Job summary
- Main area
- Mental Health
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (24 hour shift pattern (including nights and weekends))
- Job ref
- 334-NUR-8313257-LF
- Employer
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Bethlem Royal Hospital
- Town
- Beckenham
- Salary
- £45,953 - £54,254 per annum inclusive of HCAS
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 28/10/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Clinical Charge Nurse (National Psychosis Unit)
NHS AfC: Band 6
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Richmond.
We are committed to provide a high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for our care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’.
We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience. By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone’s potential as change makers.
The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role. We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust.
Our Values
We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I’m going to do is at the heart of everything we do. When you join us, you’ll be part of something special.
As a Trust we are happy to talk flexible working.
Job overview
The National Psychosis Unit is looking for a highly skilled and motivated nurse to join our senior nursing team and wider MDT as a Clinical Charge Nurse (Band 6). We are looking for a nurse that is driven to provide and role model high standards of quality of nursing care to patients suffering with complex mental illness, comorbid physical health and psychosocial difficulties. The post holder will need to be equipped with a strong foundation of core nursing skills, an interest in psychosis and physical health, be passionate about service improvement and be able to demonstrate a dynamic and creative approach the role, team working and service delivery.
Main duties of the job
The Clinical Charge Nurse role is suitable for Registered Nurses who have successfully completed preceptorship and have registered as an approved NMC Practice Assessor.
The post holder will deliver and advise on the delivery of, high quality safe nursing care, ensuring consistently high standards of practice and clinical excellence which comply with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) code of professional conduct.
As a Clinical Charge Nurse, you will promote and develop clinical leadership and clinical practice and be a positive role model to junior members of the team through the practice of evidence-based care and consistently high standards of professionalism.
You will be expected to support professional development through clinical appraisal and supervision and contribute to the ongoing educational programme for staff, fostering a positive learning environment. Your professional and personal development will include further postgraduate study, and you will be encouraged and supported by your line manager to undertake continued professional development.
Working for our organisation
The National Psychosis Unit is an 18 bedded, mixed gender ward, based at the Bethlem Royal Hospital and is for adults (over the aged of 18). NPU forms part of the National Psychosis Service, which is a clinical-academic tertiary inpatient and outpatient service offering innovative individualised evidence-based care to help those people with complex psychosis, where standard treatment guidelines have proven ineffective or have not been tolerated. The service aims to enhance quality of life through tailored treatments and promotion of recovery thus reducing the need for high intensity placements and the risk of readmission.
We accept referrals from patients living across the UK and can also accept international patients. The multidisciplinary team of dedicated clinicians offering comprehensive bio-psycho-social reviews alongside innovative, bespoke and varied treatment approaches. Themes include complex co-morbid physical health conditions which directly affect psychiatric treatment options; clozapine re-challenge after a significant adverse reaction; clozapine non-response and specialist psychological interventions for psychosis.
With average length of stay being between 6-12 months and with our patients possibly being a long way from home, we aim to make admissions as short as possible and communicate regularly with carers, the referring team and commissioner to plan care and facilitate timely discharge.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Clinical
- Lead the assessment, admission, care planning, treatment and ongoing management of service users.
- Ensure delivery of high-quality, patient-centred care, meeting physical, psychological, social, recreational and spiritual needs.
- Coordinate and evaluate care with the multidisciplinary team (MDT), incorporating patient and carer feedback.
- Manage patient flow, admissions and discharges, liaising with health and social care professionals and identifying barriers to discharge.
- Produce monthly patient progress and treatment reports for Integrated Care Boards.
- Undertake clinical observations, physical health assessments and monitoring, escalating concerns appropriately.
- Administer and monitor medication, ensuring compliance and management of side effects.
- Promote healthy lifestyles and provide health education and advice.
- Maintain accurate, timely and legally compliant records, care plans and risk assessments.
- Ensure adherence to safeguarding, Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, Trust policies and professional standards.
- Promote recovery-focused practice, dignity, equality, diversity and inclusion.
- Support a safe, clean environment and ensure safe management of medicines, equipment and patient property.
- Participate in clinical supervision, reflective practice and support junior staff development.
Leadership and Management
- Act as a key point of contact for the unit, coordinating activities with the Team Manager and MDT.
- Deputise for the Team Manager when required, taking responsibility for the safe and effective operation of the unit.
- Support workforce planning, staffing deployment, roster management and escalation of staffing concerns.
- Provide leadership and support during challenging situations.
- Assist in the investigation of incidents, complaints and performance concerns, ensuring lessons learned are shared.
- Promote a culture of openness, accountability, continuous improvement and high standards of documentation.
Communication
- Maintain confidentiality and communicate effectively with service users, carers, families, colleagues and partner agencies.
- Lead and contribute to team meetings and multidisciplinary discussions.
- Ensure complaints and compliments are managed in accordance with Trust policy.
- Role model professional communication and uphold Trust values of Kindness, Respect and Togetherness.
Education and Training
- Support staff development through supervision, teaching, competency assessments and learning opportunities.
- Facilitate induction programmes for new staff and students.
- Support preceptorship, revalidation and mandatory training compliance.
- Maintain Practice Assessor status and contribute to student nurse education.
- Undertake appraisal and personal development reviews for designated staff.
- Maintain professional development and NMC revalidation requirements.
- Act as a role model and support workforce development initiatives, including apprenticeships and career progression.
Research, Audit and Quality Improvement
- Participate in audits, benchmarking activities and quality improvement initiatives.
- Monitor standards of care against CQC requirements, Trust objectives and key performance indicators.
- Contribute to service development, governance reviews and workforce development initiatives.
- Support research activity and disseminate learning, evidence-based practice and audit findings across the team and organisation.
- Contribute to continuous improvement and innovation to enhance patient outcomes and service quality.
Person specification
Education and Qualification
Essential criteria
- Registered General Nurse and/or Registered Mental Nurse and/or Registered Learning Disability Nurse
- Practice Assessor qualification
Desirable criteria
- Masters degree
Experience and Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Evidence of continuing professional development
- Experience as a supervisor and supporting junior colleagues
- Knowledge of clinical governance and experience of having undertaken audits
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working in a tertiary service and/or knowledge of referral pathways and processes
- Experience caring for patients who experience treatment resistant psychosis
- Experience caring for patients who experience complex physical health co-morbidities.
- Experience caring for patients who are neurodiverse
Skills and Abilities
Essential criteria
- Ability to formulate and manage risks common to inpatient settings
- Forms very effective working relationships with colleagues
- Able to provide quality care that is responsive to service user’s needs
Desirable criteria
- Able to undertake research / quality improvement / service development initiatives
- Ability to formulate and plan care for patients with a range of bio-psycho-social-sensory needs.
- Able to navigate Health Rosters.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Lily Harthill
- Job title
- Ward Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 020 322 84274
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