BHSCT - Band 7 Ward Sister/Charge Nurse ref:55900347
Branch: Belfast HSCT
Location: Beechcroft
Directorate: Adult Social & Primary Care Services
Salary: Band 7 (£47,810 - £54,710)
Contract Type: Permanent
Opening date: 11/11/26
Closes: Wed, 25 November 2026 @ 4:30 PM
Interview Dates: To be confirmed
Notes: We accept online applications only.

A waiting list may be created for similar posts that may arise while the waiting list is live, this may include temporary or part-time posts. This will be managed in line with the updated HSC waiting list principles effective from 1 April 2026.

Where a part-time waiting list is required, one part-time waiting list will be created regardless of any specific hours advertised, this waiting list will cover all future vacancies where part-time posts arise. A part-time post is defined as any post that has less than 37.5 hours per week.

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Full job description documents
POST: Ward Sister/Charge Nurse for rotation between Admission Ward, Treatment Ward, and PICU
LOCATION: Beechcroft Mental Health Inpatient Services, CAMHS
BAND: 7
REPORTS TO: Assistant Service Manager

STATEMENT PARTICULAR TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Beechcroft is the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) Regional inpatient unit located in Forster Green Hospital, 110 Saintfield Road.
Beechcroft is for young people under the age of 18 years and is a 25 bedded unit with 4 PICU beds. It has 3 wards: acute admission ward with 15 beds, treatment ward with 10 beds and PICU with 4 beds.

Job Summary / Main Purpose
The Ward Sister/Charge Nurse will be responsible for the management of all resources within their sphere of responsibility. This will include:

• Take continuing overall responsibility for the management of the ward team.
• Ensure a person-centred, recovery focused approach, to the planning and delivery of care, which acknowledges the importance of mental health, physical health, psychology and emotions, family and social support and spiritual belief systems.
• Undertake the role and responsibilities of the Nurse Manager on call on a rota basis, providing support and advice to staff as required.
• Act in accordance with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct and ensures that staff comply with the Code.
• Monitor and maintain the health, safety and security of self and others in own work area.

Main Duties / Responsibilities
For each of the following, the postholder will:

Effective Communication and Team Working

• Lead a multidisciplinary ward based team which includes all those involved in the patient care planning process and the delivery of a therapeutic programme.
• Ensure joint ownership of the delivery of the agreed therapeutic programme.
• Work as an active member of the whole ward team to devise and implement, with the patient, a care plan to meet individually assessed need.
• Build and maintain effective partnerships with referring and discharge agencies promoting effective discharge planning.
• Participate in the assessment of individuals from outside agencies/departments.
• Work with others, both inside and outside the ward, to improve the effectiveness of communication and information sharing.
• Participate in the provision of an effective communication system within the ward e.g. Team Briefing, Multidisciplinary Case Conferences.
• Ensure records are maintained and relevant information provided as required.
• Provide or obtain reports/returns that are required both on a regular and an ad hoc basis.
• Adhere to the Named Nurse Policy.
• Maintain Confidentiality, as defined in Contracts of Employment you are advised that you shall not as an employee of the Belfast Health & Social Care Trust or following the termination of your employment with the Trust disclose, other than to an authorised person or in the course of your duty, without lawful authority any matter or information which you have obtained or to which you have access owing to your official position.

Contribute to the Implementation of Services and Ward Development

• Contribute and participate in the Service Development process, making constructive suggestions as to how Service can be improved in line with the Model of Care.
• Contribute to the further development of the Model of Care, which provides for the treatment of individual patients with respect and allows them to establish and maintain a sense of dignity and self-esteem.
• Contribute effectively to evaluations (e.g. clinical audits, staff / patient satisfaction surveys), and research projects.
• Participate in relevant groups and project work where required, relevant to clinical work and service development.
• Participate in the provision of an effective communication system within the Trust.
• Ensure the Releasing Time to Care (RTTC) Framework is applied to the ward setting.

Management - Delivery of Patient Centred Care

• Assess and make recommendations to the responsible medical officer on the suitability of patients for admission to and discharge from the ward.
• Carry responsibility for the professional nursing input to assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of individual patient care.
• Supervise staff ensuring that individualised patient care is provided and that care plans are implemented.
• Ensure that the individualised care planning process is underpinned by a recovery approach.
• Ensure that all staff work flexibly across all clinical areas to deliver holistic treatment programmes as part of the whole team approach.
• Ensure that agreed Standards of Care are delivered in keeping with the concept of Clinical Governance.
• Ensure families and carers as appropriate are involved in the patients care planning process especially in relation to sharing of information and giving of support.
• Ensure that Safeguarding Children and Safeguarding Adult issues are adhered to within the Trusts Policies and Procedures.
• Ensure that an ongoing daily programme of therapeutic activities based on a learning and skills development ethos is available to each patient.
• Maintain custody of drugs and ensure that the provisions laid down in the DHSS Documents "Use and Control of Medicines" and the N.M.C. Document are adhered to.
• Ensure Individualised Patient programmes will be delivered flexibly in a person-centred way both on and off the ward seeking agreement with patients who will be involved in planning their treatment.

Management

• Delegate appropriate responsibility and authority to staff consistent with effective decision making, whilst retaining overall responsibility and accountability.
• Provide leadership, motivation, clinical advice and support to all staff.
• Manage the sourcing of resources needed for patients.
• Participate in the Recruitment and Selection of staff.
• Ensure that the legal requirements of the Mental Health (NI) Order 1986 are implemented.
• Ensure that Financial Protocol for patient monies and belongings is strictly adhered to.
• Manage the ward budget in terms of Manpower, Goods and Services.
• Ensures registered and non-registered staff receive supervision (professional and clinical).

Develop own Skills and Knowledge and contribute to the Development of others

• Take responsibility for identifying own development needs and set personal development objectives in line with the Trust Personal Performance and Development Review.
• Promote a learning ethos for all of staff team.
• Participate in all relevant aspects of the Trust Learning and Development Programmes.
• Share learning and knowledge, participates in the education and training of other professional staff including induction of new staff and ensure that all staff have a good working knowledge of current mental health legislation.
• Take responsibility for own continuing professional development and performance with regard to current research, modern techniques and methods of nursing and translate these into evidence based practices.
• Participate in the Education of Nurse Learners in accordance with the agreed Curriculum.
• Make appropriate use of personal professional and clinical supervision.

Implementation of Policies/Procedures

• Be fully aware of the Belfast Trust Policies / Procedures and ensure they are implemented.
• Ensure that all policies and procedures are readily available for staff to consult and adhere to.
• Ensure that training in policies and procedures is an integral part of induction and ongoing staff learning and development.

Monitor and Maintains a Safe, Secure and Therapeutic Environment

• Ensure the safety of all patients in accordance with their leave status, grounds and the community.
• Ensure that within all agreed security protocols that patients utilise all resource areas needed to meet their needs as specified in their care plan.
• Establish and maintain, as part of the team, a caring and safe working environment working within legislation and ward procedures on risk management.

On occasions a specific location may be detailed within the Job Description and Specification, however, as and when considered necessary or appropriate, you may be required to transfer to or undertake other duties, commensurate with the band of post, in any location specified by the Trust in order to meet fluctuations or priorities in work demands.

General Responsibilities
Employees of the Trust are required to promote and support the mission and vision of the service for which they are responsible and:

• At all times provide a caring service and to treat those with whom they come into contact in a courteous and respectful manner.
• The post holder will promote and support effective team working, fostering a culture of openness and transparency. The post holder will ensure that they take all concerns raised with them seriously and act in accordance with Belfast Trust's Whistleblowing Policy and their professional code of conduct, where applicable.
• Demonstrate their commitment by their regular attendance and the efficient completion of all tasks allocated to them.
• Comply with the Trust's Smoke Free Policy.
• Carry out their duties and responsibilities in compliance with the Health and Safety Policies and Statutory Regulations.
• Adhere to Equality and Good Relations duties throughout the course of their employment.
• Ensure the ongoing confidence of the public in service provision.
• Maintain high standards of personal accountability.
• Comply with the HPSS Code of Conduct.

Information Governance
All employees of Belfast Health & Social Care Trust are legally responsible for all records held, created or used as part of their business within the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, including patient/client, corporate and administrative records whether paper based or electronic and also including e-mails. All such records are public records and are accessible to the general public, with limited exceptions, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Environment Regulations 2004, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Employees are required to be conversant and to comply with the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust policies on Information Governance including for example the ICT Security Policy, Data Protection Policy and Records Management Policy and to seek advice if in doubt.

For further information on how we use your personal data within HR, please refer to the Privacy Notice available on the HUB or Your HR.

Environmental Cleaning Strategy
The Trusts Environmental Cleaning Strategy recognises the key principle that "Cleanliness matters is everyone's responsibility, not just the cleaners". Whilst there are staff employed who are responsible for cleaning services, all Trust staff have a responsibility to ensure a clean, comfortable, safe environment for patients, clients, residents, visitors, staff and members of the general public.

Infection Prevention and Control
The Belfast Trust is committed to reducing Healthcare associated infections (HCAIs) and all staff have a part to play in making this happen. Staff must comply with all policies in relation to Infection Prevention and Control and with ongoing reduction strategies. Standard Infection Prevention and Control Precautions must be used at all times to ensure the safety of patients and staff.
This includes:

• Cleaning hands either with soap and water or a hand sanitiser at the appropriate times (WHO '5 moments');
• Using the correct '7 step' hand hygiene technique;
• Being 'bare below the elbows' when in a clinical environment;
• Following Trust policies and the Regional Infection Control Manual (found on intranet);
• Wearing the correct Personal Protective Equipment (PPE);
• Ensuring correct handling and disposal of waste (including sharps) and laundry;
• Ensuring all medical devices (equipment) are decontaminated appropriately i.e. cleaned, disinfected and/or sterilised;
• Ensuring compliance with High Impact Interventions.

Personal Public Involvement
Staff members are expected to involve patients, clients, carers and the wider community where relevant, in developing, planning and delivering our services in a meaningful and effective way, as part of the Trust's ongoing commitment to Personal Public Involvement (PPI).
Please use the link below to access the PPI standards leaflet for further information.
http://www.publichealth.hscni.net/sites/default/files/PPI_leaflet.pdf

Clause: This job description is not meant to be definitive and may be amended to meet the changing needs of the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.

PERSONNEL SPECIFICATION
JOB TITLE / BAND: Ward Sister/Charge Nurse / Band 7
DEPT / DIRECTORATE: Beechcroft Mental Health Inpatient Services, CAMHS / Mental Health & Intellectual Disability

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

• Registered Nurse on Part 1 (Mental Health) of the live NMC register.
• Have a Nursing Degree AND 3 years' post-registration experience within a mental health setting, OR have 5 years' post-registration experience as a Band 5 including 3 years within a mental health setting and a diploma or equivalent qualification in a health related subject, OR have 5 years' post-registration experience including a minimum of 2 years at Band 6 within a mental health setting.
• Hold a current full driving licence valid in the UK with access to a car.
• Be conversant with current professional issues in relation to nursing.
• Ability to effectively manage a team to ensure positive outcomes for patients/clients.
• Provide evidence of maintaining and monitoring standards which have enhanced the patient/client experience of care.
• Ability to influence and manage change, including the promotion of evidence based practice.
• Have effective communication skills to meet the needs of the post in full.
• Demonstrate ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Have sound knowledge of changing trends within health and social care.
• Provide evidence of continuous personal and professional development.

DESIRABLE CRITERIA

• Evidence of further managerial development.
• IT skills.

If successful you will be required to produce documentary evidence that you are legally entitled to live and work in the United Kingdom. Where a post involves working in regulated activity with vulnerable groups, post holders will be required to register with the Independent Safeguarding Authority.

HSC Values
Whilst employees will be expected to portray all the values, particular attention is drawn to the following values for this role.