Ward Manager - Ridgeway

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust; Tees Valley; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust seeks a Ward Manager for Ridgeway within the Secure Inpatient Services. The role leads a dedicated team delivering person‑centred care in a Medium/Low Secure environment, ensuring safety, risk management and collaborative care planning.

The post requires current NMC registration (RMN/RNMH/RNLD), a Master’s level qualification or equivalent experience, and demonstrated leadership, supervision and governance skills to support recovery‑focused pathways

Qualifications

• Current professional registration with Nursing & Midwifery Council (RMN / RNMH / RNLD)
• Master’s level education in a subject area relevant to the area of practice OR equivalent clinical experience (band 6 or above) with significant people management
• Trained in Clinical Supervision and providing clinical supervision
• Recognised Practice Assessor/ Practice Supervisor

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage wards in a secure inpatient setting with emphasis on trauma-informed, recovery‑focussed care
• Promote collaborative working with service users, families and external partners
• Demonstrate governance, risk management and safeguarding in daily practice
• Support quality improvement initiatives and auditing of practice standards
• Influence and model compassionate leadership and staff development

Skills

Leadership

Risk assessment

Collaborative practice

Governance

Quality improvement

People management

Education

NMC registered nurse (RMN/RNMH/RNLD)

Master's degree in relevant field

Equivalent clinical experience to master's level

Clinical supervision training

Recognised Practice Assessor/ Supervisor

Job description

Go back Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust

Ward Manager - Ridgeway

The closing date is 28 September 2026

An exciting fixed term (9 months) opportunity has arisen for a Ward Manager in Ridgeway to work as part of the Secure Inpatient Services.

We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.

The Secure Inpatient Service provides a specialist service for adults with a mental health disorder, learning disability or autism who exhibit behaviours of concern to others and to themselves. The service provides individualised, comprehensive packages of care within Medium and Low Secure inpatient settings and has links to High Secure services and prisons.

The ethos of the service is to work collaboratively with service users and carers in the completion of assessments, treatment, intervention planning and rehabilitation to enable a person-centered recovery-focused approach to care, meeting their needs in a holistic manner.

You must have the Right to Work in the UK in order to be successfully appointed to this role. Please note, due to the fixed term period of less than 12 months, the role would not be eligible for sponsorship under the Health and Care (Skilled Worker) visa. Health and Care Worker visa.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will need to have a genuine desire to improve the lives of individuals in secure services and will be expected to demonstrate knowledge of issues relating to Mental Health, Learning and Disability or Autism, risk assessment, safety and preventing harm and should understand the importance of collaboration and service user involvement on recovery. The successful candidate will demonstrate skills in collective leadership and compassionate focused care.

We're committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.

We won't rest until everyone in our region has the mental health care they need, to lead their best possible life.

We fully embrace the Key Principles of "Valuing People" through adopting a positive and proactive approach to Service User involvement and Clinical Governance. In addition, the successful candidates will need to demonstrate sound leadership and managerial qualities.

Experience of Forensic services desirable however not essential.

About us

We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.

From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care --our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.

We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.

We're committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.

We won't rest until everyone in our region has the mental health care they need, to lead their best possible life.

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for further detailed information to ensure that you meet the role criteria before applying.

For an informal discussion about this post please contact: Service Manager Nicola Foreman.

Person Specification

Qualification

• Current professional registration with Nursing & Midwifery Council (RMN / RNMH / RNLD)
• Be educated to Master's level in a subject area relevant to the area of practice OR.
• Have equivalent clinical experience to that of master's level such as working as a band 6 (or above) in relevant clinical area with significant experience - which also includes significant experience of managing people. (see below under experience), together with evidence of relevant CPD
• Be trained in Clinical Supervision and providing clinical supervision
• Be a Recognised Practice Assessor/Practice Supervisor

Experience

• Significant experience of managing people
• Significant experience working with patients with complex needs in the specialist field
• Significant experience working with patients who display risk behaviours
• Working collaboratively with others (external partners, staff, service users and their families/carers)
• Working knowledge of the legal framework and statutory obligations under the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and other relevant legislation
• Detailed understanding of Safeguarding and its application in practice
• Risk assessment and management and its application in practice.
• Working knowledge of clinical medicines management
• Developing, maintaining and auditing practice standards
• Evidence of training in Quality Improvement methodology or coaching, and/or using same in quality improvement

Knowledge/Skills/Experience

• Knowledge of current issues relating to health needs of patients in the field of practice, regionally and nationally
• Research methodology
• The Trust's Quality Improvement system (QIS) - or completion of training within agreed timescale
• Governance and its application in practice
• Understanding of psychological models of care and treatment (depending on specialist area)

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.

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust