NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society. Join Our Leadership Team in NHS Lothian Head of Nursing Quality Improvement and Standards (8b) Are you a visionary nursing leader with a passion for driving excellence in care? An exciting opportunity has arisen within NHS Lothian’s senior nursing leadership team. We are seeking a dynamic and experienced professional to take on the pivotal role of Head of Nursing Quality Improvement and Standards. In this strategic position, you will provide expert clinical and professional leadership across Community, Acute, Maternity, and Mental Health services. Your focus will be on ensuring the highest standards of care through robust systems, policies, professional guidance, and education strategies. Key Responsibilities: Lead the delivery of the Lothian Care Assurance and Accreditation Programme (LACAS). Align care assurance with the Nursing & Midwifery Strategic Plan, Excellence in Care, Quality Strategy, and Care Governance. Provide expert clinical nursing advice and strengthen collaboration with Healthcare Improvement Scotland. Champion the use of a Quality Management System—encompassing Quality Planning, Improvement, and Control—to support multi-professional teams in delivering safe, effective, and person-centred care. About You: A registered nurse with a strong clinical background. Educated to master’s level or equivalent. Proven experience in quality improvement methodologies, team leadership, influencing practice and leading change at a strategic level. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of nursing care across NHS Lothian and make a lasting impact on patient outcomes. For an informal discussion, please contact: Claire Palmer, Interim Acute Nurse Director (Panel chair) Claire.palmer@nhs.scot Gillian McAuley, Acute Nurse Director gillian.mcauley@nhs.scot Interviews will be held on Monday the 14th of July We are looking for an inspirational leader who is caring, compassionate and motivated to join our strong, empowered and highly skilled nursing family. Our Nursing and Midwifery Strategic Plan sets out our Vision, Ambitions and Values that enable excellent care for our patients and service users. It also demonstrates what you can expect from our organisation and what you can aspire to in your own career development. A collaborative, person focused approach is at the very centre of everything we aspire to achieve, and necessary to deliver care that is high quality, compassionate, safe and effective. We continue to work towards having a diverse and inclusive culture for people who work for us and use our services. We want everyone to realise their full potential and make a positive contribution. We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and communities. We are committed to supporting the development of a nursing and midwifery workforce that is made up of diverse skills and experiences. We are interested in your passion for developing with us as a leader as well as demonstrating alignment with the values and ambitions set out in our Strategic Plan. We are committed to providing the strong foundations of clinical education with our Clinical Education and Training team, our education co-ordinators, robust induction programmes and preceptorship as well as working with you to build on your leadership strengths. Due to legislative changes from 1 April 2025, this post may require a different level of criminal records check done than is currently the case. If the post is assessed as a "regulated role", your appointment will be subject to joining the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme. If there is any change to what is currently required, this will be confirmed by either the Hiring Manager or the Recruitment Team. For more details on these changes please visit: Disclosure Scotland Changes. We will fully support disabled candidates, and candidates with long-term conditions or who are neurodivergent by making reasonable adjustments to our recruitment policy and practices. Please note we anticipate a high level of interest in this position and may close the vacancy early once a sufficient amount of applications are received. Therefore, please make sure you complete and submit your application at an early stage This post requires the post holder to have a PVG Scheme membership/ record. If the post holder is not a current PVG member for the required regulatory group (i.e. child and/or adult) then an application will need to be made to Disclosure Scotland and deemed satisfactory before they can begin in post.