Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity to join Devon Partnership NHS Trust as Head of Nursing (Nursing and Professions) on a six month basis, providing senior, visible and expert professional leadership across inpatient services and the wider Nursing and Professions portfolio. Working as part of the senior leadership team, the post holder will play a key role in strengthening professional standards, safer staffing, clinical governance, quality improvement and compassionate, person-centred care. The role will support nursing and allied health professional practice to be evidence-based, inclusive and aligned with the NMC Code, national guidance, regulatory requirements and the Trusts strategic priorities.

We are looking for an experienced and credible senior nurse leader who can work collaboratively with clinical, operational and professional colleagues to improve patient experience, staff experience and outcomes. The post holder will provide professional challenge, support and assurance across complex services, championing a culture of learning, openness, inclusion and continuous improvement. This role requires a leader who is confident in translating strategy into practice, supporting workforce development, leading improvement and ensuring that patients, carers, families and staff are meaningfully involved in shaping safe, high-quality care.

Main duties of the job
The main duties of the role are to provide senior, visible and expert professional leadership across nursing practice, with a particular focus on inpatient services, professional standards, safer staffing, quality, governance and patient safety. The post holder will work closely with the Chief Nursing Officer, Deputy Chief Nurse, Directorate Heads of Nursing, Matrons, Community Team Managers, Heads of Profession and wider clinical and operational leaders to ensure that care is safe, compassionate, evidence-based and aligned with the NMC Code, CQC requirements, national guidance and Trust priorities. They will provide professional challenge, support and assurance, role modelling high standards of practice, strengthening clinical governance, supporting infection prevention and control, and ensuring learning from incidents, complaints, patient feedback and audits is translated into meaningful improvement.

The responsibilities include translating strategy into operational delivery, supporting annual safer staffing reviews, strengthening supervision and career development, promoting reflective practice, and ensuring staff are supported to deliver high-quality, person-centred care.

About us
About Devon Partnership Trust
We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do

Our values
We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.

Person Specification
Knowledge & Skills
Desirable

• Professional leadership and credibility - Demonstrates clear professional authority, credibility and ability to role model high standards of nursing practice.
• Shows commitment to the NMC Code, professional accountability and compassionate, person-centred care.
• Can provide constructive professional challenge while maintaining collaborative relationships.
• Quality, safety and governance - Demonstrates strong understanding of patient safety, clinical governance, risk management and regulatory assurance.
• Able to translate incidents, complaints, audit findings and feedback into meaningful learning and improvement.
• Understands how to provide clear assurance and escalate risk appropriately.
• Compassionate and inclusive leadership - Demonstrates values-based, inclusive and compassionate leadership.
• Able to create psychological safety, address poor culture and promote openness, learning and staff engagement.
• Shows commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion and anti-discriminatory practice.
• Strategic thinking and delivery - Able to translate strategy, policy and national guidance into practical delivery across services.
• Demonstrates ability to prioritise, manage complexity and deliver improvement at pace.
• Can balance quality, safety, workforce, finance and operational pressures.
• Communication and influence - Demonstrates excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills.
• Able to communicate complex, sensitive or contentious information clearly and professionally.
• Able to influence senior leaders, frontline teams, professional groups and external partners.
• Workforce and practice development - Demonstrates commitment to supervision, reflective practice, learning, career development and succession planning.
• Understands the importance of safer staffing, workforce planning and staff wellbeing.
• Can support development of nursing and professional practice across diverse clinical settings.
• Patient, carer and coproduction focus - Demonstrates commitment to coproduction and meaningful involvement of patients, carers and families.
• Understands the importance of patient experience, recovery, dignity, trauma-informed care and the Triangle of Care.
• Able to evidence how lived experience can shape service improvement.
• Resilience and judgement - Demonstrates calm, balanced and professional judgement in complex or high-pressure situations.
• Able to manage ambiguity, competing priorities and sensitive professional issues.
• Shows self-awareness, emotional intelligence and commitment to personal development.

Experience
Essential

• Significant senior nursing leadership experience within mental health, learning disability or complex healthcare services.
• Experience of providing visible professional leadership across inpatient or high-risk clinical environments.
• Experience of leading quality, safety, governance and practice improvement agendas.
• Experience of safer staffing, workforce planning, recruitment, retention and professional development.
• Experience of using data, evidence and professional judgement to identify risk, variation and improvement priorities.
• Experience of leading change and improvement across complex services and multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience of managing sensitive, complex or contentious professional, clinical or workforce issues.
• Experience of providing assurance to senior leaders, committees or governance forums through reports, briefings or presentations.
• Experience of working collaboratively with patients, carers, families and staff to improve care quality and experience.
• Experience of working within regulatory frameworks, including CQC requirements, professional standards and national guidance.

Desirable

• Experience of leading services across organisational or system boundaries.
• Experience of working with allied health professional leaders or multidisciplinary professional groups.
• Experience of leading annual safer staffing reviews or workforce transformation programmes.
• Experience of contributing to policy development, service redesign or strategic workforce planning.
• Experience of supporting clinical audit, research, benchmarking or evidence-based practice development.

Qualifications
Essential

• Registered Mental Health Nurse with current NMC registration.
• Educated to masters level or able to demonstrate equivalent senior professional experience.
• Evidence of ongoing continuing professional development relevant to senior nursing leadership.
• Specialist knowledge of mental health nursing practice, professional standards and clinical governance.
• Evidence of leadership development or equivalent senior leadership experience.

Desirable

• Leadership or management qualification.
• Quality improvement qualification or demonstrable QI training.
• Postgraduate qualification relevant to mental health, clinical leadership, workforce, governance or quality.
• Coaching, mentoring, supervision or practice development qualification.

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.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.