Deputy Ward Manager

NHS; Fulbourn; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare institution in Fulbourn is seeking a Deputy Ward Manager for its mental health ward. The ideal candidate will lead a team in providing evidence-based nursing care, ensuring compliance with clinical standards and supporting the recovery of service users. As a key member, you will supervise clinical staff, manage rosters, and engage in continuous professional development. This role offers comprehensive training and opportunities for further learning in a supportive environment.

Benefits

Comprehensive training

Professional growth opportunities

Qualifications

• Registered mental health nurse required for leadership and clinical roles.
• Experience supervising and managing staff in inpatient settings.
• Must demonstrate effective communication and team collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical leadership and support for mental health nursing.
• Ensure compliance with clinical standards and legislation.
• Foster therapeutic relationships with service users.

Skills

Effective communication skills

Ability to work as part of a team

Ability to build effective working relationships

Commitment to evidence-based practice

Knowledge of physical healthcare needs

Education

Registered Nurse Mental Health (RNMH)

NMC registration

Evidence of Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

Deputy Ward Manager

The closing date is 16 December 2025

We are delighted to offer an exciting opportunity for a Band 6 Deputy Ward Manager position on Mulberry 1, Fulbourn Hospital, Cambridge. Mulberry 1 is a 14‑bedded acute assessment mental health ward for adults aged 18‑65 years.

As part of our commitment to high‑quality care, Mulberry 1 provides rapid assessment and short‑term support for individuals experiencing acute mental health needs. The ward plays a vital role in stabilising patients and planning their next steps in treatment and recovery.

Our team is passionate about staff development. You will receive comprehensive training to build the core skills required for this role, and we actively support access to further learning and professional growth opportunities.

Main duties of the job

The poster holder will assist the Ward Manager in the provision of clinical and operational leadership and to be a clinical role model to the 24‑hour inpatient team. Acting on behalf of and to deputise, as directed by the Ward Manager in their absence and provide quality evidence‑based nursing advice, support and care for service users with mental and physical health needs and to their carers within a multidisciplinary setting. Working in conjunction with the Service Manager to set, maintain, and audit clinical standards in adherence to local and national priorities.

The post holder will be responsible for overseeing the assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of nursing care within agreed parameters, and have a working knowledge of local, national policies and legislation which govern current service provision.

The post holder will be responsible for identifying and contributing to the training needs of junior registered and unregistered staff, and ensure that issues of equality, diversity and rights are dealt with in accordance with good practice and legislation. They will ensure that effective communication pathways exist, and that they act within their sphere of responsibility, managing the clinical area alongside the Senior Clinical Nurses.

The post holder will be required to have clear oversight of rosters and manage safe staffing numbers accordingly.

About us

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high‑quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we, well as supporting and empowering them to lead a fulfilling life.

Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services, not only via inpatient and primary care settings, but also within the community. These services include children's, adult and older people's mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, research and development.

To achieve our goal, we look to recruit high‑calibre candidates who share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under‑represented groups including people with long term conditions and members of our ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities.

Please be advised we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date should we receive sufficient applications. Regrettably, we cannot offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you apply for a role that we cannot offer sponsorship for, unfortunately, your application form will be rejected from the process.

For further information on CPFT, please visit our website at www.cpft.nhs.uk.

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities.

• To be responsible for supervising the role of the named nurses in relation to care planning within the clinical area.
• To be responsible for the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of the evidence‑based care required, including health promotion for a named service user/group ensuring it meets Trust timescales.
• To participate in the setting and implementation of quality standards, with particular reference to QNIC essential standards, including the monitoring and review in line with current clinical guidance practice and policy. Utilising the data available such as learning from incidents and complaints.
• To ensure the post holder understands and meets their professional role and responsibilities under the Care Programme Approach.
• To ensure that the requirements of the Mental Health Act 2007 are observed, adhered to and implemented.
• To be responsible for the promotion of carer and service user involvement, including close working with families in 4 inpatient units, within the service and for its provision. To encourage recovery, discovery and independence, taking into account risk assessment and management.
• To be responsible for establishing therapeutic relationships with service users, and the implementation of evidence based therapeutic interventions with appropriate boundaries in accordance with Nursing and Midwifery Councils professional code of conduct.
• To ensure the provision of social/therapeutic activities for service users.
• To be responsible for the safe custody and administration of medicines in accordance with all medicine policies and ensure compliance is maintained.
• To respect and value the different therapeutic approaches within the multidisciplinary team but ensure that the agreed philosophy approach is adopted and followed.

Person Specification

Education / Qualifications

• Registered Nurse Mental Health (RNMH) or other specialism relating to post such as Registered Nurse Learning Disability (RNLD) or Registered Nurse Children's (RNC)
• NMC registration
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Experience

• Experience of inpatient services and working as part of a multi‑disciplinary team
• Experience of managing staff
• Experience of supervising staff
• Experience of dealing with service users with complex mental health needs

Skills & Abilities

• Effective communication skills both verbally and written, including IT literacy (MS Office).
• Ability to work as part of a team, as a role model, empowering and motivating other team members
• Ability to build effective working relationships with staff across a wide range of professional and managerial groups
• Ability to use own initiative, to enable contribution to a multidisciplinary team approach
• Commitment to and understanding of evidence‑based practice
• Awareness of safeguarding issues and responsibilities under relevant legislation
• Understanding of the legislation relating to care including - Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards Act, Children’s Act, Equality Act 2010, Health and Safety Act and the Data Protection Act
• Knowledge of physical healthcare needs

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.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust