Lead Nurse

NHS; Warrington; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Job summary

North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced Lead Nurse to provide strategic and operational nursing leadership across community and dental services. You will champion patient safety, governance and learning while translating clinical strategy into safe, effective delivery.

You will lead on quality, performance and service improvement, line-manage three Professional Leads, and collaborate with Clinical Directors to drive transformational change within the Trust.

Qualifications

• Registered nurse with senior clinical management experience.
• Strong knowledge of NHS governance and patient safety.
• Proven ability to lead quality, performance and service improvement.

Responsibilities

• Lead quality, patient safety, clinical governance and risk management across Community and Dental Services.
• Monitor nursing standards, workforce, performance and resources using data; identify risks and improve outcomes.
• Lead service improvement and transformation with a focus on patient-centred pathways.
• Provide line management and professional leadership to three Professional Leads.

Skills

Leadership

Clinical governance

Patient safety

Data analysis

Staff management

Education

NMC registered nurse

Job description

Go back North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (BCH)

Lead Nurse

The closing date is 22 September 2026

*Please note this post is internal to North Cheshire and Mersey employees *

Are you an experienced, compassionate and independentlyminded senior nurse ready to shape the quality, safety and performance ofcommunity and dental services?

As Lead Nurse, you will be a visible member of the CareGroup senior leadership team, providing strategic and operational nursingleadership across the Community and Dental Clinical Business Units. Reportingto the Associate Chief Nurse, you will work closely with Clinical Directors, ClinicalBusiness Unit Managers and professional leads to translate clinical strategyinto safe, effective and sustainable services.

You will champion patient safety, clinical governance andlearning; use complex data and professional judgement to improve quality,productivity and performance; and lead service improvement and transformationalchange. Through a coaching and values-led approach, you will engage and empowerstaff, strengthen patient-centred pathways and build effective partnershipsacross organisational boundaries.

We are seeking a credible, resilient and motivated registerednurse with recent senior clinical management experience, includingresponsibility for quality, people, budgets and performance. You will bringexcellent communication, negotiation and influencing skills, sound knowledge ofNHS governance, and the confidence to resolve complex issues and lead throughchange while role modelling the Trusts values.

Main duties of the job

The Lead Nurse will provide visible professional leadershipacross community and dental services, translating clinical strategy into safe,effective and sustainable delivery.

The post holder will:

Lead quality, patient safety, clinicalgovernance and risk management, ensuring learning from incidents, feedback andgood practice is embedded.

Monitornursing standards, workforce, performance and resources, using data andprofessional judgement to identify risks, improve outcomes and provideassurance.

Leadservice improvement and transformation, supporting patient-centred pathways,effective use of resources and delivery of agreed priorities.

Provideline management, coaching and professional leadership to three ProfessionalLeads, developing capable, inclusive and high-performing teams.

Workwith clinical, operational and corporate colleagues, commissioners and partnersto influence decisions and support integrated care.

Representthe Care Group and Trust at senior forums and participate in the on-call rota.

About us

Flexible working will be considered for all roles.

North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (NCM) serves more than one million residents across the Halton and Warrington boroughs and the wider North West region.

Bringing together community and out-of-hospital services (formerly provided by Bridgewater Community Healthcare) with inpatient and elective care (formerly Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals) we provide services at two hospital sites and more than 70 community hubs and facilities.

Our mission, vision and values are at the heart of North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (NCM).

They underpin everything we do and everything we aspire to be as an organisation.

Our mission

We will be exceptional for our patients, our communities and each other

Our vision

We will be a great organisation providing excellent healthcare and opportunities to work and learn

Our values

• Kind: We are caring, supportive and respectful to everyone
• Open: We are honest, transparent and open to new ways of working
• Fair: We listen, value our differences and are inclusive to all
• One team: We work well together and with our communities

Job responsibilities

Role summary

An experienced, motivated and independently mindedleader who is able to act on their own initiative, achieving outstandingperformance as a role model of the trusts values and behaviours. With a cando leadership style the Lead Nurse will thrive within a climate of constantchange managing the strategic direction and performance with a strong focus onproductivity and improved patient experience for the Clinical Business Unitswithin a designated Division of the Trust.

Reporting to the Associate Chief Nurse, the postholder is expected to function at a senior level within the CBUs seniorleadership team, proactively leading and providing solutions to resolve complexoperational issues, in accordance with agreed Trust objectives, targets,quality standards and resource constraints.The Lead Nurse will have managerial experience in leading teams and willpossess leadership skills to deal competently with complex issues in ensuringthat policy is implemented and performance managed within the CBUs.

Working closely with the Clinical Directors, and CBUManagers, the Lead nurse, will lead the implementation of patient centredclinical operational strategy and plans, ensuring that systems and processesare in place to comply with relevant legislation and governance requirements,linking with external bodies such as commissioners about service developments,contracts and clinical care pathways whilst utilising the expertise and skillsof the wider Divisional team.

As a member of the care groups senior leadershipteam and Divisional management structure, the Lead Nurse contributes tostrategic direction and policy setting for the Division, forming an essentialcommunications link between the Division, CBU and relevant externalorganisations, demonstrating a coaching style of leadership in ensuring thatclinical, staff and stakeholder engagement is reflected in the decision-makingprocess.

Maintasks and responsibilities

QualityDelivering excellence to our patients

We will reduceharm and focus on having no avoidable deaths by managing and reducing clinicaland operational risks.

Quality& Performance

Activelydevelop a culture of quality and productivity to improve patient care andservices by leading on improving the delivery of patient care and services byanalysis of complex data and information, developing and implementing solutionsto enhance quality and meet performance targets.

Asa minimum the post holder is responsible for:

Leading thedevelopment of a strong commercial culture within the Clinical Business Unitsfocused on quality and performance for the patient and service user.

Demonstratingstrong business and quality driven nursing leadership within the ClinicalBusiness Units.

Monitoring anddelivery of key performance, access targets contractual obligations and nursingquality standards, CQUINS and CQC standards using data and information tosupport decisions, promptly escalating issues which cant be resolved.

Contributing toreviewing business and service performance within the Clinical Business Units,reporting on nursing performance to the Clinical business units seniorleadership team, and directly to the Divisional team, performance reviews andother relevant meetings internally and externally to the Trust when required,instigating agreed remedial action where necessary.

Leada culture of ensuring patient safety through adherence to legal obligations andsafety requirements by reviewing and challenging risks and progress on plans toaddress risk. As a minimum the post holder is responsible for:

Ensuring thatpatient safety and other health and safety requirements are at the top of theagenda in the operational delivery of day-to-day services within nursing andacross the Clinical Business Units, promptly dealing with issues which arise,and promptly escalating those which cannot be resolved.

Leading theimplementation and monitoring of appropriate governance and risk systems,ensuring that the Clinical Business Units adhere to the Trust Risk Managementpolicy and procedures, reporting and proactively finding solutions to addressrisk, leading and monitoring progress on mitigation plans within the ClinicalBusiness Units.

Embedding alearning organisational culture to review risk, learning from incidents andnear misses, by leading a solution focused approach to review, ensuring thatlessons are learned and shared.

We will improveoutcomes based on evidence and deliver care in the right place, first time,every time.

Transformation

Leadon identifying appropriate quality improvement activities and projects ensuringthat resources and support are in place and progress is being made. Ensure astructured project management approach is used to plan and proactively managetransformational change. As a minimum the post holder is responsible for:

Working underthe direction of the Clinical Directors, and alongside the CBU Managers, toensure an implementation plan and monitoring process is in place to deliver theclinical service strategy for the Clinical Business Units, identifying andraising new opportunities and service improvements that will enhance patientcare and services.

Contribute tothe implementation of major service delivery and transformation plans acrossthe care group, including those involving cross pathway working internally andexternally in support of enhanced patient care and quality of services usingestablished quality improvement methodology.

ServiceImprovement

Leada culture of Quality Improvement, which produces new ideas, approaches,innovation or insights, ensuring that plans are developed and taken forward to improve patient care and services. As aminimum the post holder is responsible for:

Encouraging aclimate that allows front line staff to question and redefine how their work isundertaken, ensuring the on-going development of patient centred care and cost-effectiveuse of resources.

Supporting thefuture orientated patient care and service pathways to improve standards ofcare, address governance issues, improve efficiency and tariff income.

Supporting andleading where appropriate, on the project management of service developments toensure key targets are achieved, including cross cutting themes and patientpathways, contributing to the delivery of transformational work streams.

We will focus onthe patient and their experience, adopting no decision about me without me asa way of life and we will get the basics right so our patients will be warm,safe, clean, well fed and well cared for.

Promoteand role model the Trust values, leadership expectations and behaviours.Advocate the value of diversity and equal opportunities in all business andservices provided by the Trust. As a minimum the post holder is responsiblefor:

Leading thepromotion of the trusts values, standards and behaviour within the delivery ofimproved health services to the local population.

Being anauthentic, compassionate and conscientious leader, a role model to all withinthe Clinical Business Units.

Promoting andcelebrating diversity and equal opportunities for provision of services andwithin the workforce. Upholds ethics and values; demonstrates integrity;promotes and defends equal opportunities, builds diverse team.

PeopleCommitted to and caring for our staff

We will ensurethat our teams are skilled, available in the right numbers to deliver ourservices and fit and well in work so that we improve their working lives.

Delivery

Leadon identifying and cascading appropriate challenging goals and objectivesensuring that the vision, values and strategic themes of the Trust are beingtranslated into clear goals and objectives in business and workforce plans andPDRs. As a minimum the post holder is responsible for:

Ensuring thatimplementation plans and monitoring processes are in place to deliver clinicaloperational plans with particular emphasis on quality standards andcontribution of the nursing service on behalf of the Clinical Business Units,including monitoring systems, structures and processes for managing clinicalquality, risk, and controls assurance.

Assisting theClinical Directors and Associate Director of Operations in monitoring capitaland revenue budgets for the Clinical Business Units, particularly in relationto nursing service cost ensuring that robust monitoring and checking systemsare in place, escalating issues where remedial action is necessary.

Encourageand promote a culture of health and well-being as a key ingredient in buildingpositive and productive team working and relationships which lead to improvedquality of patient care, improved patient outcomes and improved services. As a minimum the post holder isresponsible for:

Working with thesenior leadership team, support the development of nurses, within the ClinicalBusiness Unit to ensure that patient care and services are led by competent,capable, high performing teams.

Working with thesenior leadership team, ensure that staff health and well-being is at the heartof all people management practice, and that there are mechanisms in place todevelop resilience, reduce pressure points, and provide support for staff tomanage their working lives, including application of Trust HR policy as andwhen required.

Person Specification

Mental Effort

• Work in an environment with frequent interruptions, and within stressful, unpredictable situations including responding to and solving urgent and emergency situations day to day.
• Deal with uncertainty in a political environment.

Physical Skills

• IT literate and able to use standard office software and bespoke systems.

Relationships

• If you are related to a director or have a relationship with a director or employee of an appointing organisation, please state the relationship.

Qualifications

• Clinical Professional Qualification.
• Degree level or equivalent.

Experience

• Recent experience as a clinical manager, with responsibility for clinical quality, people management, budget responsibility and successful delivery of performance targets and quality standards within strict financial controls.

Right to Work

• Do you currently have the unrestricted right to work in the UK?
• If appointed, will you require sponsorship under a UK work visa route (now or in the future)?
• Please note that sponsorship is not available for all roles. Sponsorship will only be considered where the post meets the relevant UK immigration requirements and where the organisation determines that sponsorship is appropriate for the role.
• Understanding and appreciation of diversity.
• Coaching & values led leadership style, encouraging engagement and empowerment amongst staff and stakeholders, and in developing high performing teams
• A high level of communication skills, to include but not exclusively, mediation, negotiation, consultation, facilitation, presentation, training and coaching skills using well developed interpersonal skills to influence, inform, reconcile differences and resolve conflicts.
• Analyse data and information, including preparing responses to issues, weighing risks and forming judgements often within tight timescales.
• Champion the day to day quality of care provided by the nursing profession to meet challenging performance targets within tight financial controls.
• Cope with competing priorities and a demanding workload.
• Key issues and pace of change facing the NHS nationally and locally, assess and describe impact on nursing/clinical professional service.
• Principles and impact of the NHS Constitution
• Knowledge and understanding of computerised financial, management, budgetary management and workforce information systems
• Knowledge and understanding of governance arrangements and standards in the NHS and the wider health and social care economy.
• Solve difficult problems, using a solution focused approach demonstrating competent persuasive and influencing skills.
• Research information and use audit skills to applying findings to influence practice and develop business cases/ plans.
• Competently implement business plans, business cases and project plans in order to deliver the Clinical Service Strategy for the Clinical business unit.
• Implement policy and implementation plans to deliver the clinical strategy and plans ensuring successful implementation.
• Demonstrate competent project management skills
• Imaginative and innovative in developing new ways of working in meeting patient care and service 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.

North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (BCH)