Charge Nurse - Albany Lodge

Integrated Care System; St Albans; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 49,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in St Albans is seeking a Charge Nurse to provide mental health support to service users. The ideal candidate will have nursing qualifications and experience in mental health. This full-time role offers a competitive salary of £40,617 to £48,778 per annum with added benefits including leadership training and generous holiday entitlement.

Benefits

5% high cost allowance supplement

27 days holiday plus bank holidays

NHS Car Lease Scheme

Qualifications

• Post registration experience at Band 5.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Experience working in clinical settings.

Responsibilities

• Provide mental health support to service users in crisis.
• Act as charge nurse and lead the ward.
• Assess and plan care for a group of patients.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Leadership and management

Mental health care knowledge

Education

RMN/RLDN or Dip/Bsc (Hons) in Mental Health/Learning Disability Nursing

Job description

Go back Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Charge Nurse - Albany Lodge

The closing date is 13 August 2025

Come and join a fantastic team where we support one another!

Albany Lodge is seeking an experienced Band 6 Charge Nurse who has the skills and knowledge of working in an acute mental health wards. We will consider applications from band 5s who are ready for a promotion!

Albany Lodge is a 24 bedded acute mental health assessment and treatment ward offering acute mental health care to adults. The ward provides mixed sex accommodation and has a multi-disciplinary team including psychologists, occupational therapy, recreational workers as well as the nursing and medical team.

This post may be offered as a Band 5 to 6 development post (depending on experience). In these circumstances, you will initially be employed at a Band 5 at your current salary whilst you are working through your Band 6 competencies. You will be expected to demonstrate these competently in practice. Please be aware that the expected time to complete competencies and become a Band 6 will be approximately 6 months after starting your new role. Following successful achievement of meeting the competencies, your salary will be reviewed and your pay band confirmed at band 6 pay step 1.

In the unlikely event that you didn't meet the competencies, an action plan would be put in place to support you to address the competency gaps; you would remain as a Band 5 and the opportunity for a Band 6 at this time will not be confirmed. Salary payment until your competencies as band 6 are met will be AfC band 5 scale.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will:

• have excellent opportunity for progression and development
• provide mental health support and care to service users experiencing mental health crisis
• be a key member of Albany Lodge Inpatient Team acting as the charge nurse for the unit
• be responsible / primary nurse for a designated group of patients
• be responsible for the assessment of their needs and for the planning, implementing and evaluation of the care provided to meet those needs
• be leading on shifts on the ward and provide clinical supervision to junior staff members
• have excellent communication and relationship management skills
• treat patients with fairness and respect, maintaining confidentiality appropriately
• be fully involved in ward rounds, handovers and other meetings where patient care is discussed and reviewed as required

In return, we can offer you:

• leadership and management training
• 5% on top of basic salary high cost allowance supplement (max £2,122 per annum)
• 27 days holiday rising to 33 days (depending on NHS Trust service) plus bank holidays (pro rata where applicable)
• One of the UK's best pension schemes
• Special leave for family and personal reasons
• NHS Car Lease Scheme (for substantive staff)
• Employee Assistance Programme

About us

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from theCare Quality Commission.

Our family of over 4,000 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:

Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.

Job responsibilities

In addition to managing the clinical aspects of being a Band 6 Charge Nurse, You will take an active part in the assessment, treatment, planning, implementation and evaluation of care for service users in collaboration with inpatient multi-disciplinary services

Liaising with colleagues and carers, ensuring they are fully aware of all aspects of a service users care and treatment.

You will have effective communication skills and be able to contribute towards patient recovery and wellbeing.

You will be able to identify individuals' care needs. Planning, implementing and evaluating care plans and risk assessments in collaboration with other teams and professionals. Maintaining lines of communication with all departments and staff involved in a service users care. Reporting on progress and effectiveness to the appropriate MDT.

Participating in ward rounds and handovers, etc. Preparing reports as required. Acting as deputy manager to junior staff providing leadership and support.

For more detailed information on the position, please access the Job Description and Person Specification document provided.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• RMN/RLDN or Dip/ Bsc (Hons) in Mental Health/ Learning Disability Nursing ENB 998 / Preceptorship and Mentorship. ENB.

Experience

• Some post registration experience at Band 5
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Experience of working in other clinical settings.

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.

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Albany Lodge Church Crescent, St Albans, AL3 5JB

£40,617 to £48,778 a yearper annum pro rata inclusive of 5% HCAS

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

367-A&UC-9597

Job locations

Albany Lodge Church Crescent, St Albans, AL3 5JB