Deputy Ward Manager

Are you a dedicated, compassionate and experienced RMN/RNLD committed to providing great care? Do you want the chance to help shape a new and genuinely innovative service for the women of Kent and Medway?

We are creating Kent and Medway's first, and only, NHS Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for women, and are seeking a talented Deputy Ward Manager to help us deliver this vital service. We have 3 positions available, these can be full time or part time (3 days per week/22.5 hrs per week minimum for part time roles).

The Deputy Ward Manager is a key clinical leader within the multidisciplinary care team and will have continuing responsibility to assess, plan, coordinate, deliver and evaluate care, communicate findings, influence and drive change and promote health and best practice, patient safety and experience.

We welcome applicants that will be creative and enthusiastic in their approach to developing and maintaining high quality mental health care for service users.

Please note that the start date for this post will be February 2026, to allow for sufficient time for onboarding, induction, and training before the anticipated arrival of the first patient in April 2026.

If this sounds like the opportunity you have been waiting for, come and join our diverse and compassionate team committed to delivering excellent care and support for service users and their loved ones.

All positions also benefit from a High Cost Area allowance.

• Carry out and coordinate comprehensive, systematic nursing assessments which take account of relevant mental, physical, social, cultural, psychological, spiritual, and environmental factors, in partnership with service user and others through interaction, observation and measurement.
• Work collaboratively with other disciplines, service user and their carers to agree a holistic person-centred care plan that addresses the needs identified through assessment.
• Deliver and evaluate safe, person-centred care in partnership with the service user and their carers to support recovery.
• Act as a clinical leader supporting best practice in line with NICE guidance.
• Facilitate and review approved Quality Improvement initiatives within the care setting
• Communicate face to face with clients on a daily basis, some of which display severe challenging behaviour to assist with personal care.
• Support the planning and allocation of tasks to ensure deadlines are met.

Working in a PICU is very rewarding but we want to be honest and share that it is demanding too. It is likely to be needed by people with severe and complex mental health conditions (e.g. Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder and may be associated with Personality Disorder, Substance Misuse and PTSD).

While emotionally challenging, the opportunity to support critically unwell women back to their communities, ensuring 'right care, in the right place, at the right time', is immense, and your skilled, multidisciplinary, team will be there to support you.

You would be working as part of a team of mental health experts, dedicated to making sure the most unwell women in our communities have the same access to specialist care as men.

We are recruiting now to make sure our new female PICU team is in place with enough time to train, form team bonds and prepare. So you can all make a profound difference to patient outcomes from day one.

We also offer ongoing professional development to help you adapt and progress your career, including bespoke training and a comprehensive induction program.

What is High Cost Area Allowance?

The High-Cost Area (HCA) allowance, also referred to as London Weighting is a payment made to employees who work in London and the surrounding areas.

As this post is based in Dartford, Gravesham or Swanley, the successful applicant will receive an additional payment each month.

5% of basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of £1,303 per year and a maximum payment of £2,198 per year (the agreed annual amount will be divided into 12 equal amounts and paid monthly figures)

Please refer to the attached job description for full details and main responsibilities of the role.