Senior Nurse - Out of Hours

LSCft; Preston; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT) invites applications for an Inpatient Senior Nurse within the Forensic Inpatient Service based at Guild Lodge. The role emphasizes leadership of wards, support to patients and staff, and a commitment to high standards of care.

The post involves night shifts with rotation to days as required, contributing to 24-hour clinical leadership. DBS checks are required and access to development opportunities is provided.

Qualifications

• Registered Mental Health Nurse with evidence of NMC.
• Evidence of CPD.
• Knowledge of contemporary mental health nursing.
• Understanding of clinical risk assessment and harm minimisation.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership to professional and direct care staff on inpatient wards.
• Cover night shifts predominantly with occasional day shifts to ensure 24-hour clinical leadership.
• Be visibly present on wards and provide advice and support to patients and staff.

Skills

Leadership

Clinical leadership

CPD

Clinical risk assessment

Safeguarding

Education

Registered Mental Health Nurse with evidence of NMC

Job description

Our Vision is to provide the best mental health, learning disability, autism, community, and physical health services for the populations we serve.

As an integrated Trust, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT) delivers a comprehensive range of services, including:

• Primary and secondary mental health care for children and adults, including specialist inpatient child and adolescent mental health provision, perinatal mental health, and forensic services with low and medium secure care.
• Specialist mental health inpatient care for individuals with learning disabilities, alongside specialist community support for children and adults with learning disabilities and autism, including intensive support.
• Extensive community physical health and well‑being services for children and adults, covering prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and long‑term condition management.

The Trust was first established in 2002 and employs approximately 7,500 staff who provide care from more than 400 sites. The organisation offers opportunities for medics, mental health, general nurses, children’s nurses, allied health professionals, psychology, administration and clerical staff, apprentices and volunteers, as well as those specialising in learning disabilities and community physical health services.

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced leader who is seeking an Inpatient Senior Nurse role here within the Forensic Inpatient Service based at Guild Lodge.

Are you compassionate, inclusive, with a can‑do approach to changing the way in which we work to have positive outcomes for those we care for. Are you a leader who engages others well to get the best out of them and looking to work within a supportive Leadership Team. If yes, then we could have the position you, in return for your skills, experience and drive for high quality care you will receive continued support and development.

Main duties of the job

The inpatient units are designed to meet the holistic needs of service users/patients and carers, in a working environment conducive to staff development and wellbeing. The post holder supports the delivery of the inpatient hospital model providing leadership to professional and direct care staff.

The post holder will be expected to cover night shifts predominantly but there will be an expectation to rotate onto days when required. This shift pattern will support and compliment the team to ensure 24 hours clinical leadership and expertise cover is provided. As a senior nurse you will support our Forensic inpatient service.

The senior nurse will provide a visible, accessible and authoritative presence on wards, to whom patients and staff can turn for assistance, advice and support.

The Senior nurse must be clinically up to date and creditable/have clinical skills expecting others to perform and passionate about driving up clinical and professional standards

An enhanced DBS disclosure must be undertaken for this role.

For further details / informal visits contact: Jason Drake on 01772 406643 or Sam Ferguson on 01772 520147

Working for our organisation

LSCFT values diversity and inclusion, recognising that talent from varied backgrounds creates a flexible, creative, and effective workforce. We actively challenge discrimination and welcome applications from all, regardless of age, disability (including those with experience of accessing or caring for someone who has accessed mental health or learning disability services), ethnicity, gender, religion, belief, or sexual orientation.

Our aim is to reflect the communities we serve, so we particularly encourage applications from under‑represented groups. If you’d like to discuss your application, please ask.

We also welcome individuals with lived experience relevant to the role or service area, as your insight brings authenticity to our services.

LSCFT support flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as term time, part time, compressed hours and flexi‑time.

The wellbeing of our people is at the heart of everything we do. We offer a wide range of resources, tools and support to help you thrive both in and out of work.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For more details on this vacancy please review the attached job description and person specification.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Registered Mental Health Nurse with evidence of NMC
• Evidence of CPD

Knowledge

• Up to date knowledge of contemporary mental health nursing
• Detailed understanding of Clinical Risk Assessment and Management/Harm Minimisation and its application in practice.
• Detailed understanding of safeguarding

Experience

• Experience in a senior nursing post
• Understanding of professional nursing issues

You are advised to consider applying for LSCFT vacancies as soon as possible as in some instances vacancies are closed as soon as a sufficient number of applications have been received. If you are not invited to interview within four weeks of the closing date then please assume that on this occasion you have been unsuccessful, as it is not possible to contact all unsuccessful candidates.

Please note that further communication from LSCFT will normally be to the email address given on the application form. You should also ensure that email addresses and telephone numbers are provided for your referees, to enable LSCFT to contact them.

Please ensure that you read the person specification as your application will be measured against this document.

If you use AI to assist with your application, you must declare this. Undeclared use may result in withdrawal. Please ensure your application reflects your own skills and experiences. While AI tools can assist, they may produce generic or inaccurate content. We encourage you to provide personal examples that demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria.

For all posts which require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check please be aware of the Disclosure and Barring Service Code of Practice, a copy of which is available by logging on to the DBS website. If the post is subject to DBS disclosure, a charge will be made to the successful candidate(s).

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.

Application numbers

This vacancy may close early if it receives a high number of applications. You are therefore advised to consider applying for this vacancy as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.