Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Lead
Company: Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Job ID: C9348-26-2306

The closing date is 25 October 2026

Job summary
The Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Lead will lead the operational delivery of the Trusts Critical Incident Stress Management framework, ensuring timely, psychologically informed support is available to staff following traumatic or high-impact incidents.

The postholder will coordinate the Critical Incident Service Management response to incidents that may have a significant psychological impact on staff, including serious incidents, unexpected patient deaths, violence or aggression, safeguarding events, and other distressing clinical situations.

Working closely with the Consultant Clinical Psychologist and the Trust Director of Psychological Culture, the postholder will ensure consistent implementation of the Trusts CISM framework across Services, taking responsibility for reviewing the procedures and processes to continue the development of the service and manage the established service. The role will contribute to the Trusts wider approach to psychological safety, psychological consultation, our trauma-informed approach and staff recovery following critical incidents.

This vacancy is part time for 22.5 hours per week over 3 days.

Main duties of the job

• Lead the operational delivery of the Trusts Critical Incident Stress Management programme across the organisation, taking responsibility for reviewing the procedures and processes to continue the development of the service and manage the established service.
• Review and implement procedures, guidance and pathways for responding to incidents that may have a psychological impact on staff.
• Ensure the Trust has a coordinated and timely system for providing early psychological support following critical incidents.
• Work with the Consultant Clinical Psychologist to ensure that CISM responses reflect best practice in trauma informed approaches and psychologically informed staff support.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of policies relating to staff support following traumatic incidents.
• Implement evidence based practice, manage and evaluate changes that lead to improved and high standards of care and in particular any service changes following feedback about the CISM service.
• Promote innovation and participate in benchmarking and quality audits to measure effectiveness of current practices in line with ICISF standards and developments.

About us
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides joined-up mental and physical healthcare for around two million people across our communities. With over 13,000 staff working in the community and local hospitals, we deliver care at every stage of life, helping people live their best and healthiest lives.

Our mental health services include community-based support and early intervention in psychosis (EIP) for both adults and young people, alongside a network of specialist inpatient wards covering forensic, learning disability, eating disorder and older person's care.

We deliver extensive physical health services too, from urgent community response teams helping frail and older patients remain safely at home, to hospitals at home teams providing acute-level care in familiar surroundings. Our neurological services offer rehabilitation and treatment for conditions including Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Motor Neurone Disease, Head Injury, Cerebral Palsy and Stroke. Across Hampshire, our community hospitals provide inpatient rehabilitation as a step down from acute care, and our dedicated teams also staff Treetops Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Portsmouth, offering expert, compassionate support.

Everything we do is underpinned by our CARE values of compassion, accountability, respect and excellence.

Qualifications
Essential

• Professional qualification in a relevant field such as psychology, psychotherapy, mental health nursing, social work, occupational health or another health or social care profession.
• Current professional registration where applicable (e.g. HCPC, NMC, Social Work England).

Desirable

• Additional training in trauma-informed practice or staff psychological support.
• Training in Critical Incident Stress Management within the NHS is desirable or related approaches.

Experience
Essential

• Experience supporting staff or teams following distressing or traumatic events.
• Experience facilitating reflective or supportive group processes.
• Experience working within healthcare or complex organisational environments.

Desirable

• Experience developing staff support programmes.
• Experience training staff or facilitating workshops.

Additional Criteria
Essential

• Knowledge of psychological responses to trauma and distress.
• Understanding of staff wellbeing and psychological safety in healthcare.
• Understanding of patient safety and incident management processes.
• Excellent facilitation and group process skills.
• Ability to support distressed individuals and teams sensitively.
• Ability to work collaboratively across organisational boundaries.
• Ability to translate psychological knowledge into practical organisational responses.

Desirable

• Knowledge of trauma-informed organisational approaches.
• Knowledge of vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, burnout and moral injury.

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.

Employer details
Employer name: Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Tatchbury Mount, Calmore, Southampton, Hampshire, SO40 2RZ, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://hiowhealthcare.nhs.uk/

For questions about the job, contact:
Hiring Manager: Hazel Nicholls
hazel.nicholls2@nhs.net
03001233934

Reference number: 348-COR-12720
Pay scheme: Agenda for change, Band 8a
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Part-time

Flexible working requests can be discussed as part of the interview process. Further information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached.