Director of Nursing

NHS; Bodmin; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS healthcare provider in Cornwall is seeking a Director of Nursing to lead community and mental health services. The role requires strong strategic thinking, excellent leadership skills, and substantial NHS experience at board level, ensuring the highest standards of care are maintained. Candidates must be registered nurses with advanced qualifications. This job is restricted to current NHS employees in the region.

Qualifications

• Evidence of extensive knowledge in complex health organisations.
• Experience in community services or mental health settings.
• Experience at board or sub-board level in an NHS organisation.

Responsibilities

• Lead professional standards in Nursing and AHP delivery.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to enhance patient care quality.
• Attend Executive Team and Board meetings.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Leadership

Negotiation skills

Influencing skills

Relationship building

Education

Registered Nurse

Masters degree in relevant subject

Doctorate in relevant subject

Job description

Main duties of the job

The Director of Nursing is responsible for the professional leadership of the Nursing and Allied Health Professions (AHP) in CFT. They will have delegated responsibility for the delivery of the Trust's safety; quality improvement and patient experience priorities. They will also be expected to lead on some priorities across the Trust both providers and or system (Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board - CIOS) as agreed by the Dual Chief Nursing Officer.

The role will require close working with our associate directors, matrons and heads of nursing / integrated professions to ensure that professional standards are met and maintained and that the delivery of care is recovery focused, patient centred and to the highest quality. Confident, compassionate and competent practitioners are paramount.

As a senior leader you will attend the Executive Team and the Board and act as a strong role model for all colleagues by demonstrating credibility and visibility, strong commitment to improving practice, celebrating success and encouraging creativity, innovation and excellence.

About us

We\'re an NHS community and mental health provider Trust based in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. We deliver community and hospital-based care to improve people\'s physical and mental health. We also provide specialist support to people with dementia or a learning disability.

We are a people organisation and people matter to us. As part of the team, you\'ll help support the health and wellbeing of the people who live and visit this beautiful part of the UK.

Over 4,000 people make up the Trust. This includes doctors, nurses, therapists, plus admin and support staff.

We work in people\'s homes, in community clinics and bases. Some staff work from one of our 13 community hospitals. Our aspiration is to have great people, provide great care, be a great place to work and a great partner.

Approximately 568,000 people live here. A third of people who live in Cornwall are supported by acute hospital services in Devon. As a result, we also work closely with our partners in Devon. In the summer, and during other holidays lots of people choose to visit the area. This increase the numbers of people who use our services.

Job responsibilities

To view a detailed job description and person specification including the main responsibilities of this role please see supporting documents.

Person Specification

Education, Qualifications and Relevant Experience

• Registered Nurse with evidence of extensive complex health organisation knowledge
• Experience of working within community services, and/or mental health, learning disability or forensic settings
• Masters degree in relevant subject area or equivalent experience
• Breadth of experience of working at board or sub board level in an NHS or care organisation
• Knowledge of safeguarding, risk management, governance, and patient/carer collaboration within a regulated environment
• Doctorate in relevant subject area

Skills and Aptitude

• Skilled in strategic thinking and able to translate strategy into action, articulating and adjusting to fit the audience
• Highly developed leadership, negotiation and influencing skills with the ability to motivate, challenge and engage individuals and teams
• Ability to set out a clear strategic direction, motivate others and assume a leadership position, together with an ability to transfer strategic objectives into deliverable operational plans
• Ability to develop effective working relationships with partners and influence a range of internal and external stakeholders, bringing about positive change

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.

Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 12 October 2025

Interviews will take place on Monday 20th October.

This job is currently only open to people who already work for the NHS in Cornwall or the Isles of Scilly. We are committed to supporting our dedicated staff, so only current employees of the following organisations can apply:

• Cornwall Foundation Trust
• Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
• Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board

If you do not currently work for one of these NHS organisations, your application will not be considered at this time.