Job summary
- Main area
- Mental Health
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Part time - 28.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 354-AB-21043
- Employer
- Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Mill View Hospital
- Town
- Hove
- Salary
- £38,682 - £46,580 Pro Rata for Part Time
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 17/02/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Place of Safety Charge Nurse
NHS AfC: Band 6
Come and join us
We’re looking for people who share our values of compassion, accountability and optimism to help us provide high quality care for the patients, carers, families and communities we serve. We specialise in NHS mental health and learning disability services and we’re proud to make a difference every day.
At SPFT we put people first. We’ll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. You’ll have opportunities to learn, grow and gain new experiences to support your career, with access to lifelong learning and professional development.
We actively promote flexible working and understand how important work life balance is, especially in healthcare. Whether it’s part time hours, hybrid working or flexible start and finish times, we’ll explore what works for you and the role.
We recognise that AI is becoming part of daily life and you may choose to use it to help prepare your application. We welcome innovation but ask that anything you submit reflects your own abilities, experience and voice. AI can support how you describe your skills and experience, but it should never replace your own words as we want to get to know you.
We’re shaping a workplace where ideas are encouraged, technology supports you and everyone has a voice in how we improve. If that sounds like the kind of organisation you want to be part of, we’d love to hear from you.
Job overview
Mill View Hospital is seeking a compassionate and experienced Band 5 or 6 Registered Mental Health Nurse to fill the vacant Band 6 Place of Safety Nurse post. The post holder will work within the Health-Based Place of Safety, supporting people detained under Section 135 or Section 136 of the Mental Health Act during periods of acute mental health crisis.
The post holder will provide direct, hands-on nursing care to individuals admitted to the Place of Safety, ensuring safe, therapeutic and person-centred care from admission through assessment and onward transfer or discharge. In addition, the post holder will act as the most senior nurse on duty out of hours across the hospital, providing leadership, oversight and decision-making to support safe and effective service delivery.
This is a varied and rewarding role combining expert clinical practice, crisis intervention, senior decision-making and partnership working with service users, carers and multi-agency colleagues.
This post is eligible for the Trust’s £2,000 Golden Hello or Relocation Incentive for Band 6 Nurses and Practitioners (pro rata and subject to terms and conditions – please see the Trust protocol document for full details).
Main duties of the job
- Provide direct nursing care to individuals detained under Section 135 or Section 136 within the Health-Based Place of Safety.
- Receive and admit individuals into the Place of Safety suite, completing initial nursing, risk and physical health assessments and ensuring immediate safety and comfort.
- Deliver compassionate, recovery-focused care throughout the individual’s stay, including observation, engagement, de-escalation and ongoing risk management.
- Act as the senior nurse in charge out of hours, providing leadership, advice and support to staff across the hospital.
- Lead and complete a safety huddle at the start of each shift, ensuring risks, staffing, acuity and priorities are clearly identified and communicated.
- Respond to and manage clinical, environmental and operational incidents, ensuring appropriate escalation, documentation and follow-up.
- Work in partnership with carers, families and advocates, ensuring they are appropriately involved, informed and supported in line with consent, confidentiality and legal frameworks.
- Promote safe, kind and effective care in line with SPFT values and national best practice.
Working for our organisation
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (SPFT) provides specialist mental health across Sussex. We are committed to delivering safe, kind and effective care, putting people who use our services, their carers and families at the heart of everything we do.
We value diversity, inclusion and shared leadership and are committed to supporting staff wellbeing, learning and development. SPFT actively encourages reflective practice, innovation and continuous improvement, creating environments where staff feel supported, empowered and valued.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Clinical care within the Place of Safety
- Provide direct, hands-on nursing care to individuals detained under Sections 135 and 136 of the Mental Health Act.
- Admit individuals into the Place of Safety suite, completing comprehensive mental health, risk and physical health assessments.
- Develop, implement and review nursing care plans in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team.
- Provide therapeutic engagement, reassurance and crisis intervention, promoting dignity, recovery and least-restrictive practice.
- Maintain appropriate levels of observation and risk management, responding promptly to changes in presentation.
- Support timely Mental Health Act assessments and coordinate care to enable safe onward transfer or discharge.
Out-of-hours senior nurse leadership
- Act as the most senior nurse on duty out of hours, providing clinical leadership and decision-making across the hospital.
- Offer advice, guidance and support to nursing and multidisciplinary staff in managing complex situations.
- Maintain oversight of staffing levels, patient acuity and environmental risks, taking proactive steps to ensure safety.
- Respond to incidents and emergencies, managing immediate risks and ensuring appropriate escalation.
Safety, quality and governance
- Lead the shift safety huddle, ensuring shared awareness of risks, learning and key priorities.
- Ensure incidents, near misses and safeguarding concerns are reported accurately and in a timely manner.
- Contribute to learning from incidents, audits and service improvement initiatives.
- Promote a culture of openness, reflection and continuous improvement.
Professional leadership and partnership working
- Act as a role model for compassionate, professional and inclusive nursing practice.
- Support and guide junior staff, students and newly appointed colleagues.
- Work collaboratively with AMHPs, police, ambulance services, medical staff and other partner agencies.
- Recognise and value the role of carers and families, ensuring they are appropriately involved, informed and supported.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Registered RMN with current registration
- Evidence of continuous professional development
Knowledge/Experience
Essential criteria
- Significant post qualifying experience relevant to the care group
- Experience of supervising staff and students
- Experience of working alongside people with severe mental health problems particularly in their acute phase of illness
- Experience of working within a multi-disciplinary team
- Experience of conducting clinical assessments including risk assessments
- Understanding of clinical governance
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Amy Hodgkins
- Job title
- POS Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 03003040085
- Additional information
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