Clinical Matron

Job responsibilities

The Clinical Nurse appointed will provide nursing leadership within an inpatient eating disorders service and have overall responsibility for physical health monitoring across two eating disorder wards.

The main responsibility of the post is to develop & provide clinical nurse leadership and raise standards of professional nursing clinical practice in eating disorders, taking responsibility for developing and implementing nursing standards in the hospital and continual development of the nursing team.

Work as part of the hospitals leadership team and play a pivotal role in nursing leadership and management of the hospital through a time of development. Develop the functions and structure of the wards to best meet the mental health needs of children, young people, adults and their families/carers. Develop and ensure that ward clinical and operation protocols are kept up to date.

Ensure that clinical nursing provision is delivered to the highest possible standards in accordance with the hospital operational plan, relevant national policy and legislation and to meet the requirements specified by the NHSE service specification.

Deliver specialist clinical nursing skills to assess patients needs, provide care, manage treatment programmes, coordinate pathways and provide specialist nursing input across the patient caseloads.

Work closely with the ward nursing teams, multi-disciplinary teams and the hospital senior leadership team in order to deliver new innovative models of care, drive up quality and patient experience and improve nursing services across the wards.

Offer the highest standards of professional leadership to the nursing workforce in the hospital.

Work closely with the hospital ward managers to support in the development and delivery of clinical and professional standards as well as the development of leadership capacity and safer staffing on the hospital wards.

To be the nominated hospital Learning Environment Manager (LEM) and to take a lead on identifying and meeting staff learning and development needs. To work closely with three partnership universities to oversee outstanding student learning experiences are provided to student nurses.

To be the organisations Controlled Drug Accountable Officer (CDAO) and assume responsibility for managing all aspects of controlled drugs in the organisation.

Alongside other members of the SLT, to assume a role as a Designated Safeguarding Lead for the organisation, and provide resource and advise on safeguarding and other relevant professional matters.

To be responsible for Infection Control oversight for the hospital.

DIMENSIONS

Staff: Professional support across all nursing roles.

Budget & other resources: related budgets to include: pharmaceutical spending, pathology/blood sciences, clinical materials, infection control and any additional relevant projects for agreed portfolio areas.

KEY RESULT AREA

Leadership

Provide leadership for clinical nursing practice, working with the Hospital Manager with specific focus on the professional leadership of all nursing workforce.

Set, promote and encourage excellent professional standards of nursing care.

Responsible for providing clinical supervision to nursing leaders and ensure that regular clinical supervision is delivered to all staff.

Support opportunities for staff from all groups to develop their clinical knowledge, skills and nursing careers in the organisation and contribute to the diversity of our workforce.

Work with ward managers to ensure that nursing staff are appropriately developed and that they are therefore efficient, effective, engaged and highly motivated.

To lead on safer staffing and nurse recruitment and retention planning across the service line.

Professional Oversight

Advise clinical teams on professional matters relating to infection prevention and control in the hospital.

Ensure nursing staff remain compliant with professional codes and relevant regulations.

To work closely with the Hospital manager, Consultant Psychiatrists and Therapy Lead to advise on the professional nursing standards for the safe development of integrated interprofessional care pathways.

Act in an advisory role to ensure best practice in the provision of nursing or safeguarding for services provided by nursing staff across the service line.

Provide nursing and professional support and advice regarding nursing professional issues and safeguarding relating to incidents and complaints.

Contribute to the development and review of the service lines and business strategy in collaboration with others to ensure that non-medical services, including nursing, reflects both the local and national professional agenda to enhance patient care.

Support and contribute to the development and application of systems, control processes and risk management arrangements to ensure compliance with internal and external governance and best practice requirements.

Clinical Supervision

Ensure that there are systems of professional supervision through a cascade system for all nurses throughout the services within the service line.

Provide clinical supervision as part of this system for senior nursing staff and ward managers.

To contribute and to and provide advice to the organisation on appropriate systems of professional supervision for nurses.

Ensure nurses are aware of their responsibility in regards to revalidation and keeping registration up to date.

Promote a positive attitude to the quality, safety and training across the community.

Management Responsibilities

Provide local leadership and adherence to the service lines infection prevention and control (IPC) policies, linking with relevant staff and ensuring that IPC work plans are locally agreed, fit for purpose and translated into required action.

Work closely with the hospitals pharmacy service and nursing teams to ensure safe and clinically effective systems are in place in relation to maintaining excellent audited standards in hospital clinic rooms.

To have oversight of monthly clinic room audits, ensure all statutory guidelines are observed and ensure action planning takes place where clinical improvements have been identified.

As LEM, to create and implement professional practice educational initiatives.

Working with colleagues

Work collaboratively with the senior leadership team to develop professional leadership initiatives across the service to drive improvements in care and develop high quality service provision.

Chair the hospitals monthly Reducing Restrictive Practice meeting and promote patient involvement and collaboration in this national initiative.

To chair the monthly physical health meeting.

Chair nursing forums and groups relevant to the post and provide professional challenge to current practice, (including challenging the status quo) to drive on-going improvement.

Policy and protocols

Ensure the development and implementation of appropriate policies and protocols.

appropriate to this role and take the lead where delegated.

External relations

Represent the service line at external events on clinical practice in order to enhance the reputation of the hospital and receive feedback on service delivery provided by clinical staff.

As LEM, to work closely with our three partnership universities to oversee outstanding student learning experiences are provided to student nurses.

Network with professional colleagues in other health care organisations and other partnership organisations.

Service Improvement

Collaborate with the senior leadership team to contribute to the development of local service quality improvement/development projects; which support the on-going improvement and modernisation of services to patients.

Continued Professional Development

Responsible for own continuing professional development and to take a proactive approach to maintaining personal and professional effectiveness in an evolving role.

Act in accordance with the hospitals equal opportunities policy and demonstrate commitment to it in relation to both staff employment and service delivery.

Research & Development

Advise the organisation on research that is developed, undertaken or impacts on nursing practice to ensure it is consistent with the needs of patients and other stakeholders meets the hospitals vision and priorities and is consistent with NICE guidelines, Department of Health guidelines and other NHS contractual requirements.

Experience

Essential

• Broad clinical experience relevant to the post and clinical settings, including experience of providing leadership across the nursing profession
• Proven clinical leadership experience.
• Experience of working collaboratively with other professions and partner organisations.
• Demonstrate understanding of relevant national strategy/policy and this relates to the service line.

Desirable

• Budgetary management and workforce development experience.
• Delivering change by influencing others.
• Track record of managing complex issues.
• Evidence of whole system thinking.
• Experience of leading QI projects and implementing subsequent clinical change management.
• Evidence of working across organisational boundaries and working with multiple stakeholders.

Knowledge

Essential

• Understanding of recent health policy and NHS systems reform.
• Understanding of CAMHS & Adult Eating Disorders services and their strategic direction.
• Understanding of professional guidance, medical policy and relevant regulations & statues.
• Broad understanding of the Clinical Governance agenda.
• Broad understanding of the education and training arrangements for nurses.
• An understanding of the equal opportunities issues for a healthcare provider.

Skills & Abilities

Essential

• Excellent leadership qualities.
• Strong, open, participative leadership style which instils confidence and is positive.
• Ability to communicate vision and inspire others.
• Political awareness, tact and diplomacy required to establish credibility and good working relationships with colleagues and external organisations.
• Ability to focus on problems and implement pragmatic solutions.
• Ability to provide high quality, impartial, consistent advice to managers and clinical colleagues.
• Ability to handle difficult and contentious issues with colleagues.
• Ability to manage rapid and sustained change.
• Positive attitude to business development within a competitive arena.
• Team working, including collaboration & delegation.

Desirable

• Venepuncture and ECG trained.
• Commitment to continuous self-development.
• Physical Healthcare Management, specifically ED related.

Qualifications

Essential

• First level RMN with post qualification clinical practice.
• Senior Nurse with substantial years at a Senior Clinical level.
• Has attained a degree in a relevant subject area or equivalent experience in a relevant subject area.
• Evidence of recent continuing professional development.
• Ability to practice within the scope of the NMC Code of Professional Conduct.
• Ability to demonstrate application of NICE guidance (or similar) to own sphere of practice.

Desirable

• Designated Safeguarding Lead.
• CDAO trained.

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).