Associate Director of Nursing (Mental Health/Learning Disabilities)

Overview

In this role you will provide strategic and professional nursing leadership for Mental Health and Learning Disability services, driving quality, safety and patient experience across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. You will work with system partners to shape service development and safeguarding oversight for both CFT and RCHT. You will lead a skilled nursing workforce, promote evidence-based practice and research, and ensure voices of people who use services, families and carers are central to care improvements. This is a high-impact leadership position with a clear focus on safeguarding, governance and cross‑organisational collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and professional nursing leadership for Mental Health and Learning Disability services with a focus on quality, safety and patient experience
• Provide safeguarding leadership, assurance and oversight across CFT and RCHT
• Line management and professional leadership to the Head of Safeguarding
• Offer expert nursing, safeguarding, quality and professional standards guidance to senior leaders and governance forums
• Lead development of a skilled, compassionate, inclusive and sustainable nursing workforce, including recruitment, retention and succession planning
• Promote evidence-based practice, research, innovation and quality improvement and translate learning into improvements in outcomes
• Strengthen involvement of service users and carers in design, delivery and improvement of care

Key requirements

• Registered mental health nurse
• Doctorate level qualification or Masters level qualification with postgrad training and experience
• In-depth mental health practice experience in a senior role
• Knowledge of national and policy initiatives relating to mental health, learning disabilities, and secure provision
• Ability to handle highly complex clinical or management issues with competing agendas
• Evidence of strong clinical leadership and cross-organisation collaboration
• Excellent planning/organisational skills and ability to produce board-level assurance reports

• excellent planning and organisational skills
• ability to work under pressure with tight deadlines
• strong communication and governance reporting
• knowledge of safeguarding frameworks
• experience with quality improvement and clinical governance
• familiarity with evidence-based practice and translating learning into practice

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