Matron

Job overview

****** THIS POSITION IS ONLY OPEN TO CURRENT UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST EMPLOYEES ******

The successful applicant will be providing consistent and stable leadership for the wards covered within this role, due to the current post-holder being unavailable. This will also provide an opportunity for career progression and development of the post-holders CV.

Please note that this role is a secondment opportunity. Before applying you must seek agreement and authorisation from your current line manager. Secondments can’t be agreed without your current manager’s approval. If you are unable to gain your managers approval you should refrain from applying unless you wish to take this role as a fixed term position.

Main duties of the job

The Matron’s role will focus on:

1. Inclusive leadership, professional standards and accountability.
2. Governance, patient safety and quality.
3. Workforce planning and resource management.
4. Patient experience and reducing health inequalities.
5. Performance and operational oversight.
6. Digital and information technology.
7. Education, training and development.
8. Research and development.
9. Collaborative working and clinical effectiveness.
10. Service improvement and transformation.

Working for our organisation

At UHSussex (UHSx), diversity is our strength, & we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness & experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, & can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) & a Veteran Aware Trust.

We treat our patients & staff with the same compassion & empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above & beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our candidate information pack & wellbeing programme, for staff which is extensive & designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.

As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching & training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us & throughout your career we will help you to grow & develop. We hope that in choosing UHSx you are choosing a long & happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make & feel valued for all that you do.

We look forward to receiving your application & the start of your journey with UHSx.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Inclusive leadership, professional standards and accountability

·Uphold and display the Trust values of Commitment, Care & Quality

·Demonstrate compassionate, inclusive, visible and authoritative leadership to Ward/Department Managers in order to ensure high quality patient centred clinical care is delivered.

·Ensure nursing practice reflects current clinical developments and is evidence based.

·Enhancement of own role and that of team members.

·In conjunction with the Senior Nurse Leadership Team actively embed the Trust’s Nursing & Midwifery Strategy locally within areas of responsibility.

·Lead on the improvement of nursing standards by promoting Fundamental Standards of Care and Best Practice nursing care.

·Participate in the development, use and evaluation of integrated care pathways.

·Work as part of a local multi-disciplinary team, in developing models of care.

·Demonstrate and maintaining clinical credibility by acting regularly as a clinical practitioner in own areas of expertise.

·Work collaboratively in developing, leading and facilitating a seamless patient pathway through the service.

·Represent the Division at designated meetings.

·Deputise for the Head of Nursing as required.

·Be the Line Manager for the Ward/Department within defined areas of responsibility.

·Participate in the Senior Nurse out-of-hours on-call rota or Divisional equivalent.

Governance, patient safety and quality

·In partnership with the Divisional Director of Nursing and the Head of Nursing, implement a Divisional Clinical Governance Strategy.

·Within clinical areas develop a culture to ensure that Nurses actively contribute to the development of Clinical Governance (incorporating Health & Safety, Patient Safety & Risk).

·Be actively involved in relevant audits/risk managing.

·Participate in shared governance forums to provide shared best practice and drive quality care provision within the Trust.

·Ensure that the information governance agenda is embedded within the clinical areas.

·In consultation with the Divisional Director of Nursing and the Head of Nursing, investigate accidents and incidents identifying clinical risks and implementing corrective action where necessary.

·Co-ordinate relevant audit and monitoring data to assess standards of clinical care, staffing issues and patient activity providing assurance that services are delivering safe, high-quality care.

·Facilitate the Trust’s complaints procedure, both formal and informal and respond proactively to patients/relatives’ concerns.

·Lead debriefing and learning from practice to stop and reflect after challenging situations.

·Ensure that all Wards/Departments/Clinical Areas have accurate patient information on the PAS system and that this is checked and reviewed at least weekly.

·Ensure safeguarding practices and standards are followed, at all times.

Environmental cleanliness and Infection prevention and Control

·In conjunction with the Ward/Department Managers actively support the Ward Housekeeper role in all relevant clinical areas.

·Apply the hygiene code to ensure a clean and safe environment, liaising with the Facilities and Estates Teams in reviewing and improving the environmental infrastructure.

·Establish effective administrative and support services for designated areas, including cleaning, laundry and catering services, in liaison with relevant managers.

·Be responsible and accountable for delivering a safe and clean care environment.

·In conjunction with colleagues (i.e. Director of Facilities and Estates and Chief Nurse) be responsible for updating the Matron’s Charter Action Plan and producing quarterly Matron Infection Control/Cleanliness Reports for consideration by the Trust Board.

·In conjunction with the Director of Nursing, Director of Facilities and Estates and Director of Patient Safety be involved in setting initial service quality and standards and in the monitoring of contracts and service level agreements.

·Produce infection control and related reports as requested by the Divisional Director of Nursing and the Chief Nurse/Director of Infection Prevention and Control.

·In conjunction with the Divisional Management Team, actively participate in the implementation of the Code of Practice for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections.

Patient experience and reducing health inequalities

·Support nursing staff to ensure that patients are always treated with dignity and respect and that the patient experience is appropriate to their individual needs.

·Be highly visible and accessible to patients, relatives and staff in order to provide immediate assistance, advice and support, in liaison with Patient Advocacy and Liaison Service.

·Promote the full implementation of the Patient Experience Strategy.

·Ensure the care of the dying person and their family is culturally sensitive and is the best it can be.

·Utilise the results of the National Audit for Care at the End of Life to develop service improvement plans.

·Support the promotion of personalised care and the wider personal care agenda.

Performance and operational oversight.

·Have on-going operational management of defined designated clinical areas, which include enabling ward/Department Managers in budget setting and control, recruitment and retention, close monitoring of temporary staff usage, professional development and patient management.

·Actively participate in supporting the achievement of performance targets and Divisional Performance meetings.

·Supporting patient flow through the hospital.

·Have sound knowledge and experience of finance, budget and business planning processes and monitor these actively.

·Work with the finance team to monitor and manage finance and activity targets.

·Be engaged in setting budgets and activity.

Digital and information technology

·Participate within the Division in embracing the power of technology and supporting a digital-ready workforce to deliver a digital healthcare service.

·Keep abreast of the technological and digital solutions now available.

·In conjunction with Ward/Department Managers, ensure that staff access electronic communications.

Education, Training and Development

·Participate in the Trust’s Clinical Leaders development programmes and other appropriate developmental opportunities.

·Develop an active role in the leadership academy framework.

·Work with and empower Ward/Department Managers in assessing skills needed for practice, identifying any deficits in this and developing/commissioning programmes to address these issues.

·In conjunction with Ward/Department Managers, support training needs analysis and the CPD application process for appropriate staff.

·Actively participate in the supervision and appraisal of Ward/Department Managers establishing performance objectives and facilitating individual development opportunities.

·Work closely with the Ward/Department Managers and Education Teams to ensure staff achieve required level of competency.

·In conjunction with the Divisional Director of Nursing and the Head of Nursing, implement new approaches to continual professional development.

·Keep up to date with apprenticeship opportunities and promote these and other new roles.

·Support the clinical areas within the area of responsibility to be excellent learning environments for all students to include robust supervision.

·Work closely with the Ward/Department Managers and Practice Education Facilitators to encourage students to work in the Trust on qualification.

·Support areas to consistently meet mandatory and essential training targets.

·Undertake talent mapping and participate in talent management processes with Divisional Leadership colleagues and Ward/Department Managers.

Research and development

·Actively participate in relevant research and implement and monitor the Trust’s Nursing & Midwifery Research and Development strategy and action plan.

·Support staff who are involved in research and/or who have an interest in advancing evidence-based practice.

·Ensure that all and any research carried out within their area of responsibility has appropriate ethical approval and is carried out in line with ethical principles including informed consent.

Collaborative working and clinical effectiveness

·Work collaboratively at all levels within the Division, the Trust and where appropriate across the wider ICS.

·Promote effective clinical care every day for every patient.

·Promote collaborative working with patients, carers and others.

·Establish, where appropriate, local improvement collaborations.

Service improvement and transformation

·Promote the notion that quality improvement is everybody’s business.

·Support gathering of insight and feedback from patients, staff and carers in service improvement and transformation.

·Work with the Quality Team to identify service improvement areas and employ Patient First methodology to bring about improvements.

Person specification

Experience/Qualifications

Essential criteria

11. Recent experience at band 7 level
12. Registered General Nurse
13. Post registration qualification
14. Masters level qualification or equivalent professional knowledge acquired through degree/diploma supplemented by specialist training or equivalent experience to Masters level Certificate in Teaching and Assessing Clinical Practice (or equivalent)
15. Mentorship
16. Leadership or management qualification (or equivalent)

Desirable criteria

17. Evidence of the ability to motivate and engage teams

Skills

Essential criteria

18. Evidence of excellent ability to monitor the quality of work in others, to identify their learning and development needs and devise strategies to meet those needs
19. Proven ability to support the ward manager in maintaining an environment conducive to the delivery of excellence in care.
20. Extensive nursing skills and ability to monitor high levels of competence in their staff

Specific Criteria

Essential criteria

21. Experience of managing teams including the requirement to monitor and manage conduct and performance
22. Understanding of matron role in overseeing expenditure and monitoring ward/department budgets.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Essential criteria

23. Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).
24. Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues

Important information for applicants:

A Note on AI Use in Applications
We value the individuality and authenticity that each candidate brings to the application process. While AI tools are increasingly accessible, we strongly discourage their use in completing your application. Your responses should reflect your own voice, experiences, and motivations—elements that are essential to a fair and accurate evaluation.
Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content may misrepresent your abilities and could result in your application being rejected. We encourage you to take the time to present your genuine self, as this helps us better understand your potential and ensures a transparent selection process.

Closing Adverts Early: In the event of exceptional interest, we may close adverts earlier than specified.

Some of our adverts are capped for a limited number of applications; therefore, the advert will close once the cap has been reached. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible if you are interested in the position to prevent you from missing out on applying for the opportunity.

Flexible Working: If you would like to explore potential options regarding flexible working please speak with the appropriate recruiting/line manager.

DBS Checks: As part of our commitment to a safe working environment, we undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check on all new employees where the role is eligible for a criminal record check. We make offers in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975.

Skilled Worker Visa: Applications for Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome for the roles that meet the Visa and Immigrations eligibility criteria. For further information please visit the gov.uk website searching for Skilled Worker. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure that you meet this criteria.

UHSussex reserves the right to close the role early if we receive a high volume of applications