Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Chief Nurse team as the Lead Nurse Mental Health for UCLH. This post provides trust wide strategic and operational leadership at UCLH to ensure the care provided to patients with mental health needs is safe, effective, of a high quality and improves patient experience.
You will provide forward-thinking clinical and professional leadership to support delivery of the trust's mental health strategy and quality priorities.
Working closely with colleagues across the Trust, you will have a particular focus on five keys areas: strategic, operational, professional, programme management and partnership working. You will also contribute to the ongoing implementation of the wider trust strategy and nursing and midwifery priorities.
You will have collaborative leadership skills, a passion for high-quality patient care and a drive to enhance patient outcomes and improve staff experience.
This is an excellent opportunity for professional development and growth.
Interviews are scheduled to take place on Thursday, 4th September 2025
Main duties of the job
The role has five main delivery themes:
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Operational: ensure robust governance systems are in place relating to mental health across the organisation, review performance and monitor impact, create an operational framework and provide professional leadership to the RMNs in the ETOC Team.
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Programme management: supported by a project manager, lead a rigorous, responsive and robust programme of work including planning, reporting, managing risk and complexity, with a strong focus on benefits realisation across the organisation.
About us
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is one of the most complex NHS trusts in the UK, serving a large and diverse population. We provide academically led acute and specialist services, to people from the local area, from throughout the UK and overseas. Our vision is to deliver top-quality patient care, excellent education, and world-class research.
We provide first-class acute and specialist services across 8 sites:
University College Hospital (incorporating the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing)
National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals
University College Hospital Grafton Way Building
Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine
University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre
The Hospital for Tropical Diseases
University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street
We are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of many complex illnesses. UCLH specialises in women's health and the treatment of cancer, infection, neurological, gastrointestinal and oral disease. It has world class support services including critical care, imaging, nuclear medicine and pathology.
We are committed to sustainability and have pledged to become a carbon net zero health service, embedding sustainable practice throughout UCLH. We have set an ambitious target of net zero for our direct emissions by 2031 and indirect emissions by 2040.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description.
Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff*
* UCLH top trust to work at in England - In the most recent NHS staff survey UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England for the third year in a row.
UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff To find out more, visit: Flexible working.
To discover more about what makes UCLH a great place to work, visit: Why Choose UCLH?
Job description
Job responsibilities
For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description.
Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff*
* UCLH top trust to work at in England - In the most recent NHS staff survey UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England for the third year in a row.
UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff To find out more, visit: Flexible working.
To discover more about what makes UCLH a great place to work, visit: Why Choose UCLH?
Person Specification
Knowledge and Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Mental Health Nurse
- Educated to Masters / MBA qualification or equivalent experience
- Substantial evidence of continuing professional development
- Leadership qualification
Desirable
- Project Management qualification (PRINCE2 or equivalent experience)
Experience
Essential
- Significant experience of operational management in a nursing leadership role at a senior level (matron or equivalent) in a large mental health organisation with a complex range of services.
- Experience of leading and implementing effective, transformational change.
- Experience of delivering projects to time in a complex organisation.
- Experience of teaching, training and development and implementing evidence-based practice /nursing research in practice.
- Experience of negotiating and presenting cohesive arguments.
- Experience of managing competing priorities effectively within constrained timescales, using limited resources.
- Experience of managing and leading a workforce and associated budgets.
- Experience in analysing and resolving complex complaints and incidents.
- Knowledge of public sector / NHS work structures.
- Understanding of the principles and practice of governance, risk management, investigation and mitigation in the context of the NHS.
Desirable
- Experience of business case preparation, report writing and the development and monitoring of outcome and output measures.
- delivering Trust wide professional nursing objectives.
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Ability to manage complexity and risk whilst maintaining high standards of clinical and operational care.
- Is a team player, but able to work independently.
- Strong organisational ability and well-developed resource and staff management skills; able to forecast, plan, develop and manage unity capability in line with business plan and organisational vision
- Proven ability to foster an organisational culture that is positive about change and committed to delivery of the strategic vision.
- Ability to collaborate and work with a diverse range of stakeholders and effectively engage and influence, creating the conditions for successful partnership working.
- Ability to demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills to motivate and develop staff.
Communication
Essential
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills including the ability to influence colleagues at a range of levels internally and externally.
Personal and People Development
Essential
- Demonstrate a commitment to openness, honesty and integrity.
- Demonstrate credible, visible leadership and role-model excellence in nursing practice.
- High level of work organisation, self-motivation, drive for performance and improvement and flexibility in approach and attitude.
Responsibilities towards promoting Equality Diversity and Inclusion
Essential
- Responsibilities towards promoting Equality Diversity and Inclusion
- Knowledge of the NHS obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duties
Ensure the risk of infection to self, colleagues, patients, relatives and visitors is minimised by:
Essential
- Familiar with, and adhering to Trust policies and guidance on infection prevention and control.
- Completing all required training and education (both via e-learning and face to face) on infection prevention and control.
- Including infection prevention and control as an integral part of your continuous personal/professional development and included in your annual appraisal
- Taking personal responsibility so far as is reasonably practicable, in helping ensure that effective prevention and control of health care associated infections is embedded into everyday practice and applied consistently.
Person Specification
Knowledge and Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Mental Health Nurse
- Educated to Masters / MBA qualification or equivalent experience
- Substantial evidence of continuing professional development
- Leadership qualification
Desirable
- Project Management qualification (PRINCE2 or equivalent experience)
Experience
Essential
- Significant experience of operational management in a nursing leadership role at a senior level (matron or equivalent) in a large mental health organisation with a complex range of services.
- Experience of leading and implementing effective, transformational change.
- Experience of delivering projects to time in a complex organisation.
- Experience of teaching, training and development and implementing evidence-based practice /nursing research in practice.
- Experience of negotiating and presenting cohesive arguments.
- Experience of managing competing priorities effectively within constrained timescales, using limited resources.
- Experience of managing and leading a workforce and associated budgets.
- Experience in analysing and resolving complex complaints and incidents.
- Knowledge of public sector / NHS work structures.
- Understanding of the principles and practice of governance, risk management, investigation and mitigation in the context of the NHS.
Desirable
- Experience of business case preparation, report writing and the development and monitoring of outcome and output measures.
- delivering Trust wide professional nursing objectives.
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Ability to manage complexity and risk whilst maintaining high standards of clinical and operational care.
- Is a team player, but able to work independently.
- Strong organisational ability and well-developed resource and staff management skills; able to forecast, plan, develop and manage unity capability in line with business plan and organisational vision
- Proven ability to foster an organisational culture that is positive about change and committed to delivery of the strategic vision.
- Ability to collaborate and work with a diverse range of stakeholders and effectively engage and influence, creating the conditions for successful partnership working.
- Ability to demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills to motivate and develop staff.
Communication
Essential
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills including the ability to influence colleagues at a range of levels internally and externally.
Personal and People Development
Essential
- Demonstrate a commitment to openness, honesty and integrity.
- Demonstrate credible, visible leadership and role-model excellence in nursing practice.
- High level of work organisation, self-motivation, drive for performance and improvement and flexibility in approach and attitude.
Responsibilities towards promoting Equality Diversity and Inclusion
Essential
- Responsibilities towards promoting Equality Diversity and Inclusion
- Knowledge of the NHS obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duties
Ensure the risk of infection to self, colleagues, patients, relatives and visitors is minimised by:
Essential
- Familiar with, and adhering to Trust policies and guidance on infection prevention and control.
- Completing all required training and education (both via e-learning and face to face) on infection prevention and control.
- Including infection prevention and control as an integral part of your continuous personal/professional development and included in your annual appraisal
- Taking personal responsibility so far as is reasonably practicable, in helping ensure that effective prevention and control of health care associated infections is embedded into everyday practice and applied consistently.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address
University College London Hospital
250 Euston Road
London
NW1 2PG
Employer's website
https://www.uclh.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)
