Mental Health Matron

Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; Boston; Hybrid; GBP 49,000 - 57,000; Full time

Job summary

Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) provides integrated health services, including mental health care, across prisons and community settings. This role at HMP North Sea Camp in Boston leads the mental health team with a focus on compassionate, patient-centred care.

The Matron will work closely with the Head of Healthcare and partner organisations to develop pathways, drive service improvement, and ensure governance and safeguarding standards are met, while overseeing

Qualifications

• Registered mental health professional with diploma/degree-level qualification.
• Minimum 2 years’ experience at Band 6 or equivalent.
• Proven leadership and staff management experience.
• Experience working across service boundaries.
• Experience in service transformation and stakeholder engagement.
• Previous experience in prison or secure healthcare settings.

Responsibilities

• Lead the mental health team within the prison healthcare service.
• Deliver effective, compassionate, patient-centred care.
• Be a key member of the leadership team, developing integrated care pathways and driving service improvement.
• Provide clinical and operational leadership to the mental health team.
• Ensure governance, quality assurance, and service development.
• Recruit, supervise, and manage staff performance.
• Ensure compliance with CQC, safeguarding, and security standards.
• Support innovation and continuous improvement in care delivery.
• Liaise with internal and external stakeholders to optimise care pathways.

Skills

Leadership

Staff management

Communication skills

Change management

Stakeholder engagement

Service transformation

Prison healthcare

Education

Registered mental health professional with diploma/degree-level qualification

Job description

Main area Secured Services Grade Band 7 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday - Friday 8 - 4pm) Job ref 270-TH344-HMPNSC

Site HMP North Sea Camp Town Boston Salary £49,387 - £56,515 pa pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 18/09/2026 08:00

Job overview

Lead with Compassion. Deliver with Purpose.

Are you a passionate and experienced mental health professional ready to lead a dedicated team in a unique and rewarding environment? JoinTeam NHFTas aMental Health MatronatHMP North Sea Camp, and help shape the future of secure mental health care.

AtNorthamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT), we’re proud to be ratedOutstandingby the CQC. We’re committed to delivering safe, high-quality care and supporting our staff to thrive.

Please note this post is subject to security vetting. To be considered for this post you will need to have continuously resided in the UK without any breaks for a minimum of 3 years prior to this application and be able to evidence your years of residency. Please note without sufficient evidence your application may not progress.

Main duties of the job

About the Role

As Mental Health Matron, you’ll lead the mental health team within the prison healthcare service, ensuring the delivery of effective, compassionate, and patient-centred care. You’ll be a key member of the leadership team, working closely with the Head of Healthcare and partner organisations to develop integrated care pathways and drive service improvement.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Providing clinical and operational leadership to the mental health team
• Leading on governance, quality assurance, and service development
• Managing recruitment, supervision, and performance of staff
• Ensuring compliance with CQC, safeguarding, and security standards
• Supporting innovation and continuous improvement in care delivery
• Liaising with internal and external stakeholders to optimise care pathways

Working for our organisation

NHFT is an integrated primary care and mental health Trust, providing physical, mental health and specialty services in both hospital settings and out in the community. Because we put the person at the centre of all we do, we focus on delivering care that is as easy to access as possible. This means many of our services can be provided at home, work or in schools. We also provide health services to various prisons and detention centres in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.

NHFT promotes a culture of learning to improve the care and safety of our patients and staff, which focuses on people who enable our Trust to be outstanding by supporting opportunity, innovation, development and growth.

Why Join NHFT?

• Annual Leave: 27 days + 8 bank holidays (rising with service)
• Inclusive and supportive team culture

Be Part of Something Bigger

If you’re ready to lead with integrity, inspire your team, and make a lasting impact on mental health care in a secure setting, we’d love to hear from you.

Learn more about us atwww.nhft.nhs.ukor bit.ly/24hoursinNHFT

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For further information on the advertised role, please refer to the job description located under the Supporting Documents heading. The full person specification can be accessed under the About You Section of the document.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Registered mental health professional with diploma/degree-level qualification

Experience

• Minimum 2 years’ experience at Band 6 or equivalent
• Proven leadership and staff management experience
• Experience working across service boundaries
• Experience in service transformation and stakeholder engagement
• Previous experience in prison or secure healthcare settings

Skills

• Strong communication, organisational, and change management skills

Security Vetting

• The application includes evidence of the required years of UK residency to meet prison vetting standards

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.