Job summary
The Head of Nursing for Mental Health and Learning Disabilities provides an excellent opportunity to live and work in West Wales. The post holder will be a key member of the Clinical Care Groups Senior Leadership Team and will be central to leading and monitoring care quality standards, ensuring the delivery of safe, compassionate, and person centred care that reflects the needs of our population. The post holder will champion robust governance arrangements that not only monitor standards of care but also proactively drive improvement, innovation, and collaboration. The role will embody the principles of national strategies in Wales, promoting recovery, inclusion, and dignity in all aspects of care.
The successful candidate will work in partnership with service users, carers, staff, and wider stakeholders to influence and deliver national and local priorities, aligning professional nursing leadership with organisational and regional ambitions. Compassionate leadership will be essential to inspire and support nursing teams, ensuring that quality, safety, and patient experience remain at the heart of service delivery.
Main duties of the job
- Lead on the patient quality, safety, and experience agenda across services, using patient and carer feedback to shape and improve services that are safe, effective, and person-centred.
- Collaborate with nursing teams and wider professional colleagues to develop new ways of working that support integration across health and social care, ensuring services are inclusive and responsive to community needs.
- Provide professional nursing leadership that supports system-wide development of care services, fostering innovation and best practice in the provision of compassionate, recovery-focused care.
- Offer professional advice and support to clinicians, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, modernised, patient-focused services.
- Inspire, coach, and mentor nursing teams to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, compassion, and effectiveness, supporting individual and team development in line with organisational values.
- Develop workforce plans that reflect current and future service needs, supporting role development and modernisation in alignment with national strategies for mental health and learning disabilities.
About us
Hywel Dda University Health Board plans and provides NHS healthcare services for people living in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, and bordering counties.
We have over 13,000 staff and together we provide primary, community, in-hospital, mental health and learning disabilities services.
We work in partnership with the three local authorities, as well as public, private and third sector colleagues, including our valued team of volunteers.
Our services are provided in:
- Four main hospitals: Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth; Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen; Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli; and Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest
- Five community hospitals: Amman Valley and Llandovery hospitals in Carmarthenshire; Tregaron Hospital in Ceredigion; and Tenby and South Pembrokeshire hospitals in Pembrokeshire
- Two integrated care centres: Aberaeron and Cardigan in Ceredigion, and several other community settings
- 47 general practices (six of which are health board managed practices); dental practices (including four orthodontic); 97 community pharmacies; 43 general ophthalmic practices; and 8 ophthalmic domiciliary providers
- Numerous mental health and learning disabilities services
Job description
Job responsibilities
You will be able to find a full job description and person specification attached within the supporting documents.
The Health Board is committed to supporting its staff to fully embrace the need for bilingualism thereby enhancing patient and service user experiences. In our commitment to increase the number of staff who are able to communicate in Welsh with patients and professionals, we welcome applications from Welsh speakers.
The ability to communicate in Welsh isdesirablefor this post. If you do not meet the Welsh Language requirements specified, the Health Board offers a variety of learning options and staff support to help you meet these minimal desirable requirements during the course of your employment with us.
If successfully shortlisted you will be asked to complete psychometric assessments. Information regarding these and the stakeholder panels/interview will be sent to you following completion of shortlisting.
Stakeholder panels will be held on 04/02/2026
Interviews will be held on 05/02/2026
Job description
Job responsibilities
You will be able to find a full job description and person specification attached within the supporting documents.
The Health Board is committed to supporting its staff to fully embrace the need for bilingualism thereby enhancing patient and service user experiences. In our commitment to increase the number of staff who are able to communicate in Welsh with patients and professionals, we welcome applications from Welsh speakers.
The ability to communicate in Welsh isdesirablefor this post. If you do not meet the Welsh Language requirements specified, the Health Board offers a variety of learning options and staff support to help you meet these minimal desirable requirements during the course of your employment with us.
If successfully shortlisted you will be asked to complete psychometric assessments. Information regarding these and the stakeholder panels/interview will be sent to you following completion of shortlisting.
Stakeholder panels will be held on 04/02/2026
Interviews will be held on 05/02/2026
Person Specification
Qualifications and Knowledge
Essential
- Professionally registered as a Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMN) or Registered Nurse Learning Disability (RNLD) with current NMC registration.
- Master's Level or equivalent level of experience.
- An appropriate management qualification or professional qualification
- Evidence of CPD.
- Knowledge of NHS WG and health board policies, strategies and plans including HR policies and of wider political and social drivers that influence service delivery within the NHS.
Experience
Essential
- Proven track record of effective management at a senior level.
- Financial management experience including evidence of delivery within budgets and time scales.
- An extensive portfolio of experience of working at a relatively senior level in a large, complex organisation.
- Experience of leading major service and organisation change
- Must possess a good appreciation of planning and developing and implementing strategies.
- Extensive previous experience of working at a senior level in which registration with the NMC has been required.
Other
Desirable
Person Specification
Qualifications and Knowledge
Essential
- Professionally registered as a Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMN) or Registered Nurse Learning Disability (RNLD) with current NMC registration.
- Master's Level or equivalent level of experience.
- An appropriate management qualification or professional qualification
- Evidence of CPD.
- Knowledge of NHS WG and health board policies, strategies and plans including HR policies and of wider political and social drivers that influence service delivery within the NHS.
Experience
Essential
- Proven track record of effective management at a senior level.
- Financial management experience including evidence of delivery within budgets and time scales.
- An extensive portfolio of experience of working at a relatively senior level in a large, complex organisation.
- Experience of leading major service and organisation change
- Must possess a good appreciation of planning and developing and implementing strategies.
- Extensive previous experience of working at a senior level in which registration with the NMC has been required.
Other
Desirable
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
Hywel Dda University Health Board
Address
Base to be confirmed with successful candidate
Base to be confirmed with successful candidate
SA31 2AF
Employer's website
https://hduhb.nhs.wales/ (Opens in a new tab)
