Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

Band 8a Modern Matron - Bristol

The closing date is 02 October 2025

Job summary

Are you looking for a new challenge? A new opportunity has come up in Secure Services, we are looking for a new Matron to join the team. Are you a great leader, hardworking and motivated to development our Forensic Mental Health service? Then this is the job for you.

This is a fantastic opportunity to further enhance the quality of the service delivered. We are looking for someone with knowledge and experience of leading a team, who can work creatively with staff to ensure an excellent service user journey/experience and work closely with Nursing and Quality. You need to be committed to looking at and supporting innovative ways of working, which includes quality improvement projects.

Applications are invited from motivated Mental Health Nurses at Band 7 and above to join Secure Services as a Modern Matron (Band 8A), promoting and supporting the provision of high quality mental health nursing care, excellent service user experience and development of outstanding nursing practice. This post offers a rare opportunity for someone to develop their experience/career in Forensic Mental Health.

Main duties of the job

The Modern Matron provides clinical and operational leadership, promoting the safe delivery of high quality and safe care, compliance with key performance indicators, regulatory compliance; supporting staff to achieve outstanding care through effective compassionate management. You will support best practice in Adult Safeguarding, working with the Multidisciplinary team, service users and carers to maintain a safe, person centred environment. You will be involved in projects, meetings and reviews.

Reporting to the Service Manager, you will also provide support and advice, as required, to the Head of Operations and Clinical Lead . You will liaise with other senior managers and professionals across the service as well as partnership agencies, other services within and outside of AWP as required.

To support you in this role, you will have regular supervision with the Service Manager. You will be supported to create a personal development plan.

This post will be responsible for 4 clinical areas within the MSU and LSU.

The service consists of two inpatient units: Fromeside has 81 beds across seven medium secure wards including 12 female beds and 8 LD/ASD places. Wickham has three wards with a total of 31 Low Secure beds. There is also a Primary Care Centre and a Central Security team. There are three community services: Specialist Community Forensic Team (SCFT), Forensic Intellectual Neuropsychiatric and Development Disorders (FIND) Team and Secure Community Social Care Team.

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, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.

Date posted

18 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£55,690 to £62,682 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

342-SEC091-0925

Job locations

Blackberry Hill Hospital

Manor Road

Bristol

BS16 1EG

Job description

Job responsibilities

To play a key leadership role in the delivery of high quality care for their area of responsibility, resolving operational issues, focusing on service user safety and quality improvement by:
Being visible, accessible, showing strong clinical leadership and being a positive role model.
Support Ward Managers in their role and 24 hours accountability, coaching and supervising and identifying areas for development
Work with Ward Managers to identify appropriate staffing levels to meet changing needs ensuring balanced resource management
Ensuring effective action is taken where nursing performance is at risk of falling below expected levels and standards are not maintained.
Ensure systems and processes are followed to ensure the continuity of safe and effective care at all times contributing to review and development of local policies an protocols
Drive infection prevention and control agenda and challenge poor practice
Manage and respond to complaints and adverse incidents as required ensuring teams receive appropriate support/debrief
Support Ward Managers through staff sickness and disciplinary processes
Carry out a root cause analysis following a serious incident, developing action plans alongside the Ward Manager
Provide reports to Senior Management team as required, undertake root cause analysis and develop and action plans
Through established meetings and processes, maintain effective communication with patients, relatives and staff to contribute to the active resolution of potentially complex situations, conflicts and issues
In conjunction with the Senior Leadership/Management Teams, participate in monitoring and maintaining excellent clinical standards within clinical teams

Job description

Job responsibilities

To play a key leadership role in the delivery of high quality care for their area of responsibility, resolving operational issues, focusing on service user safety and quality improvement by:
Being visible, accessible, showing strong clinical leadership and being a positive role model.
Support Ward Managers in their role and 24 hours accountability, coaching and supervising and identifying areas for development
Work with Ward Managers to identify appropriate staffing levels to meet changing needs ensuring balanced resource management
Ensuring effective action is taken where nursing performance is at risk of falling below expected levels and standards are not maintained.
Ensure systems and processes are followed to ensure the continuity of safe and effective care at all times contributing to review and development of local policies an protocols
Drive infection prevention and control agenda and challenge poor practice
Manage and respond to complaints and adverse incidents as required ensuring teams receive appropriate support/debrief
Support Ward Managers through staff sickness and disciplinary processes
Carry out a root cause analysis following a serious incident, developing action plans alongside the Ward Manager
Provide reports to Senior Management team as required, undertake root cause analysis and develop and action plans
Through established meetings and processes, maintain effective communication with patients, relatives and staff to contribute to the active resolution of potentially complex situations, conflicts and issues
In conjunction with the Senior Leadership/Management Teams, participate in monitoring and maintaining excellent clinical standards within clinical teams

Person Specification

Current NMC registration

Essential

Proof of registration
Evidence of post graduate development
Previous experience of managing a team

Desirable

Experience at band 7 or above in mental health setting
Experience in forensic mental health
Knowledge of mental health act
Experience of working with carers and families
Managing budget

Person Specification

Current NMC registration

Essential

Proof of registration
Evidence of post graduate development
Previous experience of managing a team

Desirable

Experience at band 7 or above in mental health setting
Experience in forensic mental health
Knowledge of mental health act
Experience of working with carers and families
Managing budget

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

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

Blackberry Hill Hospital

Manor Road

Bristol

BS16 1EG

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

Blackberry Hill Hospital

Manor Road

Bristol

BS16 1EG

Employer's website

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