Location
Salary
£55,690 - £62,682 per annum
Profession
Mental health professionals
Grade
Band 8
Deadline
17 Feb 2026
Contract Type
Permanent: Substantive
Posted Date
03 Feb 2026

Job overview

Are you looking for a new challenge? A new opportunity has come up in Secure Services, we are looking for a new Matron to join the team. Are you a great leader, hardworking and motivated to development  our Forensic Mental Health service? Then this is the job for you.

This is a fantastic opportunity to further enhance the quality of the service delivered. We are looking for someone with knowledge and experience of leading a team, who can work creatively with staff to ensure an excellent service user journey/experience and work closely with Nursing and Quality.  You need to be committed to looking at and supporting innovative ways of working, which includes quality improvement projects.

Applications are invited from motivated Mental Health Nurses at Band 7 and above to join Secure Services as a Modern Matron (Band 8A), promoting and supporting the provision of high quality mental health nursing care, excellent service user experience and development of outstanding nursing practice. This post offers a rare opportunity for someone to develop their experience/career in Forensic Mental Health.

Main duties of the job

The Modern Matron provides clinical and operational leadership, promoting the safe delivery of high quality and safe care, compliance with key performance indicators, regulatory compliance; supporting  staff to achieve outstanding care through effective compassionate management. You will support best practice in Adult Safeguarding, working with the Multidisciplinary team, service users and carers to maintain a safe, person centred environment. You will be involved in projects, meetings and reviews.

Reporting  to the Service Manager, you will also provide support and advice, as required, to the Head of Operations and Clinical Lead . You will liaise with other senior managers and professionals across the service as well as partnership agencies, other services within and outside of AWP as required.

To support you in this role, you will have regular supervision with the Service Manager. You will be supported to create a personal development plan.

This post will be responsible for 4 clinical areas within the MSU and LSU.

The service consists of two inpatient units: Fromeside has 81 beds across seven medium secure wards including 12 female beds and 8 LD/ASD places. Wickham has three wards with a total of 31 Low Secure beds. There is also a Primary Care Centre and a Central Security team. There are three community services: Specialist Community Forensic Team (SCFT), Forensic Intellectual Neuropsychiatric and Development Disorders (FIND) Team and Secure Community Social Care Team.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To play a key leadership role in the delivery of high quality care for their area of responsibility, resolving operational issues, focusing on service user safety and quality improvement by:

Being visible, accessible, showing strong clinical leadership and being a positive role model.

Support Ward Managers in their role and 24 hours accountability, coaching and supervising and identifying areas for development

Work with Ward Managers to identify appropriate staffing levels to meet changing needs ensuring balanced resource management

Ensuring effective action is taken where nursing performance is at risk of falling below expected levels and standards are not maintained.

Ensure systems and processes are followed to ensure the continuity of safe and effective care at all times contributing to review and development of local policies an protocols

Drive infection prevention and control agenda and challenge poor practice

Manage and respond to complaints and adverse incidents as required ensuring teams receive appropriate support/debrief

Support Ward Managers through staff sickness and disciplinary processes

Carry out a root cause analysis following a serious incident, developing action plans alongside the Ward Manager

Provide reports to Senior Management team as required, undertake root cause analysis and develop and action plans

Through established meetings and processes, maintain effective communication with patients, relatives and staff to contribute to the active resolution of potentially complex situations, conflicts and issues

In conjunction with the Senior Leadership/Management Teams, participate in monitoring and maintaining excellent clinical standards within clinical teams

See Job Description for full details

Band 8a Modern Matron - Bristol at Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Trust Partnership NHS Trust | Job Clerk