Job requirements
Essential
8 listedRequirements the employer expects applicants to meet.
- Experience
Experience of working in a senior nursing post in complex mental health & learning disability settings
- Experience
Demonstrable knowledge of service issues & priorities facing mental health & learning disability services
- Experience
Demonstrable developed leadership skills
- Experience
Experience of leading & facilitating change
- Experience
Experience of senior nursing leadership to achieve results across a broad range of outcomes, whilst providing senior nursing leadership, service user focus & personal integrity
- Qualifications
First level Registered Nurse (MH) in relevant field to the post.
- Qualifications
teaching and assessing course Management or leadership development
- Qualifications
Degree in Nursing or other health related study Master’s degree or Equivalent Experience
Desirable
4 listedAdditional qualities the employer would prefer.
- Experience
Experience of writing for publication and/or presenting to professionals and the public
- Experience
Experience of leading research/quality improvement initiatives, developing and evaluating new ways of working
- Qualifications
Evidence of education/training in specialist area (i.e., therapies, interventions, service-specialism)
- Qualifications
Postgraduate certificate in Education or equivalent
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and highly motivated senior mental health nurse to join the Adult Community Services Division as Deputy Head of Nursing.
Working with the Head of Nursing, Consultant Nurse, Community Matrons and wider leadership team, you will provide visible and influential professional nursing leadership, with a strong focus on safe, effective and high-quality care, professional standards, clinical governance and developing nursing practice.
This is an exciting time to join a Division where innovation and quality improvement are central to nursing practice. Our community nurses won the HSJ Early-Stage Patient Safety Innovation of the Year Award 2025, were runners-up for the HSJ Nurse-Led Patient Safety Award 2025, and shortlisted for the Nursing Times Awards 2026 – Nursing in Mental Health.
In 2026, the Division was also rated GOOD across all domains by the CQC.
We are looking for an inspiring senior nurse who can build on these strengths and help us continue to deliver excellent community mental health care.
Main duties of the job
The Deputy Head of Nursing will work alongside the Head of Nursing to provide senior professional nursing leadership across the Adult Community Services Division and support delivery of the Trust’s nursing, quality and patient-safety priorities.
The postholder will provide visible professional leadership and support to Community Matrons and senior nurses, promoting high standards of nursing practice, professional accountability and continuous improvement. They will strengthen clinical governance and assurance, using audit, evidence, benchmarking and quality-improvement approaches to improve the safety, effectiveness and quality of care.
The role will lead and support quality improvement, innovation and service development, ensuring learning from incidents, audits, complaints and service-user experience is translated into practice. The postholder will support nursing workforce development and work collaboratively with service users, carers, multidisciplinary teams and system partners.
They will deputise for the Head of Nursing as required and represent the Division at Trust and wider system forums.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Deputy Head of Nursing will work closely with the Head of Nursing to provide visible, effective professional nursing leadership across the Adult Community Services Division.
The postholder will:
- Provide professional leadership, support and challenge to Community Matrons and senior nursing teams, promoting high standards of practice and accountability.
- Strengthen nursing governance and assurance, with a focus on patient safety, quality, clinical effectiveness and service-user experience.
- Lead quality improvement, innovation and service development, using evidence, audit and benchmarking to improve care and reduce variation.
- Support nursing workforce development, professional supervision, leadership and succession planning.
- Work collaboratively with the Consultant Nurse, Community Matrons, Divisional Leadership, multidisciplinary teams, service users and carers to embed evidence-based practice.
- Contribute to divisional and Trust-wide nursing, quality and patient-safety priorities.
- Deputise for the Head of Nursing and represent the Division as required.
The role requires a credible and inclusive senior nurse who can inspire others, lead change and translate innovation into safe, effective and high-quality care.
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.
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Deputy Head of Nursing with Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust in Radlett, England. It is listed as a Band 8 Nurse (adult and children) role. The advertised salary is £68,852 - £79,638 per annum, pro rata (Inclusive of 5% HCAS). The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 12 Nov 2026.
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