Service Manager - Acute Inpatient Services

Morgan Law; Greater London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Morgan Law is seeking a Service Manager 8b for an initial 6-month contract to lead Adult Mental Health Inpatient Services within the NHS. The role requires senior-level NHS experience and the ability to drive safe, person-centred care across wards and pathways.

You will work with the Head of Service, clinical leads and corporate teams to deliver performance, transformation and assurance, focusing on outcomes, safety and value for patients in acute inpatient settings.

Qualifications

• Significant senior management experience in Acute Mental Health services within the NHS.
• Experience delivering inpatient services with patient safety and quality focus.

Responsibilities

• Provide visible operational leadership across Adult Mental Health Inpatient wards and pathways.
• Oversee day-to-day inpatient service delivery, workforce deployment and patient flow.
• Collaborate with clinical leads, matrons and corporate teams to align with Trust strategy.
• Lead service plans, transformation programmes and improvement priorities.
• Ensure robust systems for quality, safety, incidents, safeguarding and compliance.
• Monitor bed occupancy, delayed transfers of care, discharge planning and readmissions.

Job description

Service Manager 8b is required for an initial 6 months with experience of acute Mental Health flow and experience of Adult Mental Health services in the NHS. You will need to have similar senior level experience in the NHS working to at least an 8b and have the ability to deliver the duties as set out below.

The Service Manager for Adult Mental Health Inpatient Services will provide senior operational leadership across the inpatient pathway, working in partnership with clinical, professional and corporate colleagues to ensure services are safe, responsive, recovery-focused and aligned to the Trust's values and strategic priorities.

The post holder will support the delivery of high-quality care by creating the conditions for effective multidisciplinary working, strong ward leadership, purposeful inpatient admissions and timely, person-centred discharge. They will use service intelligence, staff and service user feedback, and partnership working to identify opportunities for improvement and ensure that operational delivery remains focused on outcomes, safety, experience and value.

As a key member of the Adult Inpatient leadership team, the Service Manager will contribute to service planning, transformation and assurance, helping to build resilient teams and sustainable services that respond effectively to local need, regulatory expectations and the wider health and social care context.

Key duties Include:

• Provide visible operational leadership for Adult Mental Health Inpatient services, ensuring safe, effective, compassionate and person-centred care is delivered consistently across all wards and associated pathways
• Be responsible for the day-to-day operational management of the inpatient service, including service delivery, workforce deployment, patient flow, escalation management and delivery of agreed performance standards.
• Work in close partnership with the Head of Service, Clinical Lead, Matrons, Ward Managers, MDT colleagues and corporate teams to ensure operational decisions are clinically informed and aligned to Trust strategy, quality standards and local service priorities.
• Lead the implementation of service plans, transformation programmes and improvement priorities across inpatient services, ensuring actions are delivered, monitored and reported through appropriate governance routes.
• Ensure robust systems are in place to monitor service quality, patient safety, clinical risk, incidents, complaints, safeguarding concerns, restrictive practice, observations, staffing, infection prevention and control, and compliance with relevant legislation and Trust policies.
• Monitor and improve key operational indicators including bed occupancy, delayed transfers of care, clinically ready for discharge, out of area placements, length of stay, readmissions, patient flow, discharge planning and use of temporary staffing