Job summary
This exciting Band 6 Senior Staff Nurse opportunity will be primarily based on Ward B3 at Halton Hospital, supporting the Community Winter Stepdown Ward from 1 December 2026 to 31 March 2027.
The Community Winter Stepdown Ward has been established to support system winter pressures by providing care for medically optimised patients who no longer require acute hospital intervention but require ongoing assessment, rehabilitation, discharge planning and support to progress through their discharge pathway. The ward plays a key role in reducing hospital length of stay, improving patient flow, preventing delayed discharges and supporting patients to return safely to their usual place of residence or onward care setting.
As a senior member of the nursing team, the post holder will provide strong clinical leadership and operational oversight to ensure the safe, effective and efficient delivery of care. The role combines direct patient care with leadership responsibilities, supporting the coordination of patient flow, management of discharge pathways, supervision of staff and continuous service improvement.
This post represents an excellent opportunity for an experienced nurse who is passionate about supporting medically optimised patients, facilitating timely discharge, maximising patient independence and delivering high-quality, recovery-focused care within an innovative intermediate care environment.
Main duties of the job
- Provide visible clinical leadership and professional nursing expertise within the Community Winter Stepdown Ward.
- Coordinate the day-to-day management of the ward, ensuring safe staffing levels, effective patient flow and timely progression through discharge pathways.
- Assess, plan, implement and evaluate care for medically optimised patients requiring ongoing rehabilitation, discharge support and recovery-focused interventions.
- Lead on comprehensive patient assessments, identifying barriers to discharge and implementing plans to overcome delays.
- Deliver high-quality, evidence-based nursing care that promotes recovery, independence and safe discharge outcomes.
- Work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team, including therapists, discharge coordinators, social workers, community services and primary care colleagues to facilitate seamless discharge planning and transitions of care.
- Support patients to achieve rehabilitation goals and maximise independence in preparation for discharge to their usual place of residence or onward care setting.
- Act as Nurse in Charge when required, coordinating clinical activity, managing patient flow and supporting operational demands.
Please see full job description attached for full list of duties.
About us
Flexible working will be considered for all roles.
North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (NCM) serves more than one million residents across the Halton and Warrington boroughs and the wider North West region.
Bringing together community and out-of-hospital services (formerly provided by Bridgewater Community Healthcare) with inpatient and elective care (formerly Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals) we provide services at two hospital sites and more than 70 community hubs and facilities.
Our mission, vision and values are at the heart of North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (NCM).
They underpin everything we do and everything we aspire to be as an organisation.
Our mission
We will be exceptional for our patients, our communities and each other
Our vision
We will be a great organisation providing excellent healthcare and opportunities to work and learn
Our values
- Kind: We are caring, supportive and respectful to everyone
- Open: We are honest, transparent and open to new ways of working
- Fair: We listen, value our differences and are inclusive to all
- One team: We work well together and with our communities
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job Purpose:
1. Provide management and organisation of a clinical area, delegating the workload to the skill mixed team as appropriate and as defined by the priority/acuity of the patients.
2. Assess, plan, deliver and evaluate programmes of care.
3. Work collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team, meeting the needs of patients and their families / carers
4. Provide support, leadership and development of staff and quality improvements within the department within the team.
5. Provide mentoring of pre and post registration students.
Please see full job description attached.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- RN First level (RGN)
- District Nursing Degree (NMC) Specialist Practitioner qualification.
Desirable
- Mentorship qualification or equivalent
- 1st line management/ leadership
- Non-medical prescribing V100/V150
Experience
Essential
- Demonstrates community experience
- Experience of high-level organisational skills
- Significant clinical experience related to the setting of care
- Significant experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team including in the management of acutely ill patients.
Desirable
- Audit & Research experience
- Recognised Management experience
Knowledge and Understanding
Essential
- Knowledge of professional and NHS issues relating to specialist knowledge.
- Range of core and extended clinical skills & demonstrate clinical knowledgeable related to setting of care.
- Detailed theoretical and clinical knowledge appropriate to setting of care
- Knowledge of professional and NHS issues relating to nursing
Skills and Attributes
Essential
- Able to perform complex assessments, plan, implement and evaluate care packages.
- Wide range of essential and enhanced clinical skills
- Proven leadership skills
- Able to communicate sensitive/unpleasant information to patients, relatives and/or carers.
- Able to demonstrate initiative.
- Ability to develop effective interpersonal relationships
- with colleagues across health and social care settings.
- Ability to communicate at a high level both verbally and written.
- Good IT skills.
- Risk assessment skills.
- Reflective practice skills- able to give clear and effective feedback
- The ability to work flexibly in accordance with ward / unit and Trusts needs.
- Displays compassion, sensitivity, and responsiveness to other peoples feelings and needs.
- Proven leadership skills.
- Able to communicate sensitive/unpleasant information to patients, relatives and/or carers.
- Able to demonstrate initiative.
- Ability to develop effective interpersonal relationships
- with colleagues within the department, across the Trust and externally.
- Ability to teach, assess and mentor staff and pre & post registration students.
- Ability to communicate at a high level both verbally and written.
- Risk assessment skills.
- Reflective practice skills- able to give clear and effective feedback
- Demonstrates values consistent with those of the Trust.
- Able to lead, prioritise, delegate and have good organisational skills
- Able to work and lead a team, co-operating together and willing to help and encourage the value of diversity in the workplace.
- Positive and flexible attitude when supporting change.
- Respond to the changing needs of the patient in a proficient, timely and calm manner, including when same is escalated by staff.
- Demonstrates values consistent with those of the Trust.
- Ability and willingness to adopt a flexible approach to work on the occasions it may be required
Desirable
- Able to research, undertake and evaluate evidence in order to contribute to practice development.
Right to Work
Essential
- Do you currently have the unrestricted right to work in the UK?
- If appointed, will you require sponsorship under a UK work visa route (now or in the future)?
- Please note that sponsorship is not available for all roles. Sponsorship will only be considered where the post meets the relevant UK immigration requirements and where the organisation determines that sponsorship is appropriate for the role.
Attitude and Behaviours
Essential
- Ability to travel independently across the Trust.
- Ability to work flexibly in accordance with service needs
- Displays care, compassion, sensitivity, and responsiveness to other peoples feelings and needs.
- Able to work as part of a team, co-operating to work together and in conjunction with others and willing to help and assist wherever possible and appropriate appreciating the value of diversity in the workplace.
- Able to develop, establish and maintain positive relationships with others both internal and external to the organisation and with patients and their careers.
- Able to work under pressure, dealing with peaks and troughs in workload managing unpredictable service demands.
- Demonstrates values consistent with those of the Trust.
- Ability and willingness to adopt a flexible approach to work on the occasions it may be required
Relationships
Essential
- If you are related to a director or have a relationship with a director or employee of an appointing organisation, please state the relationship.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders 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.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (BCH)
Address
Halton Hospital
Hospital Way
RUNCORN
Cheshire
WA7 2DA
United Kingdom
Employer's website
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