Lead Nurse for Mental Health

Employer Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust Town Guildford Salary £59,798 - £67,020 (per annum) includes high cost area supplements (HCAS) Salary period Yearly Closing 31/08/2026 23:59

Are you a passionate and experienced Mental Health Nurse looking for a new opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others?
We are currently seeking a Band 8a Mental Health Nurse to join our dynamic and supportive Enhance Care team.

The successful candidate will have a minimum of 5 years of experience working in mental health, with a proven track record of delivering high-quality care to patients with complex needs.

In addition to a competitive salary, we offer a range of benefits including ongoing professional development opportunities, flexible working options, and a supportive and inclusive work environment.

Key responsibilities of the role include:

• Providing expert clinical leadership and support to junior staff members
• Developing and implementing care plans for patients with a range of mental health conditions
• Working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to deliver holistic care
• Contributing to the continuous improvement of mental health services through research and quality improvement project
• Supporting the Head of Nursing-Mental Health to deliver parity of esteem for mental health patients in an acute hospital setting

Royal Surrey is a compassionate and collaborative acute and community Trust. Recognising that our 5,000 colleagues are our greatest strength, we offer a comprehensive health and wellbeing programme alongside a strong commitment to developing your career. Our diverse and welcoming Royal Surrey family ensures you feel valued from your initial interview and throughout your time with us.

We are clinically led and provide joined-up care by bridging hospital and community services, alongside delivering regional specialist cancer care. Our main acute hospital site is in Guildford, with community sites at Milford, Haslemere and Cranleigh, and services delivered in patients’ homes across Guildford and Waverley.

We work in partnership with Ashford & St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust through a collaborative Group Model, supporting joined-up services, workforce flexibility and development opportunities.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated us as Outstanding. We are proud of our achievements and continue to invest in our people and infrastructure.

To learn more about life at Royal Surrey, please watch our short video:

The post holder will support the day to day management of the alcohol liaison and smoking cessation teams. Will provide expert mental health clinical advice and consultancy to other Trust professional groups of staff. Working in partnership with mental health and Trust colleagues to ensure mental health patients receive person centred, holistic care, treatment and support.

Act as an autonomous independent mental health practitioner, providing expert mental health clinical nursing practice, expert knowledge, analytical skills and clinical decision making to ensure mental health patients are receiving the right care and treatment.

A senior member of the Access and Medicine Divisional nursing team, with professional nursing leadership and ensuring parity of esteem for the management of patients presenting in mental health crisis

To lead and deliver the nursing aspects of the Trust mental health strategy and action plan.

• Current NMC registration:
  Mental Health Registered Nurse
• MSc qualification or equivalent
• Alcohol, smoking and substance misuse qualification

• Broad clinical and managerial experience in mental health nursing at a senior level
• Proven mental health nursing leadership and management experience
• Evidence of achievement and ongoing personal professional development
• Evidence of working across boundaries and with partners to improve mental health pathways
• Evidence of implementing significant organisational change, underpinned by audit, research and quality improvement
• Must have an understanding of the background to and aims of current mental healthcare policy/national & local guidance/CQC and appreciate the implications of this for the Trust and service delivery
• Clinical expertise and knowledge of mental health patient pathways, care and treatment
• Evidence of delivering improved patient experience and engagement

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.