Ward Manager
Company: East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust
Job ID: C9839-26-0434

Job summary
Are you a compassionate, dynamic and motivated nurse looking for a rewarding leadership role that combines staff management with patient-centred care?

An exciting secondment opportunity has arisen for a Ward Manager on Garden Ward, Willow Therapy Unit, Norwich Community Hospital. This is a maternity cover opportunity for up to 12 months, offering an excellent development opportunity for an experienced nurse leader.

Willow Therapy Unit is a 48-bed inpatient reablement service comprising Garden Ward and Forest Ward, providing rehabilitation and reablement care for patients across Norfolk. The service supports patients to maximise independence, recovery and wellbeing, enabling timely discharge to home or the most appropriate care setting.

As Ward Manager, you will provide visible leadership to a multidisciplinary team, ensuring the ward operates safely, effectively and efficiently. You will promote high standards of care, support staff wellbeing and development, and oversee day-to-day ward management to deliver positive patient outcomes and experiences.

Working closely with senior leaders and clinical colleagues, you will maintain quality and safety standards and ensure patients receive compassionate care that promotes dignity, recovery and independence.

Please note this advert may close early if a sufficient number of suitable applications are received.

Main duties of the job
As Ward Manager, you will:

• Provide visible and collaborative leadership across the ward, ensuring the delivery of safe, effective and compassionate care for patients requiring community rehabilitation and recovery services.
• Lead and inspire a multidisciplinary team, creating a positive culture that promotes quality improvement, professional development and excellence in patient care.
• Drive high standards of clinical governance, patient safety and patient experience, using audit, quality improvement and evidence-based practice to achieve the best possible outcomes.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across health, social care and community services to support seamless patient pathways, effective discharge planning and integrated care delivery to achieve the expected length of stay for the unit.
• Put patients at the centre of everything we do
• Create a culture where colleagues feel valued, supported and empowered
• Continuously improve and develop services to meet the needs of our communities

Job responsibilities

• Lead and manage a 24-hour, 7-day inpatient ward service.
• Working in collaboration with peer ward manager and therapy clinical leads and support across the Unit as required
• Provide visible clinical and professional leadership to nursing and support staff.
• Ensure delivery of safe, high-quality, patient-centred care.
• Support reablement, rehabilitation and discharge planning pathways.
• Work collaboratively with therapy teams, GPs, social care, acute hospitals and community partners.
• Lead workforce planning, recruitment, appraisal, supervision and performance management.
• Drive quality improvement, governance, audit and patient safety initiatives.
• Manage service pressures, operational performance and delegated budgets.
• Champion innovation and new ways of working to improve patient outcomes and experience

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Registered Nurse.
• First level degree, diploma or equivalent or equivalent post registration experience i.e.: DN qualification.
• Recognised Management Qualification or evidence of working at that level.
• Current registration to a professional body.

Desirable

• Masters degree
• Independent/supplementary prescribing qualification

Experience
Essential

• Experience of leading a team.
• Experience of working in a multi-agency environment.
• Experience of managing budgets.
• A track record of successful service and policy development and implementation.
• Evidence of post-graduate development
• Performance management experience

Desirable

• Experience of managing a multidisciplinary team.
• Project management.

Skills, Abilities and Knowledge
Essential

• Change management experience
• Demonstrates good clinical and professional leadership skills
• Good communicator
• Highly motivated and use own initiative
• Able to provide high standards of care
• Good observational and reporting skills, analytical skills with the ability to problem-solve complex situations.
• Ability to manage stressful situations including able to concentrate in busy, pressured environments and prioritise time accordingly
• A team player, good interpersonal skills
• Ability to travel to other locations to support teams and attend meetings
• Work flexibly to accommodate patient/service needs

Desirable

• Significant experience in team leadership/managing a team

Communication
Essential

• Expert communication skills, able to address communication barriers.
• Evidence of tact and diplomacy.
• Empathy and sensitivity.
• Good interpersonal skills.
• Coaching/mentoring skills

Personal Qualities
Essential

• Professional appearance
• Ability to adapt and work clinically including: able to kneel, bend and stoop, and work in cramped environments, manoeuvre limbs of 5-6kg and patients using handling aids

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.

Employer details
Employer name: East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust
Address: Willow Therapy Unit, Norwich, NR2 3TU, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.eastofenglandcommunityhealthandcare.nhs.uk/

For questions about the job, contact:
Service Lead: Luciano Pitasi
Email: luciano.pitasi1@nhs.net
Phone: 07901916089

Date posted: 28 October 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 7
Salary: £49,387 to £56,515 a year pro rata per annum
Contract: Secondment
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 839-8395861-JH
Job locations: Willow Therapy Unit, Norwich, NR2 3TU, United Kingdom

East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust will never ask applicants to pay fees at any stage of the recruitment process. Recruitment communications should only be made through our official careers website and published contact details.