Job overview
Please note that this is a secondment/fixed-term opportunity running to the end of March 2027. Internal applicants must obtain approval from their line manager before applying.
We are seeking a passionate and motivated nurse leader to join our forensic, low secure and rehabilitation service at Kingsway Hospital, Derby.
Based at Kedleston Unit, you will provide leadership across Curzon and Scarsdale wards, which provide 24-hour inpatient care for adults with severe and enduring mental illness who require longer-term assessment, treatment, stabilisation and rehabilitation.
As Lead Nurse, you will:
- Provide visible and supportive clinical leadership.
- Champion high-quality, evidence-based care.
- Support, supervise and develop colleagues across the multidisciplinary team.
- Promote compassionate, recovery-focused and least restrictive practice.
- Help shape the continued development of the service.
You will join a strong and supportive team committed to creating an environment where service users feel valued, empowered and able to work towards their personal goals.
This is a rewarding opportunity to strengthen clinical leadership and make a meaningful difference to service users and colleagues.
If you are ready to bring your skills, ideas and passion for rehabilitation to a service recently rated Good in all CQC domains, we would love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will:
- Work with the team, driving change and offering assurance that our care meets the standards not only expected of us, but that our patients, relatives and carers deserve.
- Be responsible for establishing operational and clinical service mechanisms that support safe and high-quality care throughout the twenty-four-hour period.
- Have opportunities to take the lead on new developments and will be responsible for ensuring that local and national standards and targets are met.
- Be responsible for ensuring that the clinical team operates within established legal and operational protocols and that robust clinical rationales exist for planned and delivered interventions.
- Work effectively within a multi-disciplinary setting and will ensure that effective co-ordination exists and is maintained, between the various stakeholders involved.
- Be part of our bleep-holder role on a rota basis, which lends itself to bed management, and support of the Kingsway Campus.
- Deputise for the Senior Nurses where needed.
This post is full time and will involve working shifts, late and early shifts with occasional weekends, bank holidays and at times possible 9-5 shifts on weekdays.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please review the Job Description and Person Specification.
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Person specification
Experience/Skills
Essential
- Post-registration clinical expertise that will include core competencies around NMC Nurse Competencies
- Demonstrate the ability to co-ordinate and lead multi-professional teams
- Demonstrate knowledge and expertise of CPA/Risk Assessment and Management Skills
- Demonstrate the ability to lead the clinical team in a service user/ career focused way
- Demonstrate exposure to and a comprehensive knowledge of Clinical Governance in action (audit, research clinical effectiveness etc)
- Demonstrate operational management skills, including change management, project management etc
- Demonstrate knowledge of legal and ethical issues relating to clinical practice, including policy and procedure development
- Demonstrate an understanding of work-based legislation
Desirable
- Experience of working in secure and/or rehabilitation settings
Education/Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to Diploma Level (i.e. Dip HE Nursing) or Degree Level
- Evidence of up to date Personal Development Plan Professional Portfolio
Desirable
- Experience in mentoring and supervising staff
- Experience working with families and carers
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Lead Nurse (Low Secure Unit) with Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in Derby, Midlands, England. It is listed as a Nurse (adult and children) role. The advertised salary is £39,959 - £48,117 pa, pro-rata. The contract type is 8 months (Please note that this is a secondment/fixed-term opportunity running to the end of March 2027. Internal applicants must obtain approval from their line manager before applying.). The application deadline is 30 Jul 2026.
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