Deputy Ward Sister/ Charge Nurse
Outpatients Department
Mid-Ulster Hospital

The Northern Health and Social Care Trust (NHSCT) is responsible for the delivery of safe and effective health and social care (HSC) services to the population of the Northern Trust area in Northern Ireland.

We provide compassionate care with our community in our community. In order to do this we require the commitment of a highly skilled and professional workforce that meets the need of the service.

Job Title: Deputy Ward Sister/ Charge Nurse
Band: 6
Directorate/Division: Surgery, Women's Health and Diagnostic Services
Initial Location: Mid Ulster Hospital, Outpatients Department
Reports To: Ward Sister, Band 7
Accountable To: Lead Nurse OPD

Flexible Working Provisions Available: Part-time working, 30 hours per week

Job Summary

• The post holder will be a member of the Ward in a supportive role to the Ward Sister/ Charge Nurse and is responsible for carrying out programmes of care ensuring that practice is in accordance with NMC code of Professional Conduct and the scope of Professional Practice.
• The post holder will be responsible for acting up on behalf of the Band 7 Ward Sister/ Charge Nurse during protracted periods of absence such as annual leave and sick leave.
• The post holder will be responsible for regularly taking charge of the ward/unit in the absence of the Ward Sister, and will be responsible for leading a team of all bands of staff and co-ordinating care within all disciplines within the ward.

General Management Responsibilities

• In the absence of Ward Sister/ Charge Nurse, takes charge of the ward and is responsible for ensuring that staffing arrangements are maintained 24 hours per day.
• Ensures that programmes of care are carried out to optimum standards.
• Ensure the appropriate governance and risk management arrangements are in place for the services you are responsible for and take appropriate action to identify and manage risk and to maintain safety of users, staff and others in accordance with relevant regulations, policies and procedures.
• It is essential to ensure that the highest standards of infection prevention and control are maintained to ensure patient and client safety and maintain confidence in the Trust. As a Manager, you must ensure that you implement all instructions/ policy in this area and that all staff are made aware of and fully comply with these.
• Where the post-holder has responsibility for managing a budget, ensure that services are managed and developed both in accordance with agreed and funded priorities as set out on a yearly basis and in accordance with Standing Financial Instructions, particularly ensuring your compliance with payroll documentation procedures and timescales.
• Ensure the necessary arrangements are in place in regard to the Knowledge and Skills Framework outlines, where this applies, for the posts for which you have management responsibility and ensure that each member of staff has an annual development and performance review, a personal development plan and that arrangements are in place to ensure that staff have maximum opportunity to progress through gateways in their pay bands and to contribute effectively towards our objectives.
• Promote a culture of continuous service improvement amongst your staff, encouraging their participation and that of service users in reviewing and modernising current services and in service development.
• Make sure you are trained and competent in the relevant policies and procedures which apply to the management of staff and other resources and abide by these policies; seeking advice as necessary from senior management or specialist staff as necessary.
• Communicate effectively with staff and maintain productive working relationships amongst your staff and with others.
• Delegate appropriate responsibility and authority to staff in order to ensure optimum and effective service delivery and decision-making, whilst retaining overall accountability and responsibility for outcomes.
• Promote a culture of learning and development and facilitate arrangements for and participate in training and development of staff as agreed for the performance of their duties. Where training is in accordance with relevant standards make sure you have the relevant competences in order to carry out this responsibility.
• Promote equality of opportunity for all by personal action, both in the management of your staff and in the provision of care to service users in accordance with the Trust's Equality of Opportunity Policy and Equality Scheme.
• Take responsibility for ensuring appropriate standards of environmental cleanliness and for encouraging staff to maintain standards in their work area. Have an awareness of environmental issues and take appropriate action, for example to ensure the efficient use of energy and other resources, recycling etc.
• Make sure that staff are aware of Trust policies regarding the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 and Records Management and that they must not disclose, withhold, retain or dispose of any information unless legally authorised.

General Responsibilities

• At all times provide a caring service and to treat those with whom they come into contact in a courteous and respectful manner.
• At all times demonstrate practice the HSC values of Working Together, Excellence, Openness & Honesty and Compassion.
• Carry out their duties and responsibilities in a manner which assures patient and client safety.
• Comply with all instructions in regard to Infection Prevention and Control.
• Demonstrate their commitment by their regular attendance and the efficient completion of all tasks allocated to them.
• Comply with the Trust's Smoke Free Policy.
• Carry out their duties and responsibilities in compliance with health and safety policy and statutory regulations.
• Adhere to equal opportunities policy throughout the course of their employment.
• Ensure the ongoing confidence of the public in service provision.
• Adhere to the Code of Conduct for HSC Employees which aims to guide staff, managers and employers in the work that they do and the decisions and choices they have to make. Professional staff are expected to follow the code of conduct for their own professions as well as this code.
• The post holder will promote and support effective team working, fostering a culture of openness and transparency. The post holder will ensure that they take all concerns raised with them seriously and act in accordance with the NHSCT Raising Concerns Policy and their professional code of conduct, where applicable.

Records Management
All employees of the Northern Health & Social Care Trust are legally responsible for all records held, created or used as part of their business within the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, including patient/client, corporate and administrative records whether paper based or electronic and also including e-mails. All such records are public records and are accessible to the general public, with limited exceptions, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Environment Regulations 2004, the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Employees are required to be conversant and to comply with the Northern Health and Social Care Trust policies on Information Governance including (for example) the ICT Security Policy, Data Quality and Data Protection Policy and Records Management Policy and to seek advice if in doubt.

Salary
Band 6 £38,682 - £46,580, per annum (pro-rata for part-time)

Right to Work in the UK
Please note this role may not meet the requirements for a Skilled Worker visa (including a Health and Care Worker visa) and the Trust therefore would be unable to employ anyone that requires Sponsorship. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

Hours
Normal full-time hours of duty are 30 hours per week, exclusive of meal times.

Medical
Appointment will be subject to a successful pre-employment health assessment.

Holidays
27 days each year; 29 days after 5 years' service; 33 days after 10 years' service and 10 statutory and public holidays.

Pension
The post-holder can participate in the Health Social Care Pension Scheme.

Probationary Period
You will serve a probationary period of normally six months.

Pay Protection
Legacy Trust Staff who apply for a promotion after 1 April 2011 should be aware that they will lose their legacy protection arrangements and will be entitled to pay protection in accordance with circular HSS (JNF)(1) 2011. This circular will also apply to legacy staff who are currently in receipt of protection and who move post on promotion.

Completed application forms should be returned to the BSO Recruitment and Selection Shared Services Centre, on or before the closing date as stated in the advertisement. Canvassing, either directly or indirectly, will be an absolute disqualification. We will review this Job Description and it may include any other duties and responsibilities we determine in consultation with the jobholder. We do not intend it to be rigid and inflexible but rather to provide guidelines within which the jobholder works.