Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity to join the North Wales Young People's Service (NWAS) on Kestrel Ward in a dual role as Practice Development Nurse and Senior Staff Nurse. This unique position combines clinical leadership with teaching and development responsibilities, and offers you the opportunity to influence practice standards while continuing to take an active, direct role in patient care.
Based on the principle that nurses learn most effectively through experience, the role of the Practice Development Nurse focuses on helping staff to apply knowledge in real clinical situations. You will support the team to provide care that is specific to a condition and also guided by pathways, to ensure that learning turns into confident and suitable practical work. You will also work as a Senior Staff Nurse--leading shifts, coordinating the nursing team, and maintaining a safe and supportive therapeutic environment.
This role is central to providing safe, effective and compassionate care for young people with complex mental health needs. You will shape clinical standards, guide staff through change, and promote evidence-based practice within NWAS. Your contribution will ensure patient outcomes, build staff confidence, and foster a positive and therapeutic environment across the service.
The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; English and/or Welsh speakers are equally welcome to apply.
Main duties of the job
Practice Development Responsibilities:
- Deliver teaching sessions, organize forums, and create innovative learning opportunities tailored to the needs of the ward.
- Support new starters through competency and induction frameworks, ensuring best practice for skills acquisition.
- Collaborate with corporate Practice Development Nurses and Clinical Training Teams to benchmark and ensure the quality of training standards.
- Contribute to quality improvement initiatives, audits, and service evaluation to improve patient care and staff development.
Senior Staff Nurse Responsibilities:
- Being responsible for shifts and maintaining a safe, therapeutic environment.
- Coordinating the nursing team, delegating tasks, and ensuring that patient activities are well supported and supervised.
- Act as a reliable resource for staff during emergencies or challenging situations, building confidence and teamwork.
- Provide direct nursing care to children and young people with complex mental health needs, using a person-centred approach.
Time will be allocated to maintaining your clinical competence and professional development.
About us
If you relish a challenge, have a passion to help others or simply fancy a fresh start, then Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) North Wales, has all the right ingredients. The largest health organisation in Wales, providing a full range of primary, community, mental health, acute and elective hospital services for a population of around 700,000, across North Wales . Join our team and get the support you need, in line with our Organisational Values and 'Proud to Lead' competence framework.
Enjoy being part of working with engaged leadership at all levels, and be assured we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and are proud to welcome applicants under the "Disability Confident Employer" scheme.
Please check your email account regularly. Successful applicants will receive all recruitment related correspondence via the email account registered on the application form.
Applications may be submitted in Welsh. Applications submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.
Job description
Job responsibilities
You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click Apply now to view in Trac.
Job description
Job responsibilities
You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click Apply now to view in Trac.
Person Specification
Other
Essential
- Ability to travel within geographical area.
- Ability to work hours flexibly.
Qualification and Knowledge
Essential
- Registered Mental Health Nurse
- Mentor qualification
- Evidence of continuing professional development.
- Teaching and Assessing module.
- Teaching qualification or working towards.
Desirable
- Relevant degree.
- Teaching and assessing qualification.
- Post registration qualification in Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working on a Mental Health Inpatient Unit
- Evidence of ongoing educational development.
- Experience of Care Coordination/Case management
Desirable
- Experience of delivering information sessions.
- Experience of working in other CAMHS settings.
- Evidence of continuing professional development relating to Child and Adolescent Mental Health nursing
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Good communication skills, able to relate to all levels of ability.
- Ability to generate effective therapeutic relationships with young people (patients)
- A clear understanding of relevant legislations and policies relating to the mental health of children and young people.
- Ability to communicate with multi-disciplinary team colleagues and other professionals, both verbally and in writing.
- Ability to be assertive and to take a leadership role in teams.
- Sound knowledge of child development and factors that are likely to contribute to mental health difficulties in children and young people.
- Experience of service evaluation and audit and a good knowledge of the components of clinical governance.
- Sound knowledge of issues affecting the nursing of young people with mental health problems
- Ability to assess mental health problems. This requires the ability to use information gathered from a variety of sources to provide a formulation of a mental health problem
- Ability to assess and manage risk, in particular being able to identify risk factors relating to mental health problems in young people and to implement appropriate risk management strategies.
- Group work skills.
- Ability to provide and engage in effective clinical supervision.
- Ability to work cooperatively with other agencies and disciplines.
- Ability to participate in training non-aversive holding techniques including restrictive physical intervention training.
- Ability to remain calm in the personal management of challenging situations.
- Good reflective ability and an understanding of its importance in the context of interpersonal working.
- Ability to organise and plan work activities for nursing team.
- Ability to work flexibly and to adapt clinical approach to needs of children and young people, working in partnership with children and young people and parents/carers.
- A good and developing level of self-awareness and how one's own experiences may impact upon one's attitudes and interactions. Self-awareness which includes demonstrable qualities and values beneficial to the role e.g. care, compassion, courage and commitment.
- Have a desire to develop both professionally and personally.
- Be able to exercise appropriate professional boundaries.
- Be able to recognise limits to personal skills and competencies.
- Have appropriate strategies for coping with stress .
- Good interpersonal skills.
- Teaching skills - presentations, one-to-one.
- Presentation skills - to learners, trained staff, members of MDT.
- Competent IT skills.
Desirable
- Audit skills.
- Research skills.
- Ability to speak Welsh.
Person Specification
Other
Essential
- Ability to travel within geographical area.
- Ability to work hours flexibly.
Qualification and Knowledge
Essential
- Registered Mental Health Nurse
- Mentor qualification
- Evidence of continuing professional development.
- Teaching and Assessing module.
- Teaching qualification or working towards.
Desirable
- Relevant degree.
- Teaching and assessing qualification.
- Post registration qualification in Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working on a Mental Health Inpatient Unit
- Evidence of ongoing educational development.
- Experience of Care Coordination/Case management
Desirable
- Experience of delivering information sessions.
- Experience of working in other CAMHS settings.
- Evidence of continuing professional development relating to Child and Adolescent Mental Health nursing
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Good communication skills, able to relate to all levels of ability.
- Ability to generate effective therapeutic relationships with young people (patients)
- A clear understanding of relevant legislations and policies relating to the mental health of children and young people.
- Ability to communicate with multi-disciplinary team colleagues and other professionals, both verbally and in writing.
- Ability to be assertive and to take a leadership role in teams.
- Sound knowledge of child development and factors that are likely to contribute to mental health difficulties in children and young people.
- Experience of service evaluation and audit and a good knowledge of the components of clinical governance.
- Sound knowledge of issues affecting the nursing of young people with mental health problems
- Ability to assess mental health problems. This requires the ability to use information gathered from a variety of sources to provide a formulation of a mental health problem
- Ability to assess and manage risk, in particular being able to identify risk factors relating to mental health problems in young people and to implement appropriate risk management strategies.
- Group work skills.
- Ability to provide and engage in effective clinical supervision.
- Ability to work cooperatively with other agencies and disciplines.
- Ability to participate in training non-aversive holding techniques including restrictive physical intervention training.
- Ability to remain calm in the personal management of challenging situations.
- Good reflective ability and an understanding of its importance in the context of interpersonal working.
- Ability to organise and plan work activities for nursing team.
- Ability to work flexibly and to adapt clinical approach to needs of children and young people, working in partnership with children and young people and parents/carers.
- A good and developing level of self-awareness and how one's own experiences may impact upon one's attitudes and interactions. Self-awareness which includes demonstrable qualities and values beneficial to the role e.g. care, compassion, courage and commitment.
- Have a desire to develop both professionally and personally.
- Be able to exercise appropriate professional boundaries.
- Be able to recognise limits to personal skills and competencies.
- Have appropriate strategies for coping with stress .
- Good interpersonal skills.
- Teaching skills - presentations, one-to-one.
- Presentation skills - to learners, trained staff, members of MDT.
- Competent IT skills.
Desirable
- Audit skills.
- Research skills.
- Ability to speak Welsh.
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).
