Charge Nurse

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; Reading; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Charge Nurse for the Orchid Ward, a mental health facility focused on older adults. Candidates should have significant experience and a passion for leadership, offering flexible shifts and a commitment to employee well-being.

Benefits

Flexible working options

27 days annual leave increasing with service

Excellent learning and career development opportunities

Cycle to Work scheme

Access to wellbeing tools and services

Discounts at popular retailers and restaurants

Generous maternity and paternity leave

Free parking across Trust sites

Qualifications

• Significant experience in a mental health setting is required.
• Evidence of continuing professional development needed.
• Minimum of two years post-registration experience.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and coach junior staff in acute mental health.
• Ensure patient dignity and manage a respectful environment.
• Collaborate with the team to achieve care excellence.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Interpersonal Skills

Education

UK NMC Registered Mental Health Nurse

Management/leadership qualification

Job description

Are you ready to take the next step in your mental health career?

Orchid Ward offers you a supportive and dynamic environment where you can expand your skills, knowledge, and confidence as a Charge Nurse. We understand the importance of work-life balance, which is why we offer flexible shift patterns, including short days (7.5 hours), long days (12 hours), and night shifts (10.75 hours).

About Orchid Ward:

Orchid Ward, based at Prospect Park Hospital in Reading, is an acute admission mental health ward for older adults experiencing the acute phase of functional mental illnesses such as bipolar affective disorder, depression, and psychosis. We actively participate in the national Culture of Care initiative, ensuring a compassionate, healing environment where dignity is maintained, lived experience is valued, and individuals regain a sense of purpose in their lives. The hospital is conveniently located near Reading town centre, with excellent public transport links and on-site parking.

Who We’re Looking For:

We’re seeking an experienced Mental Health Nurse with previous experience in an acute mental health setting, preferably working with older adults. If you have leadership experience or a strong desire to develop in this area, along with excellent communication and interpersonal skills, we’d love to hear from you.

Applications for this role will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible, as vacancies may close early.

Main duties of the job

• You will already have substantial experience of working as a mental health nurse in acute setting with the ability to supervise and coach junior staff.
• You will have a passion for develop your leadership skills and to have wider range of responsibilities to develop your skillset further.
• You have a passion for caring, a warm personality, wanting to be part of a teamand the resilience to help us transform our patients’ lives.
• Withgreat communicationand people skills, you will ensure that patient dignity is alwaysmaintained.
• Collaborating with our warm,friendlyand enthusiastic team, you can play your part in helping us achieve our ambitions to become a ‘Centre of Excellence’.

Working for our organisation

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust isa specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC, we’re committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire.

We value diversity and are proud to be a Stonewall Top 100 Employer.We work hard to create an inclusive environment where you’ll be supported by friendly and professional colleagues to flourish.

Our values at Berkshire Healthcare:

• Caring for and about you is our top priority
• Committed to providing good quality, safe services
• Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

We welcome people who share these values to come and work for us.

Benefits of working for us include:

• Flexible working options to support work-life balance.
• 27 days’ annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
• Excellent learning and career development opportunities
• ‘Cycle to Work’ and car leasing scheme
• Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
• Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
• Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities and armed forces community to support equality
• Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave.
• Free parking across Trust sites

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The “must haves” for this role:

• UK NMC Registered Mental Health Nurse.
• Significant experience in a mental health setting
• Evidence of continuing professional development and portfolio of evidence available

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.

We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.

We’re committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.

We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don’t hesitate to call: Gugu Nkomo on 01189605336 or email [e-mail] who’ll be delighted to help.

Please note, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don’t hesitate to call: Gugu Nkomo on 01189605336 or email me on [e-mail] who’ll be delighted to help.

We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics. Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants where required.

Person specification

Education/Qualification s/Training

• Registered Mental Health Nurse
• Evidence of continuing professional development and portfolio of evidence available
• IT literate
• Post qualification work experience
• Management/ leadership qualification

Continuous Professional Development

• Desire to undertake further training and self- improvement to support patient experience

Previous Experience

• A minimum of two years post registration experience with in a mental health setting
• Previous experience working in a mental health care setting
• Clinical Governance understanding
• Policy development and review experience

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Good oral and written communication skills
• Ability to take on and complete tasks designated by Ward Managers such as ward audits
• Understanding Mental Health legislation, which includes the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and DOLs
• The supervision, development, appraisal and capability management of junior staff
• Report writing and presentations
• Resource and budget management
• Team-working and the ability to play an effective part in a wider MDT
• Able to work effectively with colleagues
• Able to work under pressure and in a stressful environment
• Role-modelling, networking, mentoring, chairing, group work and facilitation and driving clinical practice ·
• Understanding of quality improvement methodology

Additional Requirements

• Ability to travel to multiple sites
• Honest, trustworthy, reliable
• Understand the limits of your abilities

These are the values that we live by atBerkshire Healthcare:

• Caring for and about you is our top priority
• Committed to providing good quality, safe services
• working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

We welcome people who share these values to come and work for us.

Please find attached the behaviour framework that underpins these values for this job role.

At Berkshire Healthcare, we foster an inclusive workplace where everyone belongs.

We welcome talent from all backgrounds and offer guaranteed interviews to disabled applicants and armed forces community members who meet the minimum criteria.

Please note we may close positions before the advertised date.

Once you have applied, please check your email regularly for updates. All appointments are subject to NHS Employment Checks, and false information may result in withdrawal of offers. For information on how we store your information, please review our privacy statement .

No agencies, please.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.