Service Group Head of Nursing

The Head of Nursing for Mental Health and Learning Disabilities provides an excellent opportunity to live and work in West Wales. The post holder will be a key member of the Clinical Care Groups Senior Leadership Team and will be central to leading and monitoring care quality standards, ensuring the delivery of safe, compassionate, and person centred care that reflects the needs of our population. The post holder will champion robust governance arrangements that not only monitor standards of care but also proactively drive improvement, innovation, and collaboration. The role will embody the principles of national strategies in Wales, promoting recovery, inclusion, and dignity in all aspects of care.

The successful candidate will work in partnership with service users, carers, staff, and wider stakeholders to influence and deliver national and local priorities, aligning professional nursing leadership with organisational and regional ambitions. Compassionate leadership will be essential to inspire and support nursing teams, ensuring that quality, safety, and patient experience remain at the heart of service delivery.

Lead on the patient quality, safety, and experience agenda across services, using patient and carer feedback to shape and improve services that are safe, effective, and person‑centred.

Collaborate with nursing teams and wider professional colleagues to develop new ways of working that support integration across health and social care, ensuring services are inclusive and responsive to community needs.

Provide professional nursing leadership that supports system‑wide development of care services, fostering innovation and best practice in the provision of compassionate, recovery‑focused care.

Offer professional advice and support to clinicians, ensuring the delivery of high‑quality, modernised, patient‑focused services.

Inspire, coach, and mentor nursing teams to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, compassion, and effectiveness, supporting individual and team development in line with organisational values.

Develop workforce plans that reflect current and future service needs, supporting role development and modernisation in alignment with national strategies for mental health and learning disabilities.

Hywel Dda University Health Board plans and provides NHS healthcare services for people living in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, and bordering counties.

We have over 13,000 staff and together we provide primary, community, in-hospital, mental health and learning disabilities services.

We work in partnership with the three local authorities, as well as public, private and third sector colleagues, including our valued team of volunteers.

Our services are provided in:

Four main hospitals: Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth; Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen; Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli; and Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest

Five community hospitals: Amman Valley and Llandovery hospitals in Carmarthenshire; Tregaron Hospital in Ceredigion; and Tenby and South Pembrokeshire hospitals in Pembrokeshire

Two integrated care centres: Aberaeron and Cardigan in Ceredigion, and several other community settings

47 general practices (six of which are health board managed practices); dental practices (including four orthodontic); 97 community pharmacies; 43 general ophthalmic practices; and 8 ophthalmic domiciliary providers

Numerous mental health and learning disabilities services

You will be able to find a full job description and person specification attached within the supporting documents.

The Health Board is committed to supporting its staff to fully embrace the need for bilingualism thereby enhancing patient and service user experiences. In our commitment to increase the number of staff who are able to communicate in Welsh with patients and professionals, we welcome applications from Welsh speakers.

The ability to communicate in Welsh is desirable for this post. If you do not meet the Welsh Language requirements specified, the Health Board offers a variety of learning options and staff support to help you meet these minimal desirable requirements during the course of your employment with us.

If successfully shortlisted you will be asked to complete psychometric assessments. Information regarding these and the stakeholder panels/interview will be sent to you following completion of shortlisting.

Stakeholder panels will be held on 04/02/2026

Interviews will be held on 05/02/2026