Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Associate Director for Harm Free Care
The closing date is 19 November 2026

Job summary
We are looking for an experienced Nurse or AHP with extensive safeguarding experience to join MSE as our Associate Director for Harm Free Care until 31st March 2027.

You will work internally with the senior divisional leadership teams to endorse harm free care across all areas, promoting falls awareness and tissue viability, creating a culture within the Trust that learns and adapts to meet the harm free care agenda.

You will use your expertise to support the harm free care teams in the delivery of case support, supervision, and expert advice to clinicians to take appropriate action in response to clinical issues that arise. Providing expert advice and second opinions to colleagues including when views may differ or conflict.

So if this sounds like the right opportunity for you, please apply today.

Main duties of the job
Should you be successful, you will:

• Effectively lead and manage the Trust's Tissue Viability and Falls services. This will include the day-to-day operational management of the Falls practitioner and Tissue Viability Lead Nurse including sickness absence management; escalation of performance concerns and undertaking appraisals.
• Provide clinical and professional leadership, expertise and advice in specialist area at an advanced level to health care professionals, service users and key stakeholders.
• Accountable for the development and publication of the Trust's tissue viability and falls Annual reports and presentation at governance meetings and to external stakeholders.
• Evaluate and monitor Falls and Tissue Viability standards in line with local and national self-assessment assurance processes.
• Responsible for the development and delivery of the harm free care agenda ensuring inclusion with the safeguarding and complex needs harm free care work plan and audit plan, ensuring compliance with relevant CQC standards and NICE guidance.

About us
Our ambition is to deliver excellent local and specialist services, to improve the health and well being of our patients, and provide a vibrant place for staff to develop, innovate and build careers.

We aim to make the most of our skills and experiences so we can become the best we can be. As one organisation we will recruit the finest and retain more specialist staff due to more employment opportunities across our Trust.

Details
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 8c
Salary: £79,504 a year, Per Annum (Pro Rata for Part Time)
Contract: Fixed term
Duration: 4 months
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 390-NR-COR-BA-5791
Job location: Basildon, Nethermayne, Basildon, SS16 5NL, United Kingdom

Qualifications (Essential)

• Registered professional with current NMC/ HCPC registration
• Master's degree or equivalent experience in health-related subject
• Developed and specialist knowledge of safeguarding and clinical issues at Master level (can be acquired through significant experience in role)
• Evidence of significant continuous professional development

Qualifications (Desirable)

• Supervision qualification
• Completion of a recognised leadership/management course

Knowledge and Experience (Essential)

• Completion of a recognised leadership/management course
• Experience of working strategically across a range of HFC portfolios with extensive experience of working with a range of partner organisations
• Developing, implementing and managing patient experience, quality and performance measure
• Evidence of working with a wide range of external organisations including local authorities, commissioners and voluntary agencies.
• Experience of effectively managing teams and ensuring performance consistently delivered.
• Knowledge of management of harm free care with focus on Tissue viability and Falls management
• Good understanding of quality, safety and risk management and clinical governance process

Knowledge and Experience (Desirable)

• Experience of policy/project development
• Leadership management role, change management

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 the NHS Careers website.

Employer details
Employer name: Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Nethermayne, Basildon, SS16 5NL, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.mse.nhs.uk

Employer contact details
Contact: Denise Townsend, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer
Email: denise.townsend3@nhs.net
Phone: 03004437492

Please be aware that we reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a suitable number of applications. Unfortunately, there is no Visa Sponsorship available for this role. Whilst we are able to employ candidates on a graduate Visa, we are unable to offer sponsorship once the graduate visa expires.