Band 6 Charge Nurse – Bristol
Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP) – Teign Ward, Fromeside Hospital, Bristol.
Salary: £39,959 – £48,117 per annum
Closing date: 02/06/2026 23:59
Overview
Teign Ward is a 12‑bedded female blended inpatient ward with Medium and Low Secure service users. The Charge Nurse is a key member of the in‑patient multidisciplinary team, providing clinical leadership and supervision of junior staff and trainees. The role is essential in ensuring safe, person‑centred care by working with service users and families to improve the experience of those using our services.
Responsibilities
Key responsibilities include:
* Demonstrate kindness, respect and compassion through the delivery of confident and competent nursing.
* Help keep people safe through effective risk assessment and good clinical decision making.
* Help develop coproduced plans of care, which are personalised and responsive to people’s needs.
* Provide health promotion and education information to service users and carers.
* Undertake effective treatment supported and delivered in line with current legislation, standards and evidence‑based guidance.
* Provide supervision and mentoring to other staff and students.
* Be part of the AWP vision to provide high quality care.
* Provide clinical and managerial leadership to nursing and support staff, and ensure the effective running of the inpatient setting in the absence of the Ward Manager.
Clinical Nursing Practice
To carry out clinical nursing practice within designated areas, working to provide high-quality, evidence‑based nursing assessment, care planning, intervention, and evaluation.
This will include:
* Utilise excellent communication skills to develop a rapport to be able to provide and receive complex sensitive confidential information including distressing or emotional circumstances.
* Recognise the potential barriers to communication and practice with empathy, reassurance and understanding.
* Undertake complex comprehensive nursing assessments using analytical and judgement skills on a range of problems requiring investigation.
* Collaboratively undertake clinical risk assessments and develop and support personal safety plans and crisis and contingency planning with the service user, and where appropriate carers and families.
* Use professional, clinical knowledge acquired through training to degree/diploma level, supplemented by specialist clinical training and current practice-based evidence to plan and organise provision of care.
* Plan appropriate care and treatment interventions alongside colleagues, service users and where appropriate carers and families.
* Provide specialist advice in relation to care to service users and where appropriate carers and families.
* Deliver a range of psychosocially informed nursing therapies in accordance with service user’s care plans, needs and preferences.
* Organise complex interventions requiring formulation of need and risk.
* Demonstrate highly developed nursing skills obtained through practice, understanding the importance of accuracy and a narrow margin for error.
* Demonstrate a commitment to reducing restrictive practice whilst supporting challenging behaviour and verbal aggression.
* Deliver restrictive interventions within Trust and legislative guidance, requiring a varying level of physical effort.
* Administer appropriate medication within relevant Trust and legislative guidance, by different routes including injectable medicines.
* Ensure the ordering, storing and disposal of medication complies with relevant Trust and legislative guidance.
* Demonstrate a working knowledge of the key elements of the relevant Mental Health Legislation.
* Collaboratively evaluate the impact and effectiveness of care and work to improve these outcomes.
* Supervise the practice of less experienced and newly qualified practitioners, student nurses or support worker colleagues.
* Lead clinical meetings to support the service users journey through the care pathway, proactively identifying and overcoming barriers to discharge.
Continuing Professional Development
To maintain and develop professional knowledge, skills and expertise to ensure that practice reflects best practice, remains evidence based, is current and responsive to the changing service user and NHS service needs. This will include:
* Take responsibility for post-registration education and for continuing professional development as outlined in NMC standards.
* Participate in education and training opportunities.
* Undertake a thorough revalidation process in line with NMC and AWP policy.
* Maintain up to date knowledge of the relevant medicines, related medication management issues and act in accordance with the appropriate NMC standards and Trust guidance.
* Abide by the legal rules, statutory regulations and professional responsibilities relation to practice as outlined in the NMC code of conduct.
* Receive restorative clinical supervision on a regular basis in line with the Trust clinical supervision policy.
* Engage in management supervision from an identified line manager, or appropriate delegate in line with the Trust management supervision policy.
* Engage with Trust appraisal process in line with policy.
* Maintain Health and Safety in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974).
* Work within the Trust Policies and Procedures.
Education, Development and Collaborative Learning
To work towards a sustainable culture of continuous collaborative learning to keep own practice clinically current, and to foster a team learning ethos. This will include:
* Support effective learning environments by upholding the NHSE Safe Learning Environment Charter principals.
* Model nursing skills and promote the value of clinical nursing to modern mental healthcare at any opportunity including demonstrating own activities to new starters, less experienced practitioners and students.
* Provide advice, mentoring and supervision (both management and clinical) for colleagues.
* Act as a Practice Supervisor / Practice Assessor for a range of learners and provide robust practice development and assessment experiences.
* Support other registrants to undertake a thorough revalidation process in line with NMC and AWP policy.
Recording, Reporting and Communication
To maintain standards of record keeping and associated administration in accordance with AWP Trust Policy and professional guidelines. This will include:
* Keep contemporaneous, chronological and accurate mental health records in accordance with NMC guidelines and Trust policy.
* Adhere to and role model effective records management in line with Trust policies and procedures.
* Practice within the legal requirements relevant to the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act Legislation.
* Take part in a rolling programme of audit.
* Participate in relevant practice development, Quality Improvement and/or research activity relevant to practice area.
Compassionate Leadership and Management
To provide clinical leadership for colleagues and external professionals at all levels. Making the best use of resources to ensure the delivery of high‑quality care. Follow Trust policies in relation to the security of the building and service users to ensure safe practice and protection of service users, staff, visitors and members of the public.
This will include:
* Fulfil Nurse in Charge role as per AWP guidance.
* Demonstrate effective and appropriate delegation of duties.
* Use own skills, knowledge and resources to provide clinical leadership for all members of the MDT.
* Effectively manage both own time and that of junior staff and students.
* Deputise for the ward manager in their absence which will include short term roster management.
* Undertake discharge planning involving the coordination of external organisations.
* Provide supervision for unregistered practitioners and junior registered nurses in accordance with Trust management and clinical supervision policies.
* Contribute to the management and development of junior staff through the delivery of clinical teaching.
* Provide appraisals for junior staff in line with Trust appraisal policy.
* Maintain the safety of service users and staff within the inpatient setting and ensure legal obligations are fulfilled.
* Have an understanding of any identified environmental risks and their mitigation plans.
* Take part in environmental risk assessments as requested.
* Demonstrate safe staffing through the effective use of the electronic rostering system.
* Manage temporary staffing resources in line with AWP guidance.
* Be familiar with and comply with all Policies and Procedures operational within the Trust.
* Contribute to policy and practice changes arising from learning from experience opportunities i.e audit, complaints, SUI.
* Maintain stock control and a personal duty of care in relation to equipment and resources.
Person Specification
* NMC Registered Mental Health Nurse with current registration
* Substantial experience at Band 5
* Completed a relevant course on teaching and assessing in clinical practice or equivalent.
* Previous Band 6 experience
* Experience of working in acute
Qualifications
* Significant experience of working with people who experience mental health difficulties
* Completed a relevant course on teaching and assessing in clinical practice or equivalent
* Post‑graduate qualification in nursing or related discipline
Employment and Equal Opportunities
We encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities, and from the LGBTQ+ community. We are a Disability Confident Employer offering a guaranteed interview to disabled applicants who meet essential criteria.
We are a diverse workforce that reflects our communities and aim to accommodate flexible working patterns to meet the needs of staff and service users.
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
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