Head of Nursing (Adult Acute Care)

Devon Partnership NHS Trust; Exeter; On-site; GBP 74,000 - 86,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a passionate Head of Nursing for Adult Mental Health Acute Care. This pivotal role involves strategic leadership and oversight of nursing practices within a newly formed Adult Acute Care Directorate. The successful candidate will drive quality governance, workforce development, and clinical excellence, ensuring compassionate, evidence-based care for individuals in acute mental health crises. Join a forward-thinking organization committed to promoting good mental health and wellbeing, where your leadership will foster a culture of inclusivity and empowerment, making a significant impact in the lives of patients and their families.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in nursing leadership and mental health care.
• Strong understanding of clinical governance and regulatory standards.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership to nursing teams ensuring high-quality care.
• Champion trauma-informed practices and patient safety initiatives.

Skills

Leadership in Nursing

Mental Health Care

Clinical Governance

Trauma-Informed Care

Patient Safety

Workforce Development

Education

Registered Nurse Qualification

Nursing Leadership Training

Job description

Location: Exeter, EX2 5AF
Salary: £74,290.00 to £85,601.00
Date posted: 9th May 2025
Closing date: 13th June 2025

Head of Nursing Adult Mental Health Acute Care

Are you an experienced nursing leader passionate about delivering high-quality mental health care? We are seeking a Head of Nursing to join us in the transformation and creation of a new Adult Acute Care Directorate.

Working alongside the Service Director and Clinical Director, the Head of Nursing for Adult Mental Health Acute Care is a key leadership role within the Adult Directorate Senior Leadership Team, providing strategic and professional oversight across inpatient wards, including the Place of Safety. Working closely with the Trust Lead Nursing and Professions Team, this role ensures the highest standards of nursing practice, staff development, and patient care.

The Head of Nursing drives quality governance, workforce planning, and clinical service improvements, fostering a culture of compassionate, inclusive leadership. They will champion trauma-informed care, patient and family engagement, and adherence to professional standards and regulatory requirements, ensuring safe, high-quality, and evidence-based care for individuals experiencing acute mental health crises.

Our Adult Acute Care Directorate is a newly established service, and as such, the teams and care pathways are still being defined.

Currently, the following services sit within this evolving framework:

• Adult Inpatient Wards
• Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit
• Place of Safety
• Patient Flow Optimisation

Main duties of the job

• Strategic Nursing Leadership: Provides professional leadership to Acute Care Teams, ensuring high-quality, safe, and compassionate care.
• Workforce Development & Retention: Supports recruitment, training, and development of nursing staff, fostering continuous professional growth.
• Clinical Excellence & Best Practice: Ensures nursing standards align with evidence-based practices, regulatory requirements, and national healthcare priorities.
• Patient Safety & Quality Assurance: Leads initiatives to maintain high patient safety standards, oversee governance structures, and promote continuous service improvements.
• Trauma-Informed & Patient-Centred Care: Champions compassionate, recovery-oriented, and trauma-informed nursing practices that empower patients and families.
• Operational Efficiency & System Leadership: Collaborates with multidisciplinary teams to optimize patient flow, discharge planning, and care coordination.
• Nursing Professional Standards & Accountability: Ensures adherence to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code of Practice, promoting professionalism, safety, and trust.
• Inclusive & Compassionate Leadership: Embodies and promotes a workplace culture of respect, diversity, empowerment, and psychological safety for nursing staff.

About us

We provide mental health, learning disability, and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high-quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do.

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience but also seek individuals who demonstrate behaviors underpinning our Trust's core values, such as commitment to quality care, respect, dignity, compassion, and continuous improvement. We aim to embody these values daily through our interactions and work environment.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer & encourage applications from all sections of the community, regardless of protected characteristics as per the Equality Act 2010. Part-time & flexible working applications will be considered and supported. We particularly welcome applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity, or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.

Job responsibilities

The post holder will be part of the Senior Leadership Team within the Adult Directorate, with a direct link to the Trust Lead Nursing and Professions Team (Chief Nursing Officer, Deputy Director Nursing, and Associate Director Nursing). Alongside Clinical and Medical colleagues, they will be responsible for the professional leadership of the Adult Inpatient Wards, including the Place of Safety, ensuring compassionate, high-quality care.

Professional Standards and accountability: The Head of Nursing for Adult Inpatient Services is responsible for maintaining nursing professional standards across all inpatient areas, ensuring compliance with the NMC Code of Practice. They will lead infection prevention and control standards, safe staffing, and promote efficiency within inpatient settings, working closely with all multidisciplinary colleagues, including Allied Health Professionals.

Culture: They will promote a culture of compassionate, inclusive leadership where staff understand their roles, feel valued, and are motivated to deliver excellent patient care. This includes championing the Triangle of Care with carers and families, fostering diversity, and creating an environment free of bullying where staff empowerment and continuous learning are prioritized.

Developing Clinical Practice: The role involves reviewing and developing evidence-based clinical protocols, incorporating coproduced care planning, trauma-informed care, therapeutic relationships, and cultural competence. The Head of Nursing will critically analyze research and translate it into meaningful staff training.

Quality, Patient Safety & Governance: They will work with multidisciplinary teams to ensure continuous quality improvement, establish governance structures, monitor quality metrics, and respond swiftly to any issues. They will support the Trust's People Strategy and lead clinical practice reflection spaces.

Performance Leadership: Focus on optimizing patient flow, discharge planning, and care coordination, promoting patient experience measures and clinical outcomes to improve overall service quality.