Job overview
We are seeking an experienced, motivated, and compassionate Mental Health Matron (MHM) to lead our Mental Health Enhanced Care Team (MHECT) across Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) and Acute and General Medicine (AGM). This exciting new senior post has been created in response to rising demand, increasing acuity, and the growing complexity of mental health presentations in our Emergency Department and inpatient wards.
You will join a well-established, highly committed team, providing visible leadership, expert guidance, and professional oversight to deliver safe, person-centred, trauma-informed, and least-restrictive care. Working closely with senior nursing, medical, safeguarding, and liaison psychiatry teams, you will support high-quality assessment, therapeutic engagement, and integrated mental and physical healthcare.
As Matron, you will drive clinical standards, lead quality improvement initiatives, and develop innovative models of care. You will champion staff development, wellbeing, and a psychologically safe culture, empowering teams to manage complex mental health presentations confidently in fast-paced acute settings.
We are looking for dynamic, inclusive leaders who are passionate about improving patient experience, reducing harm, and shaping a skilled, resilient, and motivated workforce.
Closing date: 24/12/2025
Main duties of the job
We are seeking an experienced and compassionate Mental Health Matron (MHM) to lead our Mental Health Enhanced Care Team (MHECT) across Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC), including the Emergency Department, and Acute and General Medicine (AGM) inpatient wards. This exciting senior role has been created in response to rising demand, increasing acuity, and the growing complexity of mental health presentations.
You will provide visible, expert leadership and professional oversight, ensuring the delivery of safe, person-centred, trauma-informed, and least-restrictive care. Working clinically for a significant portion of your time, you will support complex decision-making, oversee enhanced care, lead risk assessment and management, and ensure integration of mental and physical health pathways.
As Matron, you will lead and develop the MHECT, supporting staff supervision, education, and wellbeing, while promoting a positive, psychologically safe culture. You will also support Departmental Sisters and Charge Nurses to maintain and enhance clinical standards, drive quality improvement, and contribute to strategic planning, performance monitoring, and service development to meet increasing demand.
We welcome applications from dynamic, inclusive leaders who are passionate about improving patient experience, reducing harm, and developing a skilled and resilient workforce.
Working for our organisation
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust comprises five of the UK’s best known hospitals – Guy’s, St Thomas’, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield – as well as community services in Lambeth and Southwark, all with a long history of high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation. See
We are among the UK’s busiest, most successful foundation trusts. We provide specialist care for patients including heart and lung, cancer and renal services as well as a full range of local hospital and community services for people in Lambeth and Southwark. See
We have a long tradition of clinical and scientific achievement and – as part of King’s Health Partners – we are one of England’s eight academic health sciences centres, bringing together world-class clinical services, teaching and research. We have one of the National Institute for Health Research’s biomedical research centres, established with King’s College London in 2007, as well as dedicated clinical research facilities. See
We have around 22,700 staff, making us one of the largest NHS Trusts in the country and one of the biggest employers locally. We aim to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve and continue to develop new and existing partnerships with local people, patients, neighbouring NHS organisations, local authorities and charitable bodies and GPs.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the job description and personal specification that is attached for the detailed information about this role
Person specification
Qualifications/ Education
Essential criteria
1. Registered Mental Health Nurse or dual registered RN or LD/ RMN
2. Educated to postgraduate diploma/degree level in subject related to mental health Evidence of equivalent knowledge and experience to Masters level.
Desirable criteria
3. Recognised teaching/ assessing qualification
4. Management qualification or certificate
5. Qualification in motivational interviewing
Experience
Essential criteria
6. A proven track record of operational service management at a senior level, including staff management, financial management and change management.
7. Extensive experience of working in a substantive role in an acute, crisis or liaison mental health setting
8. Demonstrable previous success in leading and delivering change
9. Ability to think and plan strategically, tactically and creatively, and to prioritise work programs in the face of competing demands.
10. Ability to collaborate constructively with internal and external partners to create the conditions for successful partnership working (particularly across the acute/ mental health interface(s)).
Knowledge
Essential criteria
11. Detailed knowledge and understanding of mental health risk assessment and current approaches to mental health risk management.
12. Sound political judgement and astuteness in understanding and working with complex policy, and diverse interest groups, and common sense in knowing when to brief “up the line”.
13. current, working-knowledge of operational pressures common to UEC/ acute medicine / acute trust care settings.
Desirable criteria
14. Knowledge and skills in motivational interviewing
Skills/ Abilities
Essential criteria
15. In-depth knowledge and advanced skills in the engagement and care of patients with common mental disorders and complex psychological presentations
16. Detailed knowledge and understanding of mental health risk assessment and current approaches to mental health risk management
17. Expertise in trauma informed I Knowledge and skills in motivational interviewing I care and restrictive practice
18. Well developed leadership and influencing skills with the ability to enthuse, motivate and involve individuals and teams, and have them understand the Trust’s and your performance expectations
19. Ability to be intellectually flexible and to look beyond existing structures, ways of working, boundaries and organisations to produce more effective and innovative service delivery and partnerships
20. A commitment to improving patient services through an ability to sustain a clear performance focus on achieving demanding goals
Guy’s and St Thomas’ celebrates, respects and values the diversity of its staff and patients. We review our policies, procedures and practices to ensure that all employees, patients and carers are treated equitable according to their needs. We are actively committed to ensuring that no one who applies for a job, works or study’s at the Trust, or accesses our services is discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion or belief, age, gender identity, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity/paternity, or marital/civil partnership.