Deputy Ward Manager Sheffield

Meeveem Limited; Sheffield; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Forest Lodge, a low-secure psychiatric unit in the UK, is seeking a Deputy Ward Manager to lead nursing care, assessments and risk management. The post requires strong clinical leadership, effective communication, and a commitment to Trauma Informed Care within a multi-disciplinary team.

Applicants should be Registered Mental Health Nurses with substantial post-registration experience, including substance misuse exposure.

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse qualification appropriate to the post.
• Current UK NMC registration is essential.
• Ongoing professional development and supervision are expected.

Responsibilities

• Lead on nursing care planning and risk management within the ward.
• Ensure high standards of patient care and therapeutic environments in line with policy.
• Provide clinical leadership, supervision, and support to staff and deputize for the Ward Manager as required.
• Maintain accurate records and contribute to audits and quality improvement.

Skills

NMC Registration

Leadership

Communication skills

Education

NMC registered nurse

Job description

Job summary

Forest Lodge is a Low-Secure Psychiatric Unit for male patients, providing intensive nursing and rehabilitation facilities for mentally disordered offenders and others requiring secure conditions

Our aim is to provide high quality and efficient assessment, treatment and support to adults with mental health problems. We promote strong multi-disciplinary working, commitment to improvement and development, challenging stigma and promoting recovery. We pride ourselves on positive team work, professional and personal development and support teams and staff to reach their fullest potential in providing services. We offer a commitment to developing staff through regular supervision and appraisals, training opportunities and career development both clinically and managerially.

As a service, we are passionate about Trauma Informed Care (TIC). We aim that every member of our team is both aware of the prevalence/impact of traumatic events in service users' lives and is able to apply this knowledge in their daily clinical and non-clinical practice. We are looking for nurse leaders who would be interested in contributing to an ongoing development of TIC at Forest Lodge.

We are also keen to receive applications from nurses who have experience and interest in working with patients with substance misuse problems.

Main duties of the job

We aspire to employ staff who are supportive, kind, tenacious, non-judgmental and approachable whilst at the same time be able to set boundaries and constantly strive for a better life for all of our service users.

We are seeking a confident, competent and person centred Deputy Ward Manager possessing effective clinical leadership and communication skills, who is dynamic and enthusiastic, committed to the provision of high quality care and treatment and who enjoy the challenge of working within complex environments. You must be able lead, motivate and support the staff team and deputize for the ward manager as required and, show a commitment to a non-punitive, value based approach to care delivery.

If you are a Registered Mental Health Nurse and have substantial post registration experience - then we want to hear from you. We are keen to receive application from nurses with experience of working with substance use.

About us

We are passionate about providing the very best care to the people we support, and we're looking for amazing people who share this passion to join us.

What is it that makes our Trust such a special place to work? Well, it's all about the people. Our staff, service users, carers and families all come from such diverse backgrounds and all have expertise and stories to share.

It's important that you feel supported in your role, that the people who you work with are as passionate as you are and that your health and wellbeing is taken care of.

If you're interested in developing your career, you'll have access to a range of training and education opportunities, including apprenticeships, work experience and placements, as well as the chance to get involved in research.

We are all very proud of the difference we make to people's lives each and every day and if that's something that you'd like to be part of we'd love to have you with us.

Details

Date posted: 14 September 2026

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 6

Salary: £39,959 to £48,117 a year

pa (dependent upon experience)

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: 457-26-8265140

Job locations: Forest Lodge, 5 Forest Close, Sheffield, S35 0JW, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

General requirements

Registration with NMC

Principle duties

The post holder will focus and lead on the following key areas, within the organisations governance framework:

• As an individual practitioner: ensure that comprehensive nursing assessments are carried out for all assigned patients to identify individual care needs.
• ensure that each allocated patient has a comprehensive, clear and up-to-date collaborative plan of care with specified objectives designed with and to meet the individuals identified care needs.
• ensure that comprehensive and up to date risk assessment and management plans are available and accessible to the Team in support of patient care, that encompass all areas of risk, but paying particular regard to harm to self and others, vulnerability and potential for absconding
• as an identified Named Nurse, ensure that care planning and management is delivered in a collaborative approach with the patient and their carers, in line with existing care pathways and the care programme approach
• ensure that patient care is delivered in a manner consistent with available local guidelines relating to care pathways
• ensure patients are aware of the content of their care plans, and have contributed to their development and evaluation
• ensure positive approaches to patient engagement. Where undertaking specific observations of patients, to do so in line with the available policies and guidelines

2. To ensure that decision making is appropriate in relation to the Mental Health Act, and Code of Practice with regard to patient care, for both detained and informal patients as influenced by risk assessments.

3. To take a positive approach to responding to patients in acute distress, adopting principles of diffusion and de-escalation. Where physical interventions or restraint are required, to approach in line with available guidance and approved techniques, providing for the safety and dignity of the patient(s). To direct the actions and interventions of staff in responding to the incident, ensuring that expected practice is delivered

4. To ensure that an appropriate therapeutic environment is maintained within the Ward

5. To ensure that practice in relation to medicines is in line with local guidelines, individual professional requirements and responsibilities, and ensures individual patient involvement, engagement and concordance

6. To ensure appropriate and accessible advice and support to ex-patients of the Service is maintained, in line with guidelines relating to the provision of 24-hour accessible advice and support to mental health service users

7. Ensure arrangements are maintained to provide a quality environment for patients in relation to safety, dignity, comfort and day to day activities

8. To use relevant information in support of patient care and care planning, including available electronic information systems

Professional

9. Monitor and actively role model positive and high standards of nursing practice and professional behaviour of staff on the ward, through demonstrable leadership, in order to ensure agreed standards are met. Take corrective measures as necessary.

10. To ensure that care plans delivered by their team are appropriately audited on a regular basis using a range of established audit tools, focusing on key policies, guidelines, practice issues and care pathways

11. Maintain and promote accurate clinical records of interventions and contracts with patients. To lead the ward audits.

12. To take a lead role, in support of the Ward Manager and MD Team in establishing, setting, monitoring, evaluating and auditing of standards of nursing clinical practice on the Ward.

13. To ensure that the care given through their team is regularly and thoroughly evaluated against the identified care objectives in order that the effectiveness of care plans can be maintained.

14. Ensure that their practice, and that of their team, remains within the boundaries set by local and national policy, the NMC and statute law.

Learning & Development

15. To take a leading role in the promotion of an active learning environment in order to maintain and develop high standards of professional and clinical practice.

16. To ensure that agreed approaches to support the development of junior staff and learners, through effective role modelling, mentorship (for students/ learners), supervision and professional leadership are implemented individually and by members of their team

17. To positively participate in own supervision, annual appraisals and personal development planning, promoting existing approaches to members of their team

18. To undertake necessary essential training, (for example life support, general health and safety, prevention and management of violence and aggression) over a suitable period of time, and additional training as identified in support of clinical and professional development

19. To ensure that the development needs of their team are reviewed, identified and planned for on a regular basis in conjunction with the Ward Manager.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse qualification appropriate to the post
• Evidence of Current Registration of NMC
• Demonstration of ongoing professional development
• Basic IT Knowledge

Desirable

• Experience in implementation of evidence based changes in clinical practice
• Education to Diploma/Degree level in relevant subjec

Experience

Essential

• Ability to respond to the individual rights/needs/opinions of service users.
• Knowledge of effective planning/implementation/ evaluation of individual plans of care
• Ability to maintain a safe environment for residents/carers and staff
• Ability to act as an education resource for the team
• Experience of practicing clinical supervision
• Experience in training plans and standard setting
• Experience in supervision of junior staf

Desirable

• Demonstrate good current knowledge of clinical care within the client group
• Minimum of 2 experience at Band 5 or above

Knowledge & Skills

Essential

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Desirable

• Knowledge of effective staff management/team building skills
• Experience of developing clinical guidelines/protocols/ policies

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

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.

Applicants must have current UK professional registration.