mental Health Nurse and/or Registered Learning Disabilities Nurse or equivelent

Desirable

• Master's degree
• Certificate in Practice Supervisor Training, Practice Assessor Training, Practice Supervisor or Assessor Training, SSSA-aligned training, or a recognised Mentorship Certificate (or equivalent qualification)

Experience and Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of relevant Professional and Clinical legislation
• Knowledge of clinical governance and audit
• Experience as a preceptor /mentor

Desirable

• Experience of engaging /supporting clinical research projects
• Experience of delivering training
• Experience of recruitment and selection of staff

Skills and Attributes

Essential

• Able to provide quality care that is responsive to service user's needs, without close supervision
• Teaching ability
• Advocates for all individuals, particularly those with protected characteristics; promotes equality and diversity
• Resilient: able to cope with difficult interpersonal situations

Desirable

• Problem solving, ability to identify problems, review options and take appropriate action without a predetermined framework

Other Requirements

Essential

• Empathy for service users including individuals who have experienced mental health problems
• Able to work a flexible 24hr working pattern inluding night shifts and weekends

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. Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).