Job summary
We are seeking an experienced, forward-thinking and values-driven Head of Nursing for Women's and Children's Services to provide visible, compassionate and strategic leadership across our paediatric, neonatal and gynaecology services.

You will be an experienced senior nurse with an understanding of both paediatric and women's healthcare, alongside the leadership skills to work across a diverse range of services. We recognise that candidates may bring experience from different clinical backgrounds and may not have worked across every area of the portfolio. We are looking for someone who can build strong relationships, navigate complex services, bring teams together and provide confident and supportive professional leadership across acute and community settings.

This senior role holds professional accountability for nursing and midwifery practice across paediatric, neonatal and gynaecology services, ensuring the delivery of safe, effective, responsive and well-led care in line with CQC fundamental standards, the NHS Patient Safety Strategy and relevant national clinical guidance.

Working as part of the senior leadership team, you will champion strong clinical leadership, professional standards, quality and governance. You will support and develop our teams, help shape the future of our services and promote collaboration across pathways, with a shared focus on delivering high-quality and equitable care for women, children, young people and their families.

Main duties of the job
You will play a pivotal role in translating national priorities into local delivery, including:

• Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) recommendations for paediatrics, neonates and gynaecology.
• National Patient Safety Alerts and Learning from Patient Safety Events (LFPSE).
• NICE guidance and best practice standards.
• Royal College standards (RCPCH, RCN, RCOG) and relevant safeguarding frameworks.

The postholder will:

• Provide leadership for nursing workforce and professional practice, ensuring safe staffing, skill mix and workforce sustainability across paediatrics, neonates and gynaecology.
• Lead on quality assurance, patient safety and experience, driving a culture of continuous learning, transparency, and improvement.
• Ensure robust systems are in place to meet statutory safeguarding responsibilities for children and vulnerable groups.
• Work in partnership with midwifery, medical, AHP and corporate teams to ensure integrated pathways across maternity, neonatal and paediatric care.
• Support delivery of key performance indicators including waiting times, flow, harm reduction, and patient outcomes.

The role requires a highly visible leader who can operate with credibility across complex systems, balancing strategic priorities with operational delivery, and driving improvement across interfaces between children's, neonatal, and women's health services.

About us
A wide range of staff benefits are available to our staff including staff development, enrolment in the NHS pension scheme, auto-enrolment to our Temporary Workforce Service, access to onsite nurseries, staff restaurants and accommodation.

In addition to an internal Occupational Health department, all staff also have access to free psychological support through our confidential Employee Assistance Programme. Onsite parking is available from only £50 a year.

There has never been a better time to join East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, submit your application today.

Qualifications / Training

• Registered Nurse/AHP/HCS and hold active registration with NMC/HCPC
• Masters level qualification/training relevant to role or equivalent knowledge acquired through extensive experience and training and working towards Masters level qualification
• Evidence of continuous professional development relevant to role to demonstrate expert clinical and leadership skills
• Senior Leadership qualification or training
• Mentoring/Coaching/Supervision qualification or training
• Project Management and Quality Improvement qualification or training

Experience

• Experience working in a leadership position including contributing to operational management of services.
• Experience in management of health services
• Able to demonstrate experience of: Quality/Service improvement and leading change Operational management and performance People Management - performance, appraisal, sickness, development, retention
• Managing budgets and business planning
• Monitoring, analysing and assessing clinical performance across complex services
• Setting and monitoring standards of care and ensuring this is delivered to an exceptional standard

Knowledge and skills

• Leadership skills that inspire, engage and motivate a workforce National nursing/professional agenda, NHS targets and regulatory standards and requirements
• Setting workforce standards, managing complex HR issues, multidisciplinary team working
• Quality improvement initiatives, setting and monitoring standards of care across a range of clinical services and able to agree clear performance goals and offer constructive feedback.
• Assessment and management of complex operational and clinical risks and knowledge of clinical and operational governance framework.
• Excellent communication skills, able to engage, negotiate and influence stakeholders, present information, write business cases and service plans.

Other

• Frequent involvement (both direct and indirect) in emotionally distressing process such as managing significant change including redeployment and redundancy, performance management, complex disciplinary, grievance and appeal procedures as well as responding to complaints
• Able to travel to meet the requirements of the job
• Flexibility in working hours and patterns

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications 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. 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.

Employer details
Employer name: East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
Address: Conquest Hospital, Hastings, TN37 7RD, United Kingdom
Employer's website: http://jobs.esht.nhs.uk/

Contact
For questions about the job, contact: Divisional Director of Nursing, Mark Standen, mark.standen@nhs.net, 07880781072

Closing date: 22 October 2026
Reference number: 374-LB5309
Pay scheme: Agenda for change, Band 8b
Working pattern: Full-time
Contract: Permanent

We value the individuality that each candidate brings to the application process. We strongly discourage applicants from using AI-generated content when applying for jobs with us.