Ward Manager

Job overview

Lead Our Newly Reopened CAMHS Inpatient Unit

We are recruiting a Ward Manager for our newly redesigned Children and Young People’s Mental Health Inpatient Unit, reopening in Autumn 2026.

Following extensive engagement, co-design and investment in our clinical model, workforce and environment, this is a unique opportunity to lead a modern, therapeutic CAMHS inpatient service where young people (aged 12-17) receive safe, purposeful and high-quality care.

About the unit

Our refreshed CAMHS inpatient service is built around:

• Purposeful admissions with early review points
• A structured, therapeutic 7-day programme, including evenings and weekends
• Strong integration with crisis and community services, including COAST (Crisis Outreach Acute Support Team)
• Trauma-informed and autism-aware practice
• A clear focus on reducing restrictive practice and improving outcomes
• Strengthened MDT working, safe staffing and robust clinical governance

As Ward Manager, you will have overall responsibility for creating and sustaining a therapeutic, well-led and compassionate ward culture, ensuring excellent clinical standards and staff wellbeing.

Main duties of the job

• Provide overall leadership and management of the CAMHS inpatient ward
• Ensure delivery of high-quality, evidence-based, trauma-informed nursing care
• Lead and support a multidisciplinary workforce, promoting a positive and inclusive team culture
• Maintain safe staffing, effective rota management and workforce planning
• Ensure robust clinical governance, risk management and safeguarding practice
• Take responsibility for quality, safety, complaints and learning from incidents
• Support service development, innovation and implementation of new ways of working
• Manage the ward within agreed budgets and resources
• Work in partnership with families, carers and external agencies to support effective care and discharge pathways
• Act as a visible clinical leader and role model for professional practice

You would work alongside a Band 7 Clinical Nurse Specialist who would lead on Quality Improvement and developing and maintaining high quality nursing care standards.  Jointly, and with support from the matron, you would hold accountability for quality, safety and culture on the ward

This is an exciting opportunity to develop a new team and to lead on ensuring compassion driven values and excellent ward processors around patient care, family and career involvement, team communication   and staff supervision and development

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

As Ward Manager, you will provide overall leadership for the inpatient ward, ensuring the delivery of safe, effective and person-centred care.

You will be responsible for workforce management, clinical governance, quality improvement and service development, working closely with senior nursing, medical and multidisciplinary colleagues.

You will play a key role in establishing and embedding a positive team culture, supporting staff development and ensuring high standards of professional practice across the service.

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Registered Mental Health Nurse with significant post-registration experience
• Strong background in acute mental health care
• Demonstrable experience of leading teams within inpatient or comparable settings
• Proven clinical leadership and people management skills
• Confidence in managing quality, safety and operational performance
• Commitment to trauma-informed, recovery-focused care
• Resilience, integrity and the ability to lead through change
• Passion for improving outcomes for children, young people and families