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Job summary

Main area
Adult Mental Health
Grade
Band 6
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
342-SEC037-0826
Employer
Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Blackberry Hill Hospital
Town
Bristol
Salary
£39,959 - £48,117 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
07/09/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust logo

Band 6 Charge Nurse - Bristol

Band 6


Job overview

Do you bring passion and commitment to delivering high quality care? Do you understand the clinical and sensory needs of people with a Learning Disability and or Autism?

If you are prepared to deliver evidence-based change to implement clinical service delivery, this role will provide you with a rare and exciting career opportunity.

Cary Ward, Avon and Wiltshire Partnership (AWP) is looking to recruit an exceptional person to provide leadership to support delivery of our vision of excellence to people with a learning disability and autistic people in our specialist acute inpatient mental health services.

The ambition is to deliver specialist, acute mental health care in a setting designed and staffed to meet the specialist environmental and clinical needs of people with a learning disability and or autism where access to mainstream inpatient services cannot be achieved through implementation of reasonable adjustments.

The Cary ward will be a centre of excellence and has been carefully designed to provide services to individuals with autism, learning disabilities and/or mental health disorders. You will be instrumental in the development, implementation and delivery of the clinical and operational model for the inpatient service.

Main duties of the job

To inspire, lead and provide clear leadership to those working on the ward, enabling service delivery of the highest quality, ensuring that people who have Mental Health concerns are provided with a quality, person centred approach to care delivery, which always considers people’s safety, privacy and dignity.

To work within a multi-professional team in an inpatient setting, providing, support, care, and treatment to individuals, within guidelines and protocols identified. Managing the development and practice of a set of therapeutic care skills, making a significant contribution to service users’ psychological, emotional and social wellbeing. Overseeing that the service provided enables patients to reach their optimum level of independence, take responsibility for ensuring individuals and their relatives receive care that prioritises safety, effectiveness, partnership and hope. To provide enhanced support to our service users who often have complex needs.

For a full list of duties and responsibilities please see attached job description.

Working for our organisation

We are the lead provider of healthcare for people with serious mental illness, learning disabilities and autism across Bath and North East Somerset (BaNES), Swindon and Wiltshire, and Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.

We aim to provide High Quality, Compassionate Care everywhere, every day. This means our services will be safe, clinically effective and provide a positive all round experience for our patients, families and carers. And we believe passionately in treating everyone with kindness, respect and empathy.

Key to this is providing a supportive and safe environment for our 4,000 staff where we all feel welcome and able to do the best we can for those we support. Our staff and teams work incredibly hard delivering services across more than 90 locations, covering 2,200miles, to more than 1.8million people.

At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1. Clinical Nursing Practice  
To carry out clinical nursing practice within designated areas, working to provide high quality,  evidence-based nursing assessment, care planning, intervention and evaluation.  
This will include: 
• Utilising excellent communication skills to develop a rapport to be able to provide and receive complex sensitive confidential information including distressing or emotional circumstances.  
• Recognising the potential barriers to communication and practicing with empathy, reassurance and understanding.  
• Undertaking complex comprehensive nursing assessments using analytical and judgement skills on a range of problems requiring investigation.  
• Collaboratively undertaking clinical risk assessments and developing and supporting personal safety plans and crisis and contingency planning with the service user, and where appropriate carers and families. 
• Using professional, clinical knowledge acquired through training to degree/diploma level, supplemented by specialist clinical training and current practice-based evidence to plan and organise provision of care. 
• Planning appropriate care and treatment interventions alongside colleagues, service users and where appropriate carers and families.  
• Providing specialist advice in relation to care to service users and where appropriate carers and families.  
• Delivering a range of psychosocially informed nursing therapies in accordance with service user’s care plans, needs and preferences. 
• Organising complex interventions requiring formulation of need and risk. 
• Demonstrating highly developed nursing skills obtained through practice, understanding the importance of accuracy and a narrow margin for error.  
• Demonstrating a commitment to reducing restrictive practice whilst supporting challenging behaviour and verbal aggression. 
• Delivery of restrictive interventions within Trust and legislative guidance, requiring a varying level of physical effort.  
• Administering appropriate medication within relevant Trust and legislative guidance, by different routes including injectable medicines.  
• Ensuring the ordering, storing and disposal of medication complies with relevant Trust and legislative guidance.  
• Demonstrate a working knowledge of the key elements of the relevant Mental Health Legislation.  
• Collaboratively evaluating the impact and effectiveness of care and working to improve these outcomes. 
• Supervising the practice of less experienced and newly qualified practitioners, student nurses or support worker colleagues. 
• Leading clinical meetings to support the service users journey through the care pathway,  proactively identifying and overcoming barriers to discharge.  
2. Continuing Professional Development  
To maintain and develop professional knowledge, skills and expertise to ensure that practice reflects best practice, remains evidence based, is current and responsive to the changing service user and NHS service 
needs. This will include: 
• Taking responsibility for post-registration education and for continuing professional development as outlined in NMC standards.  
• Participating in education and training opportunities.  
• Undertaking a thorough revalidation process in line with NMC and AWP policy.   
• Maintaining up to date knowledge of the relevant medicines, related medication management issues and act in accordance with the appropriate NMC standards and Trust guidance.  
• Abiding by the legal rules, statutory regulations and professional responsibilities relation to practice as outlined in the NMC code of conduct.  
• Receiving restorative clinical supervision on a regular basis in line with the Trust clinical supervision policy.  
• Engaging in management supervision from an identified line manager, or appropriate delegate in line with the Trust management supervision policy.  
• Engaging with Trust appraisal process in line with policy.  
• Maintaining Health and Safety in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974).  
• Working within the Trust Policies and Procedures .  
3. Education, Development and Collaborative Learning 
To work towards a sustainable culture of continuous collaborative learning to keep own practice clinically current, and to foster a team learning ethos.  This will include: 
• Support effective learning environments by upholding the NHSE Safe Learning Environment Charter principals 
• Modelling nursing skills and promoting the value of clinical nursing to modern mental healthcare at any opportunity including demonstrating own activities to new starters, less experienced practitioners and students.  
• Providing advice, mentoring and supervision (both management and clinical) for colleagues 
• Acting as a Practice Supervisor / Practice Assessor for a range of learners and provide robust practice development and assessment experiences. 
• Support other registrants to undertake a thorough revalidation process in line with NMC and AWP policy.  
4. Recording, Reporting and Communication  
To maintain standards of record keeping and associated administration in accordance with AWP Trust Policy and professional guidelines. This will include: 
• Keeping contemporaneous, chronological and accurate mental health records in accordance with NMC guidelines and Trust policy. 
• Adhere to and role model effective records management in line with Trust policies and procedures.  
• Practice within the legal requirements relevant to the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act Legislation. 
• Taking part in a rolling programme of audit.  
• Participate in relevant practice development, Quality Improvement and/or research activity relevant to practice area  
5. Compassionate Leadership and Management  
To provide clinical leadership for colleagues and external professionals at all levels. Making the best use of resources to ensure the delivery of high-quality care.  Follow Trust policies in relation to the security of the building and service users to ensure safe practice and protection of service users, staff, visitors and members of the public.  
This will include: 
Fulfilling Nurse in Charge role as per AWP guidance.  
Demonstrating effective and appropriate delegation of duties.  
Using own skills, knowledge and resources to provide clinical leadership for all members of the MDT. 
Effectively managing both own time and that of junior staff and students. Deputising for the ward manager in their absence which will include short term roster management.  
Undertaking discharge planning involving the coordination of external organisations.  
Providing supervision for unregistered practitioners and junior registered nurses in accordance with 
Trust management and clinical supervision policies.  
Contribute to the management and development of junior staff through the delivery of clinical teaching. 
Providing appraisals for junior staff in line with Trust appraisal policy.  
Maintaining the safety of service users and staff within the inpatient setting and ensure legal 
obligations are fulfilled.  
Having an understanding of any identified environmental risks and their mitigation plans.  
Taking part in environmental risk assessments as requested. 
Demonstrating safe staffing through the effective use of the electronic rostering system. 
Managing temporary staffing resources in line with AWP guidance. 
Being familiar with and complying with all Policies and Procedures operational within the Trust. 
Contributing to policy and practice changes arising from learning from experience opportunities i.e  audit, complaints, SUI. 
Maintaining stock control and a personal duty of care in relation to equipment and resources. 

Person specification

Registration, Knowledge and Skills

Essential criteria
  • RNLD or RMN with valid NMC registration
  • Substantial experience at band 5
  • Significant experience of working with people who experience mental health difficulties
  • Demonstrate leadership skills – motivating others, using own initiative, change management
  • In depth knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1983
  • Significant experience of effectively coordinating and leading shifts as Nurse in Charge
  • Understanding the importance of Health and Safety
  • Collaboratively manager and support behaviour which may be challenging at times.
  • Maintain patient confidentiality.
Desirable criteria
  • Relevant specialist CPD qualification.
  • Evidence of basic counseling and group work
  • Experience of managing other staff

Employer certification / accreditation badges

NHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardVeteran AwareMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerInclusive Top 50 LogoThe Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion (enei) is the UK's leading employer network covering all aspects of equality and inclusion issues in the workplace.Armed Forces CovenantInclusive Top 50 UK Employers Ranking at 26th logo this yearOnvero (formerly enei) Siler Standard Award for 2024 /2025, known as TIDE

Applicant requirements

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. Please complete and submit your application in good time to avoid disappointment.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Chris Udushirinwa
Job title
Ward Manager
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01173784054
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