Matron

Job summary

Would you like to lead and develop an established and well supported Low Secure Unit and PICU that supports the recovery/discovery of young people who require short or longer-term intensive support? If so, then the Matron role at Austen House might be for you.

We are seeking an experienced manager with excellent clinical skills and an ability to engage young people with mental health difficulties, families, system partners and stakeholders, to join our established team for approx. 6-7 months to cover a period of long term absence. The fixed term contract/secondment can begin at your earliest convenience and will run until the end of March 2027.

Applicants must have experience of working with service users with mental health difficulties, leadership skills which will support the operational management of our secure hospital service, and a style of working which supports all team members to achieve the best possible outcomes for young people and their families/carers.

Main duties of the job

Set in picturesque grounds at Tatchbury Mount on the edge of the New Forest, on the same site as other secure services, Austen House is a purpose build hospital with excellent facilities and resources to ensure that it is a therapeutic environment for those young people requiring an admission. The site has recently undergone some refurbishment to ensure that it is sensory-friendly to support young people with neurodevelopmental conditions and other sensory processing difficulties.

The Matron will be responsible for the delivery of all aspects of the service, and the post is well supported by the Specialist CAMHS leadership and business support team, embedded performance and quality governance structures, and well-resourced clinical and administrative teams.

Austen House also benefits from being part of a portfolio of 3 CAMHS hospitals with a robust culture of collaboration, learning from events, and sharing innovation and best practice.

Please contact Alison Vasey, Head of Clinical Services, at alison.vasey3@nhs.net for further information or an informal discussion.

About us

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides joined-up mental and physical healthcare for around two million people across our communities. With over 13,000 staff working in the community and local hospitals, we deliver care at every stage of life, helping people live their best and healthiest lives.

Our mental health services include community-based support and early intervention in psychosis (EIP) for both adults and young people, alongside a network of specialist inpatient wards covering forensic, learning disability, eating disorder and older person's care.

We deliver extensive physical health services too, from urgent community response teams helping frail and older patients remain safely at home, to hospitals at home teams providing acute-level care in familiar surroundings. Our neurological services offer rehabilitation and treatment for conditions including Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Motor Neurone Disease, Head Injury, Cerebral Palsy and Stroke. Across Hampshire, our community hospitals provide inpatient rehabilitation as a step down from acute care, and our dedicated teams also staff Treetops Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Portsmouth, offering expert, compassionate support.

Everything we do is underpinned by our CARE values of compassion, accountability, respect and excellence

Details

• Date posted: 24 August 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 8a
• Salary: £57,528 to £64,750 a year
• Contract: Secondment
• Duration: 7 months
• Working pattern: Full-time
• Reference number: 348-CFS-12301
• Job locations: Austen House, Tatchbury Mount, Calmore, Southampton, Hampshire, SO40 2TA, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

Further information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached. It is important to us that we ensure our recruitment processes are accessible and inclusive to everyone - if as a potential candidate you are concerned a person specification may prevent or restrict your application for employment as a result of unintentional barriers on the grounds of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, religion/belief or disability please initially contact the Trust's Recruitment team - detailed in the advert. The Trust will seek to resolve this issue wherever possible.

We are happy to talk Flexible Working - all requests for flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).