Nursing & Professions Lead

Job summary

Join Us in Shaping the Future of Mental Health Care

We have a fantastic fixed term / secondment opportunity for aLead Nurse for Quality and Professional Standards until 8th September 2026.

As Lead Nurse for Quality and Professional Standards, you will have overall responsibility, alongside the Deputy Director of Nursing, for ensuring the highest quality of patient care is delivered by all inpatient and community clinical teams. You will guide and present complex information across all directorates, oversee policy review and co-ordinate working groups, strengthening staff knowledge in mental health and learning disability services. Key elements include devising audit programmes, reviewing research, and leading collaborative work with other organisations.

The role demands visible leadership across the Trust, championing best practice and implementing actions to meet clinical strategy ambitions, audit standards, and regulatory compliance, all while driving outstanding patient experience in line with Care Quality Commission Fundamentals of care. You will also lead on the development and implementation of training competencies for all grades and professions, ensuring a regular presence and expert guidance across all Trust areas.

We are committed to creating an environment that supports professional growth, innovation, and the delivery of excellent mental health and learning disability services. If you share our vision and are ready to lead and inspire, apply today.

Main duties of the job

This role is offered at Band 8b subject to Job Matching

• Maintain a highly visible presence, role modelling best practice and conducting guiding and observational sessions with frontline staff and patients.
• Remain clinically skilled and competent, enhancing expertise in mental health, learning disability, and non-medical prescribing.
• Devise and deliver with the Deputy Director of Nursing a Trust Implementation Plan for nursing quality and professional standards.
• Lead and establish clinical links with stakeholders and providers, promoting and assuring clinical quality as outlined in national guidance.
• Lead on NICE Guidance, developing and implementing Trust-wide policies, guidelines, and protocols.
• Identify healthcare issues, develop actions and provide high-quality reports on recommended changes.
• Advise and lead on strategy for all patient needs, maintaining a high profile at organisational forums.
• Work collaboratively with managers and clinical leaders to ensure and monitor high-quality care.
• Work independently day-to-day, consistently role modelling professional, supportive interactions.
• Support audits, patient safety initiatives, and the embedding of Care Quality Commission Nursing Fundamentals.
• Use intelligence to assess care quality, identify risks, ensure mitigation, and monitor implementation.
• Provide expert support to the Risk Team and Patient Safety Lead.
• Oversee FIT Testing in inpatient areas, ensuring robust systems for Health, Safety and Security Committee reporting.

About us

About Devon Partnership Trust

We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.

Employer details

Employer name

Devon Partnership NHS Trust

Address

Wonford House

Dryden Road

Exeter

Devon

EX2 5AF

Employer's website

https://www.dpt.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

---

Employer details

Employer name

Devon Partnership NHS Trust

Address

Wonford House

Dryden Road

Exeter

Devon

EX2 5AF

Employer's website

https://www.dpt.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

---