Chief Nursing Officer

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; Worthing; On-site; GBP 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in England is seeking a Chief Nursing Officer to provide visible and strategic leadership across the Trust. This executive role involves overseeing quality planning and governance for nursing and allied health professionals. Applicants should have a Registered Nursing Qualification and advanced qualifications in relevant health subjects. The position emphasizes inclusivity and compassionate leadership within a values-led environment.

Benefits

Values-led organization

Comprehensive staff development programs

Inclusive workplace culture

Responsibilities

• Lead for quality planning, governance, safety including safeguarding and health and safety.
• Provide strategic leadership and professional oversight for nursing and allied health professionals.
• Work collaboratively with executive colleagues and academic networks.

Skills

Leadership in clinical settings

Quality assurance

Commitment to inclusion

Psychologically safe practice

Education

Registered Nursing Qualification (RMN or RNLD)

1st degree level in relevant health subject

Masters degree or equivalent in relevant field

Dual nursing qualification (RGN/RMN)

Job description

We have a pivotal opportunity for an experienced, values-based, senior nursing leader to join Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust as our Chief Nursing Officer.

This is an Executive Director role and a voting member of the Trust Board, responsible for providing visible, strategic and compassionate leadership. The postholder will be the professional lead for nurses, healthcare assistants, psychological therapies, allied health professionals and social workers and, as such, be pivotal in recruiting, retaining and developing our current workforce and the workforce of the future. In addition, they will be lead for quality with specific responsibility for quality planning and governance, safety including safeguarding and health and safety, and physical healthcare, including being the Director for Infection Prevention and Control. The role plays a significant system-wide influence across the Sussex Health and Care Integrated Care System, Provider Collaboratives, academic partners and national networks.

As part of the recruitment process, there will be an opportunity for initial engagement and enquiry conversations. The interview process will involve multi-stage assessments including stakeholder sessions and a final interview panel. All associated dates and further information about the Trust is set out in the Candidate Information Pack.

This is a high-impact, values-led leadership role at a key moment in our strategic journey.

Main duties of the job

• Hold statutory Executive Director responsibilities, including Director of Infection Prevention and Control, Trust Lead for Safeguarding, Health and Safety, and SRO for safety, quality planning and assurance
• Provide strategic leadership and professional oversight for nursing, healthcare assistants, psychology, allied health professions, social care and support staff, ensuring strong professional identity, regulation, education, staffing, standards and career development
• Lead for 'quality' implementing of the Quality Star, through partnership working with the executive team, taking the senior responsible officer role for quality planning, assurance and safety
• Lead implementation of Patient Safety Incident Response Framework, never events, inquests, learning from incidents, safeguarding and restrictive practice, embedding relational, psychologically safe and restorative approaches ensuring learning is shared and embedded across the organisation resulting in continuous quality improvement
• Promote a compassionate culture rooted in learning, professional voice, speaking up and inclusion, representing the Trust internally and externally at senior system and national levels
• Work in triumvirate with the CMO and COO to align operational delivery, clinical leadership, workforce, governance and transformation priorities
• Provide visible and authentic leadership across inpatient and community settings, demonstrating the Trust values and role‑modelling high professional standards

About us

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist provider of mental health, learning disability and neurodevelopmental services, serving a population of approximately 1.7 million across East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton & Hove. We also provide regional and national specialist services and lead three NHS Provider Collaboratives.

We employ around 6,000 staff and are a university teaching Trust with strong academic links to Brighton and Sussex Medical School, the University of Sussex, the University of Brighton and national research partners.

We are a values‑led organisation, proud to be a Disability Confident Employer and Armed Forces Covenant Gold Member. We actively promote compassionate, restorative and inclusive leadership and support career development, wellbeing, flexible working and staff networks, including lived experience, ethnic minority, LGBTQIA+, disability, neurodivergent, spirituality, women's and armed forces networks.

Our vision is: Great care and improved outcomes together.

Job responsibilities

• Quality leadership, quality planning, quality assurance, safety, and quality reporting
• Professional regulation and leadership for nursing, psychology, allied health professionals and social care professions
• Executive responsibility for DIPC, safeguarding, Health and Safety and Human Rights‑based practice
• Championing restorative and just culture, incident learning, continuous improvement and PSIRF
• Leading professional workforce strategy, education, regulation, retention, career pathways and research
• Providing expert advice to the Board on professional standards, quality, experience, safety and workforce
• Promoting psychologically safe, evidence‑led, values‑based professional practice
• Working collaboratively with executive colleagues, ICSpartners, regulators and academic networks.

Qualifications

• Registered Nursing Qualification (RMN or RNLD)
• Educated at 1st degree level or advanced qualification in relevant health subject or equivalent
• Educated at Masters degree level or equivalent level qualification/s in a relevant field
• Dual nursing qualification (RGN/RMN)

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.

For full details, including the interview details and key dates, please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification within the Candidate Pack.