Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

Band 7 Ward Manager, Bristol

The closing date is 01 September 2025

Job summary

Are you a compassionate leader who is committed to working collaboratively to deliver high quality care for the women's service.

We are looking to appoint a B7 Ward Manager for are forensic learning difficulties male ward at Fromeside

The successful candidate will work with closely with the Cary ward MDT, Modern Matron, and experienced nursing team. As well as working collaboratively with in the Bristol Forensic inpatient management team.

This is a rewarding post where the ward manager is pivotal in ensuring standards and performance are maintained to the highest levels. The person we are looking for should be able to demonstrate key leadership skills to empower the nursing team as they strive to achieve standards of care.

The role is dynamic and challenging and we are looking for someone who is highly motivated, innovative and enthusiastic who can demonstrate an eagerness for the on-going development of the service.

Cary ward is an 8-bedded Medium secure forensic unit for men with learning difficulties and mental illness.

Main duties of the job

To deliver operational management, clinical leadership and supervision to designated team of staffwithin the Unit, making best use of resources at all times. Your responsibility is to ensure that all aspects of care provided to service users is of the highest quality, delivered in a manner that is respectful and sensitive to their needs and the needs of the carer.

About us

We are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust) a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care.

We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset.

Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within AWP are dedicated to a person-centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care.

At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences.

Details

Date posted

18 August 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

342-SEC080-0825

Job locations

Fromeside- Blackberry Hill

Staple Hill

Bristol

BS16 2EW


Job description

Job responsibilities

People leadership and management

Provide inclusive, compassionate and effective leadership for your team by setting clear vision and direction.

Develop a culture and environment in which members of staff are encouraged and supported to deliver high- quality services and are supported to innovate and improve services where appropriate.

Encourage your team to feel able to raise concerns openly and safely.

Promote equality of opportunity in service delivery and employment, ensuring that no person receives less favourable treatment than another on the grounds of gender, marital status, race, religion, creed,colour nationality ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation or disability.

Support prompt recruitment by identifying vacancies to the AWP Recruitment Team as soon as they arise, and participate in the selection and effective induction and onboarding of new joiners to theteam.

Ensure that all team members have a very positive introduction to the team and a well-supported first year.

Take responsibility for encouraging people to stay with AWP, ensuring that you are aware whenever a member of your team is considering leaving, seeking to understand their reasons and encouraging them to stay.

Ensure that key messages are cascaded in your team and that your team are encouraged to put forward suggestions.

Show appreciation to your team when they do good work and support them when they are struggling.

Consider the individual needs of team members for a healthy work-life balance and think about how their needs can be supported by providing flexible ways of working.

Support all team members to keep their mandatory and statutory training up-to-date and identify the learning and development needs of all team members of the team ensuring that everyone has an up-to-date personal development plan (PDP).

Ensure that every team member as at least an hour of supervision (one-to-one meeting) each month, this may include both managerial and clinical supervision.

Ensure all team members receive a constructive assessment of their performance each year and set SMART objectives for the coming year.

Seek support from the HR Team to tackle any worries regarding matters of discipline, including both conduct and capability concerns, supporting a just and restorative culture. Take prompt action regarding serious concerns and ensure clear plans are in place for problems which are less serious in nature but prove difficult to resolve.

Act as a positive role model at all times, encouraging people to feel equal members of the team whilst working within clear frameworks and policies.

Promote effective use of bank and agency nursing staff, providing a safe and effective service, complying with regulatory standards.

Performance and information management

Ensure that you and your team understand all of the agreed key performance indicators for your service, particularly relating to outcomes and essential standards to be met.

Ensure that you and your team understand data quality standards and that all the necessary records for your service are maintained and reported.

Ensure that you and your team understand all of the clinical and business action plans relevant to your services.

Ensure that you and your team understand all of the monitoring, auditing and reporting systems relevant to your services.

Service development and planning

Actively seek opportunities for improvement for the services which you and your team provide by identifying research evidence and best practice elsewhere, interpreting/translating and facilitatingadaptation for AWP.

Analyse and interpret data to inform the strategic direction of the services which you and your team provide

Ensure multidisciplinary involvement and the use of quality improvement (QI) techniques in service improvement, by negotiating shared solutions, facilitating the resolution of complex or contentious issues and managing any conflict into constructive outcomes.

Ensure effective risk identification, analysis, mitigation and management within your services, encouraging all members of your team to be aware of and to manage risks.

Governance and policy

Ensure that you understand all of the key governance requirements, policies and standards for your services and that these are communicated to your team; make sure your team understand the importance of good governance.

Support the development of policies relevant to your services, including your team in this work.

Financial and resource management

Monitor and exercise appropriate control over the budget(s) for your team, ensuring that both you and your team understand the resources available to support provision of a high quality and cost-effective service.

Challenge and manage poor financial management and poor use of any resources.

Ensure optimum use of people and other resources; particularly though emphasizing use of substantive staffing and effective use of bank and agency staff.

Ensure that whenever you authorise expenditure you are thoughtful and careful about whether there could be a more cost-effective solution.

Ensure that your use of resources is in accordance with AWP Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instructions.

Stakeholder involvement

Ensure that you are aware of the many stakeholders to your services (your key stakeholders willinclude all members of your multi-disciplinary team, other teams, service users, families, carers, local communities, other statutory agencies, other healthcare providers etc)

Develop and maintain positive relationships with your key stakeholders, this may include proactive communications to ensure full involvement and engagement in the delivery of services and aims and objectives.

Implement and lead effective two-way communications to ensure that the Service areas are responsive to the needs of patients/service users and external pressures

Job description

Job responsibilities

People leadership and management

Provide inclusive, compassionate and effective leadership for your team by setting clear vision and direction.

Develop a culture and environment in which members of staff are encouraged and supported to deliver high- quality services and are supported to innovate and improve services where appropriate.

Encourage your team to feel able to raise concerns openly and safely.

Promote equality of opportunity in service delivery and employment, ensuring that no person receives less favourable treatment than another on the grounds of gender, marital status, race, religion, creed,colour nationality ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation or disability.

Support prompt recruitment by identifying vacancies to the AWP Recruitment Team as soon as they arise, and participate in the selection and effective induction and onboarding of new joiners to theteam.

Ensure that all team members have a very positive introduction to the team and a well-supported first year.

Take responsibility for encouraging people to stay with AWP, ensuring that you are aware whenever a member of your team is considering leaving, seeking to understand their reasons and encouraging them to stay.

Ensure that key messages are cascaded in your team and that your team are encouraged to put forward suggestions.

Show appreciation to your team when they do good work and support them when they are struggling.

Consider the individual needs of team members for a healthy work-life balance and think about how their needs can be supported by providing flexible ways of working.

Support all team members to keep their mandatory and statutory training up-to-date and identify the learning and development needs of all team members of the team ensuring that everyone has an up-to-date personal development plan (PDP).

Ensure that every team member as at least an hour of supervision (one-to-one meeting) each month, this may include both managerial and clinical supervision.

Ensure all team members receive a constructive assessment of their performance each year and set SMART objectives for the coming year.

Seek support from the HR Team to tackle any worries regarding matters of discipline, including both conduct and capability concerns, supporting a just and restorative culture. Take prompt action regarding serious concerns and ensure clear plans are in place for problems which are less serious in nature but prove difficult to resolve.

Act as a positive role model at all times, encouraging people to feel equal members of the team whilst working within clear frameworks and policies.

Promote effective use of bank and agency nursing staff, providing a safe and effective service, complying with regulatory standards.

Performance and information management

Ensure that you and your team understand all of the agreed key performance indicators for your service, particularly relating to outcomes and essential standards to be met.

Ensure that you and your team understand data quality standards and that all the necessary records for your service are maintained and reported.

Ensure that you and your team understand all of the clinical and business action plans relevant to your services.

Ensure that you and your team understand all of the monitoring, auditing and reporting systems relevant to your services.

Service development and planning

Actively seek opportunities for improvement for the services which you and your team provide by identifying research evidence and best practice elsewhere, interpreting/translating and facilitatingadaptation for AWP.

Analyse and interpret data to inform the strategic direction of the services which you and your team provide

Ensure multidisciplinary involvement and the use of quality improvement (QI) techniques in service improvement, by negotiating shared solutions, facilitating the resolution of complex or contentious issues and managing any conflict into constructive outcomes.

Ensure effective risk identification, analysis, mitigation and management within your services, encouraging all members of your team to be aware of and to manage risks.

Governance and policy

Ensure that you understand all of the key governance requirements, policies and standards for your services and that these are communicated to your team; make sure your team understand the importance of good governance.

Support the development of policies relevant to your services, including your team in this work.

Financial and resource management

Monitor and exercise appropriate control over the budget(s) for your team, ensuring that both you and your team understand the resources available to support provision of a high quality and cost-effective service.

Challenge and manage poor financial management and poor use of any resources.

Ensure optimum use of people and other resources; particularly though emphasizing use of substantive staffing and effective use of bank and agency staff.

Ensure that whenever you authorise expenditure you are thoughtful and careful about whether there could be a more cost-effective solution.

Ensure that your use of resources is in accordance with AWP Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instructions.

Stakeholder involvement

Ensure that you are aware of the many stakeholders to your services (your key stakeholders willinclude all members of your multi-disciplinary team, other teams, service users, families, carers, local communities, other statutory agencies, other healthcare providers etc)

Develop and maintain positive relationships with your key stakeholders, this may include proactive communications to ensure full involvement and engagement in the delivery of services and aims and objectives.

Implement and lead effective two-way communications to ensure that the Service areas are responsive to the needs of patients/service users and external pressures

Person Specification

Experience/Registration

Essential

  • NMC Registration for Mental Health/LD
  • Clinical Leadership
  • Experience of working with individuals with LD

Desirable

  • Inpatient Experience - Mental Health
  • Managerial Leadership
  • Experience of Change Management
  • Completed Leadership training/development in the last 2 years
Person Specification

Experience/Registration

Essential

  • NMC Registration for Mental Health/LD
  • Clinical Leadership
  • Experience of working with individuals with LD

Desirable

  • Inpatient Experience - Mental Health
  • Managerial Leadership
  • Experience of Change Management
  • Completed Leadership training/development in the last 2 years

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

Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

Address

Fromeside- Blackberry Hill

Staple Hill

Bristol

BS16 2EW


Employer's website

http://www.awp.nhs.uk/about-us/working-for-us/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

Address

Fromeside- Blackberry Hill

Staple Hill

Bristol

BS16 2EW


Employer's website

http://www.awp.nhs.uk/about-us/working-for-us/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Modern Matron

Laura Ashwood and Daniel Walker

l.ashwood@nhs.net

01173546063

Details

Date posted

18 August 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

342-SEC080-0825

Job locations

Fromeside- Blackberry Hill

Staple Hill

Bristol

BS16 2EW


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)