Job summary
Come and join one of the UK's largest providers in Neuro and Mental Healthcare. We proudly employ over 4000+ people - no matter what your experience, we have jobs for everyone.
Main duties of the job
The Active Neuro service at the Hothfield Brain Injury Rehabilitation Centre, provides award-winning rehabilitation services for adults with neurological conditions resulting from injury, illness or disease. We have enhanced our environment and introduced innovative technology, creating spaces that support rehabilitation and recovery.
Set in Kent within the 12 acre grounds of a manor house, the service specialises in intensive rehabilitation for people in the early stages of recovery from a brain injury right through to residential care.
We are now looking to appoint a Deputy Manager / Clinical Lead - RGN, for this leading-edge service in Hothfield.
The Deputy Manager / Clinical Lead will be a dynamic, visible, and inspirational nursing leader at the heart of our complex neuro services. You will ensure the delivery of outstanding, evidence based patient care by driving high clinical standards, cultivating a culture of compassion, dignity, and respect, and championing the diverse needs of our patients and communities.
You will analyse clinical trends such as hospital admissions, falls, infection rates, and other key quality indicators; using data to inform decision making, strengthen governance, and lead continuous improvement initiatives.
A key guardian of quality & safety, the Deputy Manager / Clinical Lead will ensure that the clinical environment remains safe, clean, and well-governed, upholding best practice in infection prevention.
About us
Active Care Group are a pioneering national provider of complex care services, delivering pathways and better outcomes for people. We have a collaborative and holistic approach to care underpinned by proven clinical and therapeutic expertise. We specialise in supporting young people and adults with complex needs to make positive progress and lead happier, more independent lives.
Job description
Job responsibilities
What you'll be working:
37.5 Hours (this will include rota'd on call) - Monday - Friday
What you'll be doing:
Performance Management
- Provide senior operational and clinical leadership to ensure the delivery of outstanding, evidence-based neuro and spinal nursing care across the unit.
- Lead the delivery of all nursing performance outputs, holding teams accountable for meeting their objectives and maintaining consistently high standards.
- Identify performance risks early and implement robust, timely actions to address gaps in quality, safety, or delivery.
- Embed Active Care Group (ACG) nursing priorities locally, ensuring they translate into measurable improvements for patients, staff, and service outcomes.
Quality, Risk & Clinical Governance
- Lead the operational governance of the unit and ensure that clinical services are safe, effective, well-led, and aligned with local, national, and regulatory requirements.
- Lead investigations into complaints, incidents, near misses, and safeguarding concerns, ensuring high-quality documentation, timely reporting, and meaningful learning.
- Undertake and oversee root-cause analysis processes, ensuring action plans, delivering teaching to drive real change and measurable improvement.
- Review trends in hospital admissions, falls, pressure damage, UTIs, restrictive practices, safeguarding, and all key quality metrics, using insights to shape improvement strategies.
- Share best practice, support innovation, and drive continuous improvement in patient safety and clinical quality.
Professional Leadership and Staff Management
- Act as a visible, accessible, and authoritative nursing leader, setting the tone for clinical excellence and compassionate care.
- Provide expert clinical guidance and leadership, ensuring the nursing contribution is clear, high-performing, and consistently delivered.
- Develop and mentor Deputy Nurses/ Ward Managers and future leaders through coaching, supervision, and structured leadership development.
- Ensure full compliance with ACG policies, professional standards, and regulatory requirements.
- Represent the organisation at internal, local, regional, and national forums, promoting high standards of neuro care and showcasing service achievements.
Departmental & Staff Organisation
- Coordinate daily operations across the unit, ensuring smooth patient flow and effective MDT collaboration.
- Continuously assess staffing levels, activity, acuity, and dependency, ensuring safe and efficient deployment of the workforce.
- Where inefficiencies are identified, lead redesign of workflows, clinical processes, and workforce models to optimise efficiency and quality.
- Oversee rosters to ensure appropriate skill mix, cost-effectiveness, and compliance with organisational guidelines.
- Control bank and agency usage, ensuring safe staffing while maintaining financial accountability.
- Monitor patterns of staff absence, implement strategies to support wellbeing, and escalate concerns where necessary.
- Build strong relationships with local hospitals, Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), commissioners, and national stakeholders to ensure effective and collaborative pathways.
Referrals, Admissions & Business Development
- Ensure clients are referred into the service efficiently, safely, and in a way that supports excellent patient experience.
- Work closely with referrers, commissioners, hospitals, and external partners to maintain strong and sustainable referral pathways.
- Support the MDT to deliver a smooth, compassionate, and patient-centred admission process.
- Contribute to business development by promoting the service, supporting referral growth, and representing clinical excellence to external stakeholders.
- Identify opportunities for service expansion, improvement, or innovation and support the creation of strong clinical cases for investment.
*Other duties including Financial Management, Research, Development, Education and Training; full job description available upon request.
What to look forward to:
- 25 days plus bank holidays
- Birthday off
- Join the Active Learning Hub and benefit from a wide range of e learning and face to face training and development opportunities
- Benefits App giving discounts and savings on your weekly shop
- Free 24 hour confidential Employee Assistance Programme Helpline & App to support with legal, health, wellbeing, relationship and consumer advice
- A Nest Personal Pension account
- Paid NMC Renewal
- Access to join a Medicash Health Plan for you and your family to save money on everyday health essentials – like going to the dentist or opticians
- We recognise outstanding Active Behaviours via the Active Awards programme
- Enhanced Sick & Maternity Pay benefits
- Refer a Friend Scheme and earn yourself up to £1500 for Nurses, Therapists & Doctors, £500 all other roles, by recommending someone you know
- ……and, of course, the support and guidance of our qualified clinical and business leadership teams so that you can really develop your career with Active Care Group
We also want to ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable facilities to participate in job applications or interviews to perform essential job functions. To support this, we are a Disability Confident employer.
Job description
Job responsibilities
What you'll be working:
37.5 Hours (this will include rota'd on call) - Monday - Friday
What you'll be doing:
Performance Management
- Provide senior operational and clinical leadership to ensure the delivery of outstanding, evidence-based neuro and spinal nursing care across the unit.
- Lead the delivery of all nursing performance outputs, holding teams accountable for meeting their objectives and maintaining consistently high standards.
- Identify performance risks early and implement robust, timely actions to address gaps in quality, safety, or delivery.
- Embed Active Care Group (ACG) nursing priorities locally, ensuring they translate into measurable improvements for patients, staff, and service outcomes.
Quality, Risk & Clinical Governance
- Lead the operational governance of the unit and ensure that clinical services are safe, effective, well-led, and aligned with local, national, and regulatory requirements.
- Lead investigations into complaints, incidents, near misses, and safeguarding concerns, ensuring high-quality documentation, timely reporting, and meaningful learning.
- Undertake and oversee root-cause analysis processes, ensuring action plans, delivering teaching to drive real change and measurable improvement.
- Review trends in hospital admissions, falls, pressure damage, UTIs, restrictive practices, safeguarding, and all key quality metrics, using insights to shape improvement strategies.
- Share best practice, support innovation, and drive continuous improvement in patient safety and clinical quality.
Professional Leadership and Staff Management
- Act as a visible, accessible, and authoritative nursing leader, setting the tone for clinical excellence and compassionate care.
- Provide expert clinical guidance and leadership, ensuring the nursing contribution is clear, high-performing, and consistently delivered.
- Develop and mentor Deputy Nurses/ Ward Managers and future leaders through coaching, supervision, and structured leadership development.
- Ensure full compliance with ACG policies, professional standards, and regulatory requirements.
- Represent the organisation at internal, local, regional, and national forums, promoting high standards of neuro care and showcasing service achievements.
Departmental & Staff Organisation
- Coordinate daily operations across the unit, ensuring smooth patient flow and effective MDT collaboration.
- Continuously assess staffing levels, activity, acuity, and dependency, ensuring safe and efficient deployment of the workforce.
- Where inefficiencies are identified, lead redesign of workflows, clinical processes, and workforce models to optimise efficiency and quality.
- Oversee rosters to ensure appropriate skill mix, cost-effectiveness, and compliance with organisational guidelines.
- Control bank and agency usage, ensuring safe staffing while maintaining financial accountability.
- Monitor patterns of staff absence, implement strategies to support wellbeing, and escalate concerns where necessary.
- Build strong relationships with local hospitals, Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), commissioners, and national stakeholders to ensure effective and collaborative pathways.
Referrals, Admissions & Business Development
- Ensure clients are referred into the service efficiently, safely, and in a way that supports excellent patient experience.
- Work closely with referrers, commissioners, hospitals, and external partners to maintain strong and sustainable referral pathways.
- Support the MDT to deliver a smooth, compassionate, and patient-centred admission process.
- Contribute to business development by promoting the service, supporting referral growth, and representing clinical excellence to external stakeholders.
- Identify opportunities for service expansion, improvement, or innovation and support the creation of strong clinical cases for investment.
*Other duties including Financial Management, Research, Development, Education and Training; full job description available upon request.
What to look forward to:
- 25 days plus bank holidays
- Birthday off
- Join the Active Learning Hub and benefit from a wide range of e learning and face to face training and development opportunities
- Benefits App giving discounts and savings on your weekly shop
- Free 24 hour confidential Employee Assistance Programme Helpline & App to support with legal, health, wellbeing, relationship and consumer advice
- A Nest Personal Pension account
- Paid NMC Renewal
- Access to join a Medicash Health Plan for you and your family to save money on everyday health essentials – like going to the dentist or opticians
- We recognise outstanding Active Behaviours via the Active Awards programme
- Enhanced Sick & Maternity Pay benefits
- Refer a Friend Scheme and earn yourself up to £1500 for Nurses, Therapists & Doctors, £500 all other roles, by recommending someone you know
- ……and, of course, the support and guidance of our qualified clinical and business leadership teams so that you can really develop your career with Active Care Group
We also want to ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable facilities to participate in job applications or interviews to perform essential job functions. To support this, we are a Disability Confident employer.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- RN1: Registered Adult Nurse, Level 1, part of the NMC register.
- Proven track record of operational service management at a senior level in an acute hospital environment, including staff management, financial management, and change management.
- Proficiency and strong experience in tracheostomy care ideally train the trainer or teaching qualification.
Desirable
- A master's level 7 qualification in nursing or a postgraduate qualification is desirable but not essential.
Experience
Essential
- Proficiency and strong experience in spinal care ideally train the trainer or teaching qualification on bowl management
- Significant clinical experience in neuro nursing, neurorehabilitation, or complex neurological care.
- Proven ability to lead clinical teams, drive performance, and deliver change in a fast-paced healthcare setting.
- Demonstrated capability to analyse complex clinical and operational problems and implement effective, pragmatic solutions.
- Experience working collaboratively with internal teams and external stakeholders such as hospitals, ICBs, commissioners, and community partners to support coordinated, high-quality care.
- Strong leadership, communication, and influencing skills, with the ability to motivate, inspire, and align teams behind service priorities.
- Ability to think strategically and act operationally, balancing competing demands while maintaining focus on patient experience and clinical excellence.
- Highly organised, resilient, and committed to continuous improvement, professional integrity, and high standards of patient care.
Desirable
- Backgrounds such as ITU, A&E, acute medicine, or other high-acuity settings are welcome where there has been meaningful exposure to neuro and spinal patients.
- Strong skills in tracheostomy and respiratory management within a complex-care environments.
- Experience or awareness of palliative and end-of-life care (desirable).
- Experience or awareness of PEG care and nutrition (highly desirable).
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- RN1: Registered Adult Nurse, Level 1, part of the NMC register.
- Proven track record of operational service management at a senior level in an acute hospital environment, including staff management, financial management, and change management.
- Proficiency and strong experience in tracheostomy care ideally train the trainer or teaching qualification.
Desirable
- A master's level 7 qualification in nursing or a postgraduate qualification is desirable but not essential.
Experience
Essential
- Proficiency and strong experience in spinal care ideally train the trainer or teaching qualification on bowl management
- Significant clinical experience in neuro nursing, neurorehabilitation, or complex neurological care.
- Proven ability to lead clinical teams, drive performance, and deliver change in a fast-paced healthcare setting.
- Demonstrated capability to analyse complex clinical and operational problems and implement effective, pragmatic solutions.
- Experience working collaboratively with internal teams and external stakeholders such as hospitals, ICBs, commissioners, and community partners to support coordinated, high-quality care.
- Strong leadership, communication, and influencing skills, with the ability to motivate, inspire, and align teams behind service priorities.
- Ability to think strategically and act operationally, balancing competing demands while maintaining focus on patient experience and clinical excellence.
- Highly organised, resilient, and committed to continuous improvement, professional integrity, and high standards of patient care.
Desirable
- Backgrounds such as ITU, A&E, acute medicine, or other high-acuity settings are welcome where there has been meaningful exposure to neuro and spinal patients.
- Strong skills in tracheostomy and respiratory management within a complex-care environments.
- Experience or awareness of palliative and end-of-life care (desirable).
- Experience or awareness of PEG care and nutrition (highly 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.
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
