Job summaryCDDFT have an exciting opportunity for an experienced neonatal nurse to join our team as ward manager for the Special Care Baby Unit at Darlington Memorial Hospital.
The role is full time at 37.5 hours per week
The successful candidate will work collaboratively within the SCBUs and across perinatal services in CDDFT to provide leadership and management of the nursing team to ensure safe, effective and family focused care of infants requiring specialist support.
Main duties of the jobThe successful candidate will work collaboratively within the SCBUs in CDDFT and be based and primarily responsible for the unit at Darlington Memorial Hospital.
They will manage the nursing workforce within the SCBU and supervise and develop the team. They will be responsible for coordinating the provision of nursing services and ensure high clinical standards are maintained.
They will role model compassionate and inclusive leadership and drive a culture of development and engagement to enable the team to deliver quality care whilst maximising the professional development of every member of the workforce.
They will play a lead role in the governance of the SCBU, and support staff in quality improvement, audit and monitoring of performance.
About usIf you are being interviewed you must accept an interview slot in the system to continue, even if you have arranged with the manager.
You must be able to produce
ALL certificates stated essential in the person specification or you will not be able to complete pre-employment checks.
We provide hospital services from two acute sites - Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham. We have a centre for planned care in Bishop Auckland and provide care from community hospitals in Chester-le-Street, Shotley Bridge, Barnard Castle, Sedgefield and Weardale as well as over 80 other community based settings and providing care in patients' homes.
We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under-represented.
Full Job Descriptions can be found in the adverts supporting documents.
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DetailsDate posted: 03 September 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 7
Salary: £49,387 to £56,515 a year per annum / pro rata
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: C9439-2627-RP-N300
Job locations: Darlington Memorial Hospital NHS Trust, Hollyhurst Road, Darlington, County Durham, DL3 6HX, United Kingdom
Job responsibilitiesProfessional / Management Responsibilities:To strive for excellence in all aspects of the delivery of safe, high quality patient care, ensuring all nursing care is delivered in accordance with Trust policies, procedures and guidelines.
To act as a positive role model at all times providing professional and clinical leadership to establish a committed and motivated team with a clear purpose.
Ensure a high level of professional awareness both personally and throughout perinatal services, paediatric services and CDDFT by chairing/attending appropriate meetings, seminars and other forums.
Work as part of the senior leadership team in assessing implications of trends in workload, clinical or professional practice, identifying the effects on service provision and initiating change where appropriate.
Working collaboratively across the SCBUs to manage the allocation of appropriate skill mix nursing resource, ensuring that the needs of the clinical areas are met in an effective and efficient manner with optimisation of allocated resource and off duty planning in line with Trusts Roster Policy ensuring rota patterns provide safe staffing levels and optimising health and well-being needs of staff.
To effectively supervise and manage sickness absence, other leave and bank usage in accordance with Trust policies, regularly reporting all issues regularly to Paediatric and Neonatal Matron.
Ensure that budget resources within the area of responsibility are deployed and used effectively and efficiently within budgetary limits to ensure a cost-effective service.
Take a leadship role in policy development and evaluation.
Ensure that staff are fully conversant with and practice in accordance with statutory requirements, agreed policies and procedures, observing NMC Codes and Guidance at all times.
Regular competency review for nursing staff within the unit and coordinate professional development and appraisal to achieve a motivated and efficient nursing workforce.
Provide leadership and development opportunities and supervise development of staff to ensure effective succession planning. Maintain oversight of delegated activities to ensure and gain assurance that performance is optimised.
Communicate both formally and informally with other disciplines and support staff to ensure appropriate exchange of advice and information and the maintenance of a collaborative approach to service provision across the care groups.
To monitor and utilise Patient Experience feedback to improve and maintain an excellent patient experience.
To ensure effective engagement with service users and their families; listening to them, demonstrating compassion, empathy and partnership working regarding care and treatment.
To ensure care is delivered within duty of candour guidance, ensuring nursing staff are open and candid with all service users in all aspects of care and treatment including when any mistakes or harm have taken place.
To adopt an open culture sharing learning outcomes of incidents and complaints with the clinical teams and demonstrate changes in practice as a result of complaints and incidents to embed a culture of learning.
To work with Human Resources on the resolution of complex HR issues
Undertake regular departmental walkabouts engaging with all patients and their families/carers and proactively resolving any issues ensuring high standards of care delivered and monitored through regular quality care indicator audits and spot checks.
Monitor monthly environmental audits to ensure a safe and clean environment is maintained, and to act on findings to ensure required actions are completed within a timely manner. To maintain and monitor a safe and clean environment within the ward/department in accordance with the Trusts Health and Safety, Clinical Risk and Infection Control Polices.
Provide active leadership to Trust wide neonatal transitional care provision developing local policy and practice underpinned by national guidance.
Proactively participate in meetings and forums, ensuring robust communication and feedback mechanisms within the ward to ensure staff are kept informed and up to date
Ensure all nursing staff are kept informed of those clinical governance issues that pertain to the local and national agenda.
To promote a culture of raising and escalating any patient safety concerns through a robust process of investigating, escalating and dealing with the concerns as appropriate.
To ensure there is an effective Risk Management process in place, that any identified risks are entered onto the Risk Register with appropriate mitigations in place.
Person SpecificationSpecial RequirementsEssential- Full UK driving licence and ability to travel independently across locations to fulfil the requirements of the post
- Ability to work hours flexibly when service needs require, and across site when necessary to support the SCBU team
ExperienceEssential- Extensive clinical neonatal nursing experience
- Experience of managing a clinical ward.
- Demonstrate professional managerial development
- Able to communicate effectively (written, verbal and non-verbal communication) with patients/relatives and carers and all members of the multi-disciplinary team.
- Able to develop effective and appropriate relationships to develop partnerships with people to promote shared decision making in order to support individuals, their families
Desirable- Contribution to:
- Governance,
- NNAP,
- Quality improvement,
- Maternity incentive scheme agendas
Statutory RegistrationEssential- NMC Registered Nurse (Child or Adult)
- Valid UK NMC PIN
QualificationsEssential- Nursing Degree leading to UK NMC registration to part 1 of the UK NMC register (Children or Adult Nursing)
- Evidence of continuing professional development and specialist training including the neonatal nursing Qualification in Speciality (QIS)
- Supervisor / Assessor for Pre-registration learners or equivalent teaching qualification
- Substantial post registration demonstrable experience.
- Evidence of recognised teaching/assessors qualification
Desirable- Evidence of Masters level post registration education
Special Skills & KnowledgeEssential- Understands and acts in line with UK NMC professional standards for practice.
- meets the requirements for UK NMC professional revalidation
- Insight into how to evaluate own strengths and development needs, seeking advice where appropriate.
- Lead and participate in reflective practice and clinical supervision.
- Good leadership and team working skills including individual appraisals and team development.
- Service development and quality improvement skills evidenced in developing guidelines, SOPS and leading governance processes within service to demonstrate ongoing service development
- Ability to seek advice, challenge and escalate as appropriate in line with relevant policy and process.
- Provides leadership in the delivery of care for people in their care and act in best interests of people, putting them first and providing care that is person-centred, safe and compassionate.
- Safely lead and manage the nursing care, demonstrating appropriate prioritization, delegation and assignment of care to others involved in patient care
- Able to organise and prioritise own workload
- Able to develop and share assessment, planning, decision making and goal setting when working with people, their families
- Ability to deal with non- routine and unpredictable nature of workload and work with high levels of concentration.
- Competent IT Skills
- Be able to work flexibly within the service needs
Desirable- Develop the role of the Nurse in context of the nursing and interdisciplinary team and the organisation, and how the role may contribute to service development.
- Demonstrate appreciation and understanding of clinical budgeting and financial management
- Demonstrate appreciation of the perinatal context of neonatal care and the monitoring and scrutiny that drives neonatal quality improvement
Disclosure and Barring Service CheckThis 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.
Certificate of SponsorshipApplications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK RegistrationApplicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer detailsEmployer name: County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Darlington Memorial Hospital NHS Trust, Hollyhurst Road, Darlington, County Durham, DL3 6HX, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.cddft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
Employer contact detailsFor questions about the job, contact: Neonatal and Paediatric Matron, Christine Mackerness, c.mackerness@nhs.net, 07920562633
We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under-represented. 
