Safe Staffing Matron / Lead
County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
Closing date: 30 October 2025
About us
We provide hospital services from two acute sites – Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham. We run a centre for planned care in Bishop Auckland and deliver care from community hospitals in Chester‑Le‑Street, Shotley Bridge, Barnard Castle, Sedgefield and Weardale, as well as in over 80 other community‑based settings and patients’ homes.
We particularly welcome applications from disabled and BAME candidates as these groups are currently under‑represented.
Full Job Descriptions can be found in the adverts supporting documents.
Main duties of the job
* Lead on embedding the safe staffing agenda across the Trust and act as a key interface between clinical and corporate teams.
* Develop and manage processes to ensure safe staffing levels within non‑medical teams and inpatient wards across CDDFT.
* Be knowledgeable about the e‑rostering system and related safe staffing technologies, and provide leadership and training in this area.
* Advise senior leaders on safe staffing numbers and set up and adjust templates on Safe Care/Healthroster.
* Provide clinical leadership for embedding and sustaining Healthroster and Safe Care across key areas of the organisation.
* Hold responsibility for the management, further development and implementation of the e‑roster information system for NMAHP.
* Support the Associate Director of Nursing in preparing detailed establishment reviews every six months and benchmark with similar organisations.
* Oversee and lead the efforts of all staff groups working on staffing initiatives, which require collating and interpreting complex data.
* Support the development of nursing practice within the safe staffing field.
* Act as a professional role model and expert, supporting clinical teams to deliver safe clinical care while adhering to CDDFT values.
Job Responsibilities
* Provide Trust‑wide leadership to clinical teams in the ongoing management, implementation and future development of electronic rostering.
* Work with Associate Directors of Nursing to ensure Safe Care processes and systems are in place to monitor and ensure compliance with staffing/skill mix and acuity and dependency models.
* Contribute to the six‑monthly nursing, midwifery and AHP establishment reviews.
* Ensure that the RAG rating of staffing levels on Safe Care reflects professional judgement accurately and make recommendations for change where necessary.
* Horizon scan developments related to safer staffing at local, national and international level and share best practice.
* Review methods and processes for assessing safe staffing on a day‑to‑day basis.
* Maximise functionality of the non‑medical e‑rostering system as prioritised for the organisation.
* Provide advice, support and oversight as the senior experienced registrant in relation to e‑rostering across the organisation.
* Identify and monitor key performance indicators around rostering practice.
* Provide assurance reports around the non‑medical safestaffing agenda and internal and external (mandatory) reporting requirements.
* Act as the prime contact for the e‑roster provider (non‑medical).
* Operationally lead the further on‑going development and implementation of e‑rostering integrating with other essential Trust information systems and functions (i.e. ESR/Nurse bank).
* Lead on the interpretation and implementation of technical requirements and Trust policies for areas of responsibility.
* Lead on e‑rostering upgrades and development.
* Advise on changes supporting the care groups to ensure e‑rostering templates respond to service change, revised staffing establishments and skill mix changes.
* Contribute to internal/external stakeholder meetings where appropriate to support safe staffing.
* Contribute to the production of a range of reports as required.
* Make formal and informal presentations to staff at all levels of the organisation, including presenting complex, sensitive or contentious information.
* Provide highly complex and highly contentious information where persuasive, motivational, negotiating, training, empathic or re‑assurance skills are required.
* Contribute to the education and development of staff involved in e‑rostering at all levels in the organisation.
* Provide ongoing support to staff in their understanding and utilisation of electronic rosters enabling them to deliver effective rosters in their clinical area.
* Provide facilitation training and support for staff to migrate to real‑time electronic rosters.
* Maintain information, education resources and records relating to training.
* Improve efficiency and effectiveness of roster planning by supporting analysis of rosters, challenging rostering practice and supporting changes in systems of working.
* Adapt and design the e‑roster information system to meet the specifications of clinical areas.
* Monitor progress and produce reports that reflect quality, safety and efficiency improvements obtained as a consequence of electronic rostering.
* Perform regular audits of safer nursing care staffing levels using recognised tools (currently bi‑annual) to inform decision making.
* Analyse audit data to support establishment reviews and daily safe staffing across the Trust.
* Utilise e‑rostering to provide actual versus planned staff fill rates as required locally and nationally to inform the safer nursing care staffing agenda.
* Review and update the safe staffing policy and rostering policy in line with Trust guidelines.
* Maintain and develop knowledge of principles of service improvement, information technology and electronic rostering.
* Manage budgets related to staffing and contractual obligations.
* Support the development of business cases as required for enhancements and developments.
Special Requirements
* Able to travel across Trust sites to meet the requirements of the post.
Qualifications
* Educated to degree level in a relevant subject.
* Teaching qualification (e.g. Post‑Graduate Certificate in Education).
* Knowledge of NHS Performance Management Framework.
* Educated to or currently studying for a Masters Degree in a relevant subject.
Special Skills & Knowledge
* Expert knowledge of end‑user Electronic Rostering (relevant recent experience).
* Detailed understanding of e‑Rostering functionality.
* Experience of information system implementation and management.
* Knowledge of staff fill rates reporting requirements.
* Experience in leading staffing and patient acuity audit activity.
* Ability to communicate well with people at all levels of the organisation and with differing levels of knowledge.
* Enthusiasm for IT and an interest in its role within health care.
* Ability to prioritise and deliver work of a high quality to tight timescales, and to manage conflicting priorities.
* Ability to remain calm under pressure.
* Able to give clear accurate advice.
* Excellent written, verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
* Effective negotiation and influencing skills utilising tact and persuasion.
* Well organised.
* Ability to be flexible and adapt to the needs of the service.
* Analytical skills.
* Knowledge of issues which will influence future nursing & AHP workforce strategy and educational/training needs.
* Successful completion of Fundamentals of Safe Staffing e‑Learning or 2‑day CNO Introduction to Safer Staffing module.
* Working knowledge and understanding of Developing Workforce Safeguards.
Experience
* Experience of electronic rostering and its implementation.
* Experience of successful achievement of competence at Band 7 level.
* Experience in problem solving, diagnosis, presentation, report writing, persuasion.
* Proven ability in identifying and realizing benefits of a project.
* Evidence of major change management within the area of work.
* Experience of managing staff.
* Experience of successful achievement of working towards National and Local NMAHP Workforce Strategy and supporting workforce safeguarding processes.
Statutory Registration
* Registered Midwife / Nurse (Adult or Child) on part 1 of the NMC register.
* Valid UK NMC PIN.
* HCPC Registrant.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
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