Deputy Ward Manager

North West Borough Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; Liverpool; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Disability Confident Employer

Job summary

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust in the North West invites applications for a Band 6 Deputy Ward Manager on Fern Ward, a 16-bed complex care dementia unit. You will support the Clinical Team Manager and leadership team to deliver high-quality, safe, and effective care within an MDT.

We are seeking a leader with passion for older people, dementia care, and a drive for quality improvement who can coach staff, implement new ideas, and place service users at the center of care planning.

Qualifications

• Must be registered with the NMC and maintain current registration.
• Experience in mental health and older adults care.
• Evidence of post-registration continuing professional development is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Clinical Team Manager in continuing professional and managerial responsibility for the ward.
• Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to ensure continuity of care.
• Develop and implement integrated care pathways and service user assessments/referrals.
• Provide information, education and support for family members, carers and other professionals.
• Provide regular managerial/clinical supervision as per policy.
• Ensure medicines are managed safely and in line with the Medicines Code.
• Promote dignity, privacy and cultural beliefs in care planning.
• Lead quality improvement initiatives and coach staff.

Skills

Effective communication

Interpersonal skills

Leadership

Problem solving

Teamwork

Education

NMC registration

Job description

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust celebrates diversity and promotes equal opportunities; we are committed to challenging and eliminating racism and other forms of discrimination and advancing and promoting equality of opportunity in the provision of services and creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We believe that everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect.

We take positive action to support disadvantaged groups and also particularly encourage applications from ethnically diverse, disabled and LGBTQIA+ people that are under-represented in our workforce. Furthermore we welcome applications from reservists and ex-armed forces personnel as we recognise the benefits of the values, skills, training and experience that they bring to their work with us. We encourage all applicants to share their equality information with us.

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Job overview

Fern Ward is a 16‑bed complex care dementia unit. We have a robust MDT with a range of professionals working together as a team to support our service users.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the team on Fern Ward as a Band 6 Deputy Ward Manager. In this role, you will be supporting the Clinical Team Manager and Clinical Leadership Team to deliver high-quality, safe, and effective care.

We are seeking someone with a passion for care of older persons and dementia who will act as a role model for more junior staff within the team. We are keen to have someone with a particular interest in quality improvement who will not only support the implementation of new ideas and technologies used by the trust but also present new innovative ideas for improving quality on the ward.

This is a demanding and challenging role where, as a successful candidate, you will be required to demonstrate high levels of resilience, excellent problem‑solving and interpersonal skills, as well as the ability to provide sound clinical and managerial support to team members.

The post holder will also demonstrate a passion for coaching leadership style, quality improvement and attitude which respects and values service users' choice and works alongside them and their carers to ensure they are at the centre of care planning.

This post is subject to an enhanced check with the Adults and Barred List Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will assist the Clinical Team Manager in carrying out continuing professional and managerial responsibility for the ward.

The post holder will operate as part of an integrated multi-disciplinary team, undertaking a balance of Managerial and Clinical activity. They will ensure continuity of care for service users on their journey through the acute service.

Working for our organisation

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.

We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.

At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.

Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Implement case load supervision to monitor the standards of service user care and ensure record keeping is in accordance with Professional and Trust standards.

Participate in regular clinical supervision as per Trust policy.

Assist in the development and implementation of integrated care pathways, including appropriate service user assessments/referrals and models of care.

Provide information, education and support for family members, carers and other relevant professionals.

Give/receive regular managerial/clinical supervision as per Trust policy.

Ensure the clinical environment is conducive to promote service users health, safety and well-being, thereby preserving and respecting each service user's personal dignity, privacy, religious and cultural beliefs.

Ensure record keeping is in accordance with Professional and Trust standards.

Ensure the safe management of medicines and adhere to safe practice and principles of administration in accordance with the NMC code of professional conduct and Trust Medicines Code.

Work in a professional and collaborative manner with the Multi-disciplinary team.

Participate and promote positive intra‑agency working.

Participate and assist in setting standards of service user care based on sound research findings.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Up to date Professional Registration (to be maintained), on the appropriate part of the NMC register and hold a current NMC registration
• Assessor/Mentorship Training

Desirable criteria

• First line management e.g., Leo
• Evidence of post registration study / continuing professional development e.g., ENB 998 / Mentorship in Practice or D32, 33 NVQ
• Approved training in phlebotomy

Experience

Essential criteria

• Relevant experience at E grade or above
• Evidence of experience of working with older people with mental health problems in a variety of health care settings
• Knowledge of relevant Mental Health legislation
• Knowledge of Mental Health Nursing interventions
• Knowledge of clinical risk and Health & Safety Management
• Demonstrate knowledge of ECC guidelines
• Ability to work as a member of a multi disciplinary team
• Demonstrate knowledge in the concepts of mentorship, preceptorship and supervision and ability to provide education and supervision to qualified and unqualified staff
• Demonstrate a good knowledge of the Code of Conduct and the nurses' responsibility to identify gaps in their knowledge base

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Recovery Model
• Mental Health Act (1983)
• Effective Care Coordination
• Relevant National policies and guidance
• Evidence based and reflective practice
• Mental Capacity Act
• Vulnerable Adults Procedure and Child Protection
• Safety, Privacy and Dignity Guidelines

Skills

Essential criteria

• Able to communicate effectively both verbally and non verbally
• Possess excellent listening and negotiation skills
• Ability to contribute to developing nursing excellence within the ward area

Desirable criteria

• Ability to assist in the process of standard setting and audit
• Computer literate
• Clinical Leadership skills

As a Disability Confident Employer, we offer a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants who consider themselves to be disabled who meet the minimum (essential) criteria for the role in the person specification. If you would like your application to be considered under the Trust's guaranteed interview scheme you can indicate this in the personal information section of your online application form.