Job summary
We are now looking to recruit a new Deputy Chief Nurse on a fixed term contact for 12 months who will report to and work closely with our Acting Chief Nurse, Julie Kirby. You will support the delivery of high quality, compassionate care and support the Chief Nurse to provide strategic advice to the Trust Board on patient safety, quality assurance, regulatory standards. You will be a key link with CQC and provide professional leadership over our quality frameworks. Finally, you will support and assisting in the leadership of our approach to the identification, mitigation and management of risk.
Covering a geographical area of 1,500 square miles and serving a population of 1.7 million people, KMMH provides mental health, learning disability and residential substance misuse services across Kent and Medway. From April 2026 this will include Children and Young Persons Mental Health and Eating Disorder Services.
We are a really special organisation, our patients are at the heart of everything we do, we are focussed on improving, aiming to be at our best in every contact we have with our service users, families, carers and partners.
The post holder must hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car/vehicle to use for business purposes (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).
Main duties of the job
Our Deputy Chief Nurse plays a critically important role support our Chief Nurse in providing professional leadership to our nursing and AHP workforce, which makes up the majority of the team, and as member of a focused, well established and high‑performing executive team.
We are seeking an experienced senior mental health/learning disability nurse leader who brings extensive experience in key areas, including quality, patient safety, workforce development, and infection prevention and control. Someone who has a desire to lead, shape and improve the services we provide to our patients.
About us
We are the Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust. We care for the mental health and wellbeing of people across Kent and Medway. Our teams support adults with a wide range of mental health needs. Because we cover the whole county and both hospital and community settings, we can make care more joined up and easier to access for the 1.8 million people of Kent and Medway. Rated ‘Good’ by the CQC, we care for over 2,000 people in our hospitals and 54,000 in the community each year.
Our vision is simple: We are here to help communities not just live with mental illness, but live well. It's why we're passionate about working with communities to make mental health care better for everyone. And everything we do is guided by our values caring, inclusive, curious and confident.
Join us - if you share our passion for better mental health care and want to be part of a team that's doing well together.
Job details
* Date posted: 30 December 2025
* Pay scheme: "Agenda for change"
* Band: Band 9
* Salary: £109,179 to £125,637 a year
* Contract: Fixed term
* Duration: 12 months
* Working pattern: Full‑time
* Reference number: 380‑SS0729
* Location: Farm Villa, Maidstone, Hermitage Lane, ME16 9PH
Job responsibilities
The Deputy Chief Nurse is responsible for ensuring the delivery of high‑quality, high‑value patient care across the Trust, deputising for the Chief Nurse as needed, and leading the management and development of nursing teams and services within the Chief Nurse’s portfolio. The role involves providing visible professional leadership, influencing policy and practice both within and outside the Trust, supporting clinical governance, driving service improvements, and acting as a resource for senior staff. The Deputy Chief Nurse leads on recruitment, education, and professional development, manages budgets, and ensures compliance with regulatory standards, all while modelling the Trust’s values and upholding the highest standards of nursing practice and patient care.
We are serious about diversity and inclusion, and we are working hard to build this into our DNA. We warmly welcome applications for any of our roles from people from diverse backgrounds, and we are proactively encouraging applications from under‑represented communities for our more senior roles, like this one.
Person Specification
Training, Qualifications and Registration (Essential)
* Registered Nurse (RMN)
* Valid NMC registration
* Masters qualification in relevant subject
* Evidence of continuous professional development
* Leadership development training
Desirable
* Second Nursing Qualification
* Specialist Nursing Qualification
* Nurse Practitioner
* Trained in QI
Experience (Essential)
* Ability to demonstrate specialist knowledge developed in primary practice across the range of working practices underpinned by theoretical knowledge and extensive practical
* Significant experience of operationally managing staff teams.
* Demonstration of sound and effective leadership skills.
* Experience of Managing regulatory inspections.
* Experience of undertaking work requiring intense concentration in unpredictable circumstances with frequent interruptions.
Desirable
* Experience of managing projects across multidisciplinary teams
* Experience of reporting to the Board
Knowledge and skills (Essential)
* Able to facilitate multidisciplinary debriefing, critical analysis meetings
* Able to take the lead in volatile situations.
* Able to provide expert nursing advice to the whole Trust.
* Able to negotiate constructively with all professions at all levels.
* Understanding of governance framework and its application in practice.
Desirable
* Digital Proficiency
Disclosure and Barring Service Check:
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offences 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.
UK Registration:
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.
Employer details
Employer name: Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust
Address: Farm Villa, Maidstone, Hermitage Lane, ME16 9PH
Website: https://www.kentmedwaymentalhealth.nhs.uk
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