Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Divisional Director of Nursing & Quality - Brighton & Hove

The closing date is 11 December 2025

Job summary

We have an exciting opportunity for a Registered Nurse to join us as Divisional Director of Nursing & Quality on a 12 month secondment / fixed-term to support our place-based structure

Working within our Brighton & Hove division as part of the Triumvirate leadership alongside the Managing Director and Clinical Director, you will be accountable for Quality (Safety, Effectiveness and Experience), driving a programme of improvement for Quality and Professional Standards.

You will ensure that high quality care is consistent with NMC and CQC fundamental standards, and safeguarding principles, in line with the organisations vision and values, and strategic objectives.

You will work with others to ensuring that ongoing transformation of services results in highly effective and efficient care pathways, using digital enablers that are fit for the future.

If you have a patient centred and just culture leadership approach, and want to make a difference this will be the role for you..

You will be supported on your continuing professional development journey via appraisal supervision and training opportunities. Sussex Partnership NHS is an equally opportunities employer and we also welcome applications from nurses with lived experience.

Main duties of the job

The Divisional Director of Nursing and Quality (DDoNQ) will drive the programme of improvement for Quality and Professional Standards across the Division ensuring that the delivery of high-quality care is consistent with NMC and CQC fundamental standards, safeguarding principles, Trust Values and the Trust and Division Strategic Objectives

The DDoNQ will have accountability for the quality of care across the Division and will work within agreed objectives, quality standards and resource, in line with local & national plans.

The DDoNQ will have accountability for nursing practice across the Division, ensuring that the nursing voice has authority and that the nursing strategy is delivered live in practice.

About us

This is an excellent time to be joining Sussex Partnership Trust. These roles enable us to place a renewed focus on ensuring that the new nursing strategy is delivered live in practice, that we find new ways to address the recruitment and retention challenge, and that we do this alongside the professional strategies of our psychology, social work and AHP colleagues.

We are in the process of transitioning to the new Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF), are reviewing our response to patient and carer feedback. Your high clinical standards will influence how we operate in the best interest of our staff, patients and carers; enabling learning and ongoing service development on a continual cycle.

A clear programme of development support will be offered to enable further career progression.

Details

Date posted

27 November 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8d

Salary

£91,342 to £105,337 a year Per annum

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

354-CO-21783(EC)

Job locations

Millview Hospital

Nevill Avenue

Hove

BN3 7HZ


Job description

Job responsibilities

Key result areas for the Divisional Director of Nursing and Quality role include:

  • Strategic Professional Leadership and Practice standards
    • Lead a team of nurses and other health professionals to ensure quality planning, control and improvement are delivered across the Division and communicated appropriately through the organisation's governance meeting structure.
    • Service Transformation
      • Working closely with the Managing Director and Clinical Director to drive the necessary service transformations.
    • Quality Assurance
      • Working closely with the clinical services on all matters pertaining to quality governance, using data to support effective practice changes maximising digital solutions
    • Professional and Senior Leadership Responsibilities
      • Development of clear plans on career pathways for nursing, ensure nurses are happy in their work and through this, stabilise recruitment and retention
    • Nursing Workforce Development
      • Lead workforce planning for the Nursing Directorate based on the identification of the nursing contribution within care pathways. This includes identification of skills gaps, creation of new posts and extension of roles.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key result areas for the Divisional Director of Nursing and Quality role include:

  • Strategic Professional Leadership and Practice standards
    • Lead a team of nurses and other health professionals to ensure quality planning, control and improvement are delivered across the Division and communicated appropriately through the organisation's governance meeting structure.
    • Service Transformation
      • Working closely with the Managing Director and Clinical Director to drive the necessary service transformations.
    • Quality Assurance
      • Working closely with the clinical services on all matters pertaining to quality governance, using data to support effective practice changes maximising digital solutions
    • Professional and Senior Leadership Responsibilities
      • Development of clear plans on career pathways for nursing, ensure nurses are happy in their work and through this, stabilise recruitment and retention
    • Nursing Workforce Development
      • Lead workforce planning for the Nursing Directorate based on the identification of the nursing contribution within care pathways. This includes identification of skills gaps, creation of new posts and extension of roles.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to master's level or equivalent in a health-related field
  • Evidence of significant relevant professional development
  • Registered nurse (NMC)
  • Proven ability to perform at strategic and senior management level

Experience

Essential

  • Significant experience at a senior nursing level leading mental health and learning disability nursing practice and quality
  • Professional regulatory experience - NMC
  • Quality regulatory experience - CQC
  • Nursing workforce, inc. recruitment and retention
  • Safer staffing
  • Clinical Governance
  • Leading and managing change through co-production
  • Analysing highly complex information and developing practical and workable solutions to address them at pace.
  • Experience of thinking and planning long term strategy
  • Being able to prioritise programmes of work in the face of competing demands.
  • Experience of managing and delivering to deadlines and within resources.
  • Experience of achievement in negotiating and influencing others.
  • Writing papers for sub committees
  • Strong record of multiprofessional collaborator internally and externally
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to master's level or equivalent in a health-related field
  • Evidence of significant relevant professional development
  • Registered nurse (NMC)
  • Proven ability to perform at strategic and senior management level

Experience

Essential

  • Significant experience at a senior nursing level leading mental health and learning disability nursing practice and quality
  • Professional regulatory experience - NMC
  • Quality regulatory experience - CQC
  • Nursing workforce, inc. recruitment and retention
  • Safer staffing
  • Clinical Governance
  • Leading and managing change through co-production
  • Analysing highly complex information and developing practical and workable solutions to address them at pace.
  • Experience of thinking and planning long term strategy
  • Being able to prioritise programmes of work in the face of competing demands.
  • Experience of managing and delivering to deadlines and within resources.
  • Experience of achievement in negotiating and influencing others.
  • Writing papers for sub committees
  • Strong record of multiprofessional collaborator internally and externally

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Millview Hospital

Nevill Avenue

Hove

BN3 7HZ


Employer's website

https://www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Millview Hospital

Nevill Avenue

Hove

BN3 7HZ


Employer's website

https://www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Deputy Chief Nurse

Portia Aveling

Portia.Aveling@nhs.net

Details

Date posted

27 November 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8d

Salary

£91,342 to £105,337 a year Per annum

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

354-CO-21783(EC)

Job locations

Millview Hospital

Nevill Avenue

Hove

BN3 7HZ


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)