Ward Manager

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust; Preston; On-site; GBP 49,000 - 57,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free staff parking

Onsite restaurant facilities

Job summary

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust in Preston is seeking an experienced nurse leader to manage a defined clinical area within Guild Lodge hospital. The post requires line management of a team of nurses, and accountability for clinical and financial performance.

You will drive continuous improvement, oversee sickness and absence, and champion staff development through coaching and education. A relevant degree and UK registration are essential.

Qualifications

• Registered Mental Nurse (RNMH) or Registered Learning Disabilities (RNLD).
• Evidence of continuing professional development (CPD) and a relevant degree.
• UK professional registration and working in a secure mental health setting.

Responsibilities

• Line manage and supervise a team of nurses in a defined clinical area.
• Ensure effective management of sickness, absence, leave and investigations.
• Deliver clinical care improvements and lead on care improvement initiatives.
• Oversee clinical and financial performance and governance.

Skills

Leadership

Clinical supervision

Decision making

Communication

Education

RNMH or RNLD

Degree qualification relevant to field

Continuing professional development (CPD)

Job description

Site Guild Lodge Town Preston Salary £49,387 - £56,515 per annum (subject to confirmation) Salary period Yearly Closing 04/10/2026 23:59

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.

Inpatient wards / units are designed to meet the acute holistic needs of service users/patients and carers, in a recovery focussed environment. This working environment is conducive to staff development and wellbeing.

The post holder is responsible for line managing and supervising a team of nurses and is directly responsible for the clinical and financial performance of a defined clinical area. The post holder is also required to ensure the effective management of sickness and absence, leave allocation, disciplinary investigations, complaints and local post incident reviews.

Main duties of the job

Successful applicants will be able to experience a broad range of clinical specialities and have access to a comprehensive package of leadership coaching, education and clinical support.

This post will be suited to someone with experience of understanding, managing challenging and emotionally demanding clinical presentations. The individual will be able to guide, support, supervise and role-model on how to respond to these challenges.

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

Guild Lodge hospital site is situated in beautiful rural area, yet close to motorway links from all directions of travel.

The hospital site offers:

• Free staff parking
• Onsite restaurant facilities

Our staff receive:

• Preceptorship and support for those new to the services
• Access to salary sacrifice schemes for cars, electronics etc.
• Excellent support and Wellbeing services
• Superb external training and development opportunities
• Opportunities to develop leadership skills across differing care environments

Person specification

Qualifications

• Registered Mental Nurse (RNMH) or Registered Learning Disabilities (RNLD)
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Degree qualification relevant to field

Knowledge

• Knowledge of factors affecting secure mental health care and the contemporary mental health agenda
• Ability to analyse problems, gather relevant information and exercise sound judgement in reaching the most appropriate conclusions
• Ability to prioritise workload, work at a fast pace and meet deadlines
• Able to demonstrate a history of leading on clinical care improvement initiatives.

Experience

• At least 12 months at band 6 or above.
• Recent relevant experience of leading a team and providing care in secure setting
• Experience of working with and using a variety of models and approaches to care
• Experience of staff performance management

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).

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.