Modern Matron

at  Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Overview of the Post
1. To assist in managing and implementing service strategy, philosophy and policies with particular reference to MDT clinical care.
2. To take a lead role in modelling appropriate professional behaviour and interventions, particularly in dealing with patients’ distress, anger, etc.
3. To initiate, facilitate and manage effective organisational change, within the designated clinical areas and in conjunction with others, directorate wide.
4. To have continuing overall responsibility for managing, planning and leading nursing teams in four clinical areas within the forensic directorate.
5. To promote effective multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working relationships.
6. To have delegated financial responsibility for all nursing and physical resources within the designated clinical areas.
7. To be a member of the Directorate Board who are part of the strategic decision making structure for the Directorate.
8. To be part of the Directorate Senior Manager on-call system.

The post holder will be able to work autonomously within the multi-professional team to deliver high quality assessments and liaise in a responsive way.

• Have shared responsibility for the performance management of nurses in the Directorate in conjunction with the In-patient Services Manager (Lead Nurse). (Particularly in Recruitment and Retention, Appraisal, Continuing Professional Development, Absence & Performance Management)
• Have direct responsibility for providing clinical and managerial leadership to the designated clinical areas.
• To directly line manage and provide clinical supervision to the Clinical Team Leaders in the designated areas.
• Promote the delivery of evidence based nursing practice.
• Have local responsibility for developing and reviewing Directorate policies ensuring their interface with trust policies.
• Ensure high quality services for patients by promoting a listening culture, user involvement and dealing effectively with complaints.
• Undertake the functions of a “Modern Matron”, monitoring contracted services such as house-keeping, cleaning and works dept.
• Ensure the management of resources within allocated budgets.
• Exercise professional judgement in collaboration with the Business Manager and senior clinicians regarding bed management, determining levels of risk/need in patient population.

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children’s centres, schools and people’s homes.
We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.
Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:
We’re Kind
We’re Fair
We Listen
We Care

Key Task and Responsibilities

• Have shared responsibility for the performance management of nurses in the Directorate in conjunction with the In-patient Services Manager (Lead Nurse). (Particularly in Recruitment and Retention, Appraisal, Continuing Professional Development, Absence & Performance Management)
• Have direct responsibility for providing clinical and managerial leadership to the designated clinical areas.
• To directly line manage and provide clinical supervision to the Clinical Team Leaders in the designated areas.
• Promote the delivery of evidence based nursing practice.
• Have local responsibility for developing and reviewing Directorate policies ensuring their interface with trust policies
• Ensure high quality services for patients by promoting a listening culture, user involvement and dealing effectively with complaints.
• Undertake the functions of a “Modern Matron”, monitoring contracted services such as house-keeping, cleaning and works dept
• Ensure the management of resources within allocated budgets.
• Exercise professional judgement in collaboration with the Business Manager and senior clinicians regarding bed management, determining levels of risk/need in patient population.
• Take a key role in the delivery, maintenance and monitoring of the Directorate Nursing Strategy.
• Ensure the delivery of Clinical Governance and Quality targets across designated clinical areas.
• Assist the Senior Nurse Manager in ensuring Directorate Nursing services meet Trust and government targets on performance.
• Provide professional consultation to nursing staff and others on patient care matters.
• Monitor and ensure maintenance of high standards of care.
• Through supervision of nurses and others, identify short and long-term priorities of patient care.
• Ensure security policies are adhered to within the boundaries of therapeutic care.
• Deputise for the In-patient Services Manager (Lead Nurse) in his/her absence.
• Represent the Forensic Services Directorate at key Trust and other meetings

Management responsibilities

• To lead and support the Clinical Team Leaders in effectively managing the nursing services across the designated clinical areas using professional judgement, interpretation and analysis of the range of options available in resolving patient, organisational and staffing issues.
• To maximise opportunities to recruit and retain staff, ensuring the appropriate use of skills and skill mix. To recognise and value diversity in the workforce.
• To ensure that appraisal and personal development plans are in place for all nursing staff in the designated clinical areas to ensure that specific learning outcomes are tailored to meet individual development needs.
• To analyse data and statistics and produce action plans to manage sickness and absence, discipline and grievance as required for nursing staff across the designated clinical areas.
• To ensure the efficient and effective use of resources across the designated clinical areas and work with staff to manage budgets.
• To ensure the health and safety of patients, visitors and staff by monitoring all untoward incidents and ensuring risk management policies are implemented.
• In collaboration with other senior managers be responsible for policy development and implementation for the Directorate and have regular involvement in policy development for the Trust.
• To assist in developing and implementing nursing policies across the Directorate.
• To be able to interpret and apply Trust and national policies in a forensic context.
• To have delegated financial responsibility for all nursing and physical resources within the nursing service across the designated clinical areas.
• In conjunction with others be responsible for the investigation of serious untoward incidents and complaints including auditing and learning from them.
• To carry out management investigations and conduct hearings in relation to HR issues such as disciplinary and grievances