Job summaryOur Neonatal Unit is looking for a highly motivated, enthusiastic individual to join our friendly and well established Neonatal team as a QIS Band 6 Deputy Sister/Deputy Charge Nurse.
The post holder must be 1 year post Neonatal QIS qualification.
The post holder will be responsible for the assessment of care needs and the development, implementation and evaluation of care required for the sick neonate and their family. In addition the post holder will participate in the day to day management of the unit, providing support and leadership in the absence of a Clinical Sister.
Please do not apply unless you have the Neonatal Qualified in Speciality (QIS) course.
Main duties of the jobOur Neonatal Unit is looking for a highly motivated, enthusiastic individual to join our friendly and well established Neonatal team as a QIS Band 6 Deputy Sister/Deputy Charge Nurse.
We are a Level 2 Local Neonatal Unit, with 16 cots providing care for up to 2 Intensive Care, 6 High Dependency, 8 Special Care neonates and 4 TC.
This role requires a passionate, highly motivated and experienced neonatal trained nurse with excellent communication skills who wishes to continue to develop their clinical and leadership skills.
Within this role you will provide clinical, professional leadership for the unit with responsibility for the delivery of high standards of care for all babies and their families who access our service.
As an experienced Neonatal Nurse you will be a role model providing support, sharing your knowledge and facilitating teaching and supervision to more junior members of staff and students.
As a team, we are committed to recruiting staff who uphold our values and can deliver excellent care by putting babies at the heart of everything we do, with an emphasis on working in partnership with families to provide the best possible experience and outcomes.
We are passionate about the care we give to babies and you will be well supported to further and enhance your clinical knowledge and expertise within our Trust
This post requires working both day and night shifts; therefore flexibility with working hours is essential.
About usKettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest employers in the area and we are on an exciting journey. Our mission is to provide safe, compassionate, and clinically excellent patient care, by being an outstanding employer for our people. We have entered into a Group Model with neighbouring Northampton General Hospital and have become University Hospitals of Northamptonshire.
Our Excellence Values:- Compassion
- Respect
- Integrity
- Courageous
- Accountable
We want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire and help to unleash everyone's full potential.
The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups. We understand that we need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and make sure the environment they work in is inclusive and collaborative.
We recognise the valuable contribution that the Armed Forces community make to our organisation. We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant and achieved Silver Award under the Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme.
We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds. This ensures everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging working for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals.
DetailsDate posted: 14 August 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 6
Salary: £39,959 to £48,117 a year
per annum/pro rata
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working
Reference number: 264-8192505-FAM
Job locations: University Hospitals of Northamptonshire, Northamptonshire, Kettering, NN16 8UZ, United Kingdom
Job responsibilitiesClinical and Professional leadershipComply with the NMC code and ensure that all elements of the code are adhered to, including record keeping and medicines management.
To provide holistic care for the sick neonate and their family who may require neonatal intensive, high dependency and/or special care.
To be responsible for the assessment of care required by the sick neonate in conjunction with medical and specialist staff, working in partnership with parents/carers to facilitate family integrated care, using effective communication skills at all times.
To be responsible for the planning and implementation of planned programmes of care required, ensuring physical, social, psychological and spiritual needs are met, including communicating sensitive information within the multi-disciplinary team.
To ensure safe practice they will have the ability to concentrate for long periods of time.
To have the ability to deal with distressing and emotional circumstances.
Provide professional leadership, critically evaluating current practice, developing new ideas to improve effectiveness and maintain high standards of care.
At all times act as a professional role model using appropriate language to address patients and following Trust standards in care delivery.
Ensure that care is coordinated across all professions for the benefit of patient experience and outcome.
Ensure that all staff know how to escalate concerns in practice regarding risk.
Facilitate effective admission and discharge processes including the use of Medway, Maternity Medway and Badger IT systems.
Ensure staff are cognisant of safeguarding processes and escalation.
Effectively supports the Practice Improvement Champions in sharing best practice messages with the team and embedding change.
Work alongside the Practice Development Nurse and promote education and training.
Actively engage in taught programmes including extended induction for nurses and Healthcare Assistants.
In confidence with the Matron, facilitate and evidence that clinical supervision is in place in practice.
Act as a practice assessor/supervisor and work alongside staff in practice to provide effective feedback on practice to inform learning.
Actively identify the talent within the team to harness and develop.
Support the development of Assistant Practitioners/Associate Nurses and ensure staff are cognisant of accountabilities and responsibilities when delegating to this staff group.
With the Senior Sisters/Matron ensure that mentors are supported in developing students.
With the Senior Sisters/Matron ensure there is an effective learning environment on the unit at all times.
Improving QualityDemonstrates an awareness of the Trusts Quality Strategy including the Patient Safety Campaign and can articulate their role in delivery of these.
Demonstrates a good understanding of and role models best practice standards.
To undertake and ensure that all nursing staff participates in the implementation and audit of standards of care as required.
Effectively uses audit data, incidents and patient experience feedback to inform how practice needs to change.
Communicates the outcomes of audit with the team ensuring they understand their role in improving standards of care.
Work with the Senior Sisters/Matron to address poor performance/competence as per Trust policy.
Maintain ward boards to publish the outcomes of audits along with action plans and ensure that data is discussed at ward meetings to inform staff of any concerns and areas in need of improvement.
Conduct patient experience interviews ensuring that prompt action is taken to address any issues/concerns raised.
Ensure staff are aware of the types of issues raised and what the expected action is.
With the Senior Sisters/Matron ensure that all issues relating to the implementation of patient quality and safety measures are addressed on the unit.
Ensure that a good environment is provided for patients and high standards of infection, prevention and control are maintained. All staff must be made aware of their own individual responsibilities as regards patient quality and safety.
Encourage team open-ness so that an evidence-based approach is utilised and applied to nursing care.
To ensure that high standards of evidence-based individualised care are maintained within sphere of clinical responsibility, and to ensure that the Unit environment is striving towards excellence in parent experience/patient recovery
Develop a questioning culture within the nursing team.
ManagementSupport the Senior Sisters/Matron in providing professional and managerial leadership to the unit area and function as an effective role model.
Support the Senior Sisters/Matron in ensuring effective staffing through good governance around e-rostering.
Participate effectively in the department recruitment processes.
Effectively implement the Trust Nurse in Charge expectations, enhancing staffs skills using the competencies provided.
Support the Senior Sisters/Matron in developing and establishing an appropriate system of work organisation within the clinical area. Ensure that within this system, every patient has a named person who is responsible for streamlining their discharge (as per Trust policy).
Develop the unit team in relation to staff development and team building; ensuring that all staff receives regular performance reviews.
Support the Senior Sisters/Matron in developing staff capabilities in addressing complaints and developing staffs communication skills to be able to deal with these effectively, thus reducing the number of formal complaints received.
Demonstrate an understanding of the Nursing and Midwifery Strategy and support the Senior Sisters/Matron in delivering relevant aspects
To take steps to safeguard the health, safety and welfare of all staff in the Unit.
To comply with the Trust Health and Safety & Risk Management Policies, reporting any accidents, incidents, near misses or hazards in accordance with the agreed procedures.
To promote and demonstrate effective communication within the Family Health Division and hospital, representing the nursing team at appropriate meetings.
To ensure that adverse incidents are competently investigated and outcomes and actions are managed to improve patient safety and patient experience.
To support the Senior Sisters/ Matron to manage attendance and absence in accordance with Trust guidance
Statutory and miscellaneous- Take responsibility to ensure that Professional Registration is up to date at all times and does not lapse or expire and to inform line management immediately with any concerns or if registration lapses or expires. (all registered staff)
- This post involves treatment to children and/or vulnerable adults as defined by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). It will therefore be necessary to apply for and be in receipt of a satisfactory enhanced DBS check of the post holder.
- The Trust requires all roles requiring DBS check, to have a satisfactory DBS recheck every three years
- The Trust requires require all new starters to subscribe to the DBS update service where it is a requirement of the role.
- Be responsible for maintaining own vaccinations/Hepatitis B immunity.
- Safeguard patient confidentiality at all times including adherence to the Data Protection Act.
- Attend the Trust statutory refresher courses as necessary
- This post is subject to the terms and conditions of employment of Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
- Be aware of the responsibility of all employees to maintain a safe and healthy environment for patients, visitors and staff.
- Ensure that all duties are carried out to the highest possible standard, and in accordance with current quality initiatives within the area of work and the Trust Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.
- Have a commitment to identifying and minimising risk, report all incidents and report to manager any risks which need to be assessed.
- Any other duties commensurate with the grade and in line with the requirement of the post.
Person SpecificationQualificationsEssential- NMC Registered Nurse/Child or Adult branch
- Mentor qualification
- Neonatal High dependency and Intensive care course(QIS Course)
- Management or leadership qualification
Desirable- Master's degree or working towards
Knowledge/ExperienceEssential- At least 1 year Experience as a QIS nurse in acute healthcare
- Experience of development and leadership of change in clinical practice
- Good knowledge of safeguarding
- Evidence of continuing professional development
SkillsEssential- The ability to develop and maintain communication with people on complex matters, issues and ideas and/or in complex situations
- Able to make judgements based on evidence based practice
- The ability to develop a culture that improves quality
Desirable- The ability to work in partnership with and develop, take forward and evaluate direction, policies and strategies
- The ability to use data to inform changes required in care delivery and to effectively implement that change
Key Competencies/Personal Qualities and AttributesEssential- Passionate and committed to bring our Dedicated to Excellence values to life, improving the way we work with each other, particularly focusing on empowerment, equality diversity and inclusion of our staff, patients and service users
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: Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Address: University Hospitals of Northamptonshire, Northamptonshire, Kettering, NN16 8UZ, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.kgh.nhs.uk/working-for-us (Opens in a new tab)
Employer contact detailsFor questions about the job, contact: Neonatal Ward Manager, Adrienne Patterson, adrienne.patterson4@nhs.net, 01536492882
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all sections of the community. 
