Darwin 1 Ward Manager

King\’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK\’s largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£1.8 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and more than 15,000 staff based across 5 main sites in South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local hospital services across its different sites, and specialist services from King\’s College Hospital (KCH) sites at Denmark Hill in Camberwell and at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) site in the London Borough of Bromley.
We encourage all our staff to have a healthy work/life balance. In doing so, you can apply for flexible working from the beginning of your employment. We offer a range of options which are designed to suit different circumstances and priorities in line with service requirements.
flexible-working
Job overview
As Ward Manager of Darwin 1 Ward, you will lead and develop our compassionate team in delivering exceptional person-centered care to elderly patients with complex needs, including those living with dementia.
You\’ll be responsible for operational management, clinical leadership, and maintaining the highest standards of specialised geriatric and dementia care, ensuring all patients receive appropriate cognitive assessment, emotional support, and personalised intervention.
This role offers an exciting opportunity to champion best practices in elderly and dementia care, mentor future healthcare specialists, and drive excellence in evidence-based interventions.
As Ward Manager, you\’ll play a vital role in our Care Group\’s quality governance structure, contributing to patient safety initiatives and leading on the implementation of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF). Your commitment to developing both yourself and your team through continuous professional development will be essential in maintaining our high standards of specialised care and driving service improvement.
You\’ll develop strong collaborative relationships with memory services, community mental health teams, and social care partners to optimise patient pathways and enhance the seamless delivery of integrated care.
Main duties of the job
The Ward Manager will provide strategic and operational leadership for Darwin 1, ensuring the delivery of outstanding, person-centred care. You will be responsible for managing all aspects of the service, including clinical standards, staff development, and resource optimisation.
Your key responsibilities will include maintaining effective staffing levels through robust roster management and recruitment strategies. You will oversee the unit\’s budget, ensuring efficient resource allocation while maintaining high-quality care standards.
Leading on quality improvement initiatives, you will implement the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework and ensure strong governance processes, including medication safety. You will actively participate in Care Group quality initiatives and contribute to trust-wide projects.
Building strong partnerships will be crucial, particularly with community services, London Ambulance Service, and Hospital at Home teams. You will optimize patient pathways and lead on collecting and implementing patient and family feedback to drive service improvements.
Professional development is essential in this role. You will maintain your NMC registration while supporting staff development through structured training programs and performance management. You will champion evidence-based practice and innovation in frailty care, contributing to the strategic objectives of both the unit and wider Care Group.
Working for our organisation
King\’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK\’s largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£1 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and more than 15,000 staff based across South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. The trust-wide strategy of Strong Roots, Global Reach is our Vision to be BOLD, Brilliant people, Outstanding care, Leaders in Research, Innovation and Education, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do. By being person-centred, digitally-enabled, and focused on sustainability, we aim to take Team King\’s to another level.
We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people.
King\’s is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone\’s contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust\’s carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
We are seeking an experienced and dynamic Ward Manager to lead Darwin 1 Ward. This role offers an exciting opportunity to lead a specialised service providing care for older adults within a safe, dementia-friendly environment. The successful candidate will be responsible for the operational management, clinical leadership, and strategic development of the ward.
Darwin 1 ward is at the forefront of innovative elderly care, providing r treatment within a supportive, dementia-friendly environment. We\’re proud of our team\’s commitment to excellence and our collaborative approach to patient care. The team is committed to providing integrated care through strong partnerships with community providers. We pride ourselves on our responsive approach to patient and family feedback, using it to continuously enhance our services.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership and Operations

• Provide clinical and operational leadership to the multidisciplinary team, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, person-centered care
• Maintain robust oversight of staffing levels, skill mix, and resource allocation to ensure safe and effective service delivery
• Lead by example in promoting evidence-based practice and maintaining professional standards
• Oversee the ward\’s performance metrics and implement changes to improve efficiency

People Management

• Lead on staff recruitment, development, and retention, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement
• Manage staff performance effectively through regular appraisals, setting clear objectives and addressing performance concerns promptly
• Ensure effective roster management by overseeing the creation and maintenance of staff schedules that meet service needs while supporting work-life balance
• Monitor and manage staff unavailability, including annual leave, study leave, and sickness absence, ensuring fair allocation and adequate service coverage
• Implement robust processes for managing long-term sickness and supporting staff return to work
• Lead on talent development and succession planning to build a resilient and skilled workforce
• Maintain own professional development and NMC registration through continuous learning and reflection
• Support staff in maintaining their professional registration and meeting revalidation requirements

Financial Management

• Manage the unit\’s budget and resources effectively, ensuring optimal staffing levels and efficient use of resources

Quality and Governance

• Actively participate in Care Group quality initiatives and governance meetings, contributing to trust-wide improvement projects
• Implement and embed the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF), fostering a culture of learning and continuous improvement
• Drive quality improvement initiatives and maintain compliance with regulatory standards
• Ensure robust governance processes are in place to maintain patient and staff safety
• Drive quality improvement initiatives based on patient feedback, clinical audits, and performance metrics
• Oversee medication safety processes, including audits, incident reporting, and implementation of best practices
• Lead regular medication safety reviews and ensure compliance with medication management policies
• Monitor and analyse medication incidents, implementing improvements to prevent recurrence
• Ensure all staff maintain up-to-date medication competencies
• Support the development and implementation of medication safety initiatives

Service Development and Strategy

• Develop and implement strategic plans to enhance service delivery and patient outcomes
• Champion innovation and best practice in frailty care, leading service development initiatives
• Support the delivery of the Care Group\’s strategic objectives through local action plans and initiatives

Stakeholder Engagement and Patient Experience

• Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to ensure seamless patient pathways
• Establish and maintain effective partnerships with key external stakeholders, including Hospital at Home teams, and community care providers
• Develop and optimise patient pathways in collaboration with community partners to ensure smooth transitions of care
• Lead on the collection, analysis, and implementation of patient and family feedback to drive service improvements

Person specification
Essential
Essential criteria

• Registered Nurse (RN1) with active NMC registration
• A clinical expert either through formal qualification (diploma/degree) and/ or extensive clinical experience pertinent to the area
• Interest to develop knowledge of the clinical speciality and own practice
• Evidence of effective multi-disciplinary working
• Has demonstrated leadership skills in a supervisory/team leader context
• Demonstrates evidence of developing innovative practice and of being proactive in the management of change
• Experience in budgetary management and control, or the willingness to acquire this.
• Demonstrates commitment to high standards of patient care and service delivery

Desirable criteria

• A management qualification or training, or the willingness to undertake this
• Experience of audit.
• Previous involvement in quality initiatives.

IMPORTANT

• Check your email account regularly as this is how we will communicate with you
• If you delete the job from any of your accounts, you may be prevented from accessing further communications
• To enquire about your application or inform us of any changes in your circumstances, please contact the named person on this advert
• Please provide email addresses for referees where possible
• Click here to see the range of benefits we offer
• Please review the documentation on our recruitment microsite, particularly the Trust\’s criminal records checking policy
• All staff have a responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and for ensuring they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.
• Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. On occasion, we might close a vacancy early due to a high number of applications being received. You are advised to submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

King\’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Annual Reports and Other Corporate Publications
King\’s Health Partners Academic Health Science Centre Website
King\’s College Hospital is part of King\’s Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC), a pioneering collaboration between King\’s College London, and Guy\’s and St Thomas\’, King\’s College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts.
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Applicant requirements
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.
Documents to download

• Darwin 1 Ward Leader (PDF, 240.4KB)
• Princess Royal (PRUH) Site map (PDF, 1.4MB)
• Candidate Brochure PRUH & SOUTH SITES Nursing (PDF, 182.0KB)
• Visa and Sponsorship Information (PDF, 352.6KB)