Senior Sister/Charge Nurse

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Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT) are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics.

We are committed to recruiting to our values. Leading One Culture of Care underpins our values by creating an environment, tone and behaviours across all parts of the Trust that are fundamentally rooted in compassionate care.

We are open to considering a wide range of flexible working arrangements. There are opportunities to flex the days of the week, hours and times of work and place of work including: part-time, job-share, flexible working hours and the possibility to work from home when appropriate. Please talk to us during the interview process to discuss any flexibility that you may require.

We received our Silver Award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme which is helping actively promote SaBRE - Supporting Britain's Reservists and Employers. This means that we provided its statement of intent to support all Defence personnel and we welcome application to work for us. Find out more - Why Choose CHFT?

Our Future Plans

The Department of Health and Social Care has awarded capital funding to invest in local health services at both Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary. This is a significant investment and an opportunity to enhance services for our populations in Calderdale and Huddersfield and West Yorkshire for generations to come. To find out more, please visit https://future.cht.nhs.uk/

Job overview

We are a busy Emergency Department based at both Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and Calderdale Royal Hospital seeing approx 130,000 patients per annum.

We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic Band 7 Sister/Charge Nurse to join our friendly and pro-active nursing team. We are a hardworking department with a strong sense of teamwork, you must be able to show that you are able to work as part of a team as well as function autonomously. You will also need to possess excellent communication skills and show the ability to exercise good clinical judgement.

Main duties of the job

The key areas within this role will be to work as a senior sister/ charge nurse alongside the lead nurses and Matron in the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of services and to provide clinical and managerial leadership for nursing and support staff. There will be an expectation that you can deputise for the Lead nurses or Matron in their absence, with this role you will also be expected to take a lead on clinical practice issues. You will be expected to manage a team of colleagues and work across site.

Working for our organisation

We have a dedicated Practice Educator to enable staff to reach their full potential. We also utilize the RCN Emergency Care Association National Curriculum and Competency Framework to promote professional development and to support our nurses in practice.

We offer a range of development opportunities for our staff including:

• Advanced Life Support Training
• Accredited Trauma Training
• Care of the Acutely Ill Child
• Mentorship
• Safeguarding Training
• Simulation Study Days
• Triage Training
• Further Education courses related to Emergency Care

It is an excellent time to join our expanding team and become involved in developing new processes to meeting the changing demands of emergency care.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical Duties

• Be clinically competent, with up to date theoretical and clinical knowledge;
• Be visible, accessible and approachable in the clinical area to the clinical team, patients

and service users and their carers;

• Be a positive and inspirational role model;
• Ensure the delivery of safe care within a challenging and changing clinical environment,

using persuasion and negotiation skills to safeguard the quality and consistency of

healthcare;

• Inculcate a ward culture of care, compassion and respect;
• Ensure protocols, guidelines, policies and procedures are adhered to;
• Monitor and evaluate standards of care provided by the clinical team in accordance with the

UK Law, Nursing and Midwifery Council, Trust and EU guidelines;

• Proactively addressing any reduction in standards. For example by enabling reflective

Review at staff handover, bringing staff together to review clinical and workforce data,

developing and delivering outcomes agreed via action plans;

• Give direct guidance on clinical work and provide regular feedback to the clinical team on

standards of nursing care provided to, and experienced by, patients and service users e.g.

providing feedback at the end of each interaction with staff members, at the end of the shift

or in staff handover;

• Develop opportunities to engage with the team in joint problem solving, linking theory and

evidence based practice to real life clinical scenarios and situations;

• Lead on quality improvements and the continuous development of practice as agreed by

the Associate Director of Nursing;

• Evaluate developments in practice to ensure sustainability;
• Develop programmes of robust clinical and professional supervision and support with the
• aim of motivating and inspiring staff and increasing job satisfaction; Lead serious untoward incident or complaint investigations as required by the Risk

Management Department and ensure all action plans devised following serious untoward

incident or complaint investigations are achieved;

• Provide clinical advice to the Multidisciplinary Team and regional network groups as

appropriate with the aim of further developing responsive, effective high quality services;

• Bring to the immediate attention of the ADN and Senior Team, any issues, which are

impeding the provision of an efficient or high quality service, adhering to the escalation

policy and the Trust's Incident reporting as relevant;

• Participate in audit and research;
• Complete the required Trust audit processes (such as Rapid Assurance Checklists) in a

timely manner, develop, implement and monitor progress against agreed action plans;

• Receive information which may cause emotional distress to all parties and disseminate

contentious, complex and sensitive information appropriately.

• Link and liaise with the Safeguarding Team on safeguarding issues to recognise and

respond appropriately and effectively to concerns

• Ensure the provision of excellent infection control practices as defined by national

recommendations and local policies and maintain of high standards of cleanliness

throughout. Provide a clean environment for care, ensuring best practice in infection control

and improving clinical care standards.

• Link with the Trust Band 7's to address corporate issues within the Division as necessary

Professional Duties

• Responsible for implementing effective systems, control processes and risk management

arrangements in line with the clinical and corporate governance strategy for the Directorate

• Support the monitoring of compliance with internal and external governance and best

practice requirements in the service(s).

• Support conflict resolution from patients, staff, suppliers, other internal and external service

providers and partner organisations in the service(s).

• To participate as appropriate in the proper investigation of patient complaints or complaints

from other users of the service, drafting of responses as necessary and taking identified

corrective actions. Ensure all action plans are completed and implemented appropriately.

• To support the education of staff by encouraging learning from complaints to ensure the

highest quality of patient care is delivered.

• To support the systems of incident reporting and education of staff following incidents and

adverse events.

• Maintain and develop an environment and culture that improves health, safety and security.
• Regularly assesses risks to health, safety and security using the results to promote and

improve practice.

• Support a culture in which individuals feel able to report incidents and that learning takes

place from all incidents and complaints.

• Ensure Risk Registers are updated monthly for the A&E Department Create a culture for

learning and development that will sustain person-centred, safe and effective care;

• Ensure that all staff have meaningful personal development reviews and access to the

relevant clinical training;

• Ensure there are robust systems in place to evaluate, provide constructive feedback and

when necessary address behaviours and practice at individual, team and ward levels;

• Work alongside all members of the team in the provision of direct care to patients to enable

a culture of high challenge and high support to flourish. For example, the development and

review of patient care plans and discharge planning;

• Work alongside healthcare students to ensure that the student placement area meets all

required NMC and Local Education Provider standards;

• Lead development of ward specific teaching programmes, comprised of mandatory training

as well as ward specific education and training for all relevant staff groups.

Managerial Duties

• Under the direction of the GM bring forward to the Directorate Management Team budget

proposals to enable the delivery of service plans and which reflect appropriate value for

money.

• To be responsible for any specific budget areas delegated by the GM ensuring they stay

within budget and to support the GM in co-ordinating budgets and financial plans for the

services.

• To work in collaboration with all staff in the service area(s) to ensure that the business

plans are fulfilled and that there is adherence to the budget.

• To lead on or support new regional or local initiatives.
• To analyse, monitor and manage patient activity and other service performance in a way

that complies with National, Regional or local standards, targets and performance

contracts.

• To monitor closely performance contracts and targets to enable proactive and timely actions, liaising with the GM as appropriate.

• To produce reports on financial, contractual and performance as necessary.
• To participate in benchmarking, policy setting and review to ensure standards are

maintained and reviewed.

• Where required, to manage relevant staff within service areas in such a way that contracts

and targets are delivered.

• Work in partnership with the GM to deliver the Emergency Care Standard

Financial Duties

• There are no financial duties required in this post.

Managing Self

• Participate in regular supervision.
• Attend all mandatory training.
• Participate annually identifying, developing and agreeing your own development plan

with your Line Manager using the Trust Appraisal.

• Comply with all Trust policies, procedures and protocols.
• Carry out duties with due regard to the Trust's Equal Opportunity Policy.
• Seek advice and support from Line Manager whenever necessary.
• Maintain professional conduct including appearance at all times.

Person specification

Qualifications/Training

Essential criteria

• First level registration
• Recognised teaching and assessing skills
• Mentorship / Preceptorship Qualification

Desirable criteria

• Degree in health care
• ALS Certificate
• Leadership training
• Evidence of postgraduate study and continuous professional development

Knowledge, experience & expertise

Essential criteria

• Significant post registration experience
• The ability to demonstrate comprehensive current acute medical nursing knowledge, skills and experience
• Evidence of effective leadership and developmental work
• Evidence and facilitation of change management
• Demonstrate understanding of performance management strategies
• Demonstrate an understanding of current issues in health and social care
• Up to date professional knowledge
• Commitment to clinical audit, research and evidence-based practice

Desirable criteria

• Awareness and understanding of national policy concerning patient care and developments within the NHS including current developments concerning national plans
• IT and computer literacy
• Understanding of national targets with respect to A&E
• Experience in research and audit

Communication & relationships

Essential criteria

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to prioritise workload and meet deadlines whilst paying attention to detail
• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
• Problem solving and analytical skills
• Demonstrate commitment to CPD
• Education & Training skills
• Self-motivating and the ability to influence others
• Has self-confidence and uses this to lead, involve and challenge others as appropriate
• Displays a strong motivation and commitment to success
• Treats all people equally and with respect
• Ensures personal, professional behaviour and integrity always

Our vision is to provide One Culture of Care for one another in order that we can provide compassionate care for the people who use our services. We are passionate about creating a workplace where we work together to get results, encouraging colleagues to have their say, in order to co create the change we want to see. We take pride in the diversity of our workforce that's why we encourage applications from all. Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants.

Please ensure your application is submitted with referees who can verify your employment/education history over the last three years and include valid email addresses for them. We will request electronic Factual Employment References from your previous employers. These references will be requested before you are issued with an unconditional offer of employment letter.

If you are appointed to a post, information will also be transferred into the NHS Electronic Staff Records system. The Inter-Authority Transfer (IAT) process is a critical and beneficial component of ESR and following interview your previous NHS employment data, if applicable will be transferred from your current / most recent employer.

You may be required to undertake a DBS. The Trust will administer the DBS check on your behalf and will recover the cost (Enhanced £54.40, Standard £26.40 or Basic £26.40) from your salary when you commence in post (including Internal staff). You will also be required to participate in the DBS Update Service and pay the £16 cost per year. This is a condition of your employment.

CHFT is part of the West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT), a collaborative of the NHS hospital trusts from across West Yorkshire and Harrogate working together to provide the best possible care for our patients.

If you have any questions please contact ask.recruitment@cht.nhs.uk for assistance.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

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.

Documents to download

• Band 7 Senior Sister/Charge Nurse (PDF, 336.4KB)
• Job Description Appendix A (PDF, 259.2KB)