Matron

Matrons are vital to delivering high quality care to patients and their relatives across the NHS and the wider health and care sector. They are instrumental in promoting high standards of clinical care, reducing health inequalities and promoting equality for all, workforce retention and recruitment, staff education and development, compassionate, inclusive leadership and patient safety.

The matron\’s role is the cornerstone of improving the quality of patient care. They do this through visible inclusive leadership and engagement with patients and families, frontline staff and senior management teams. Matrons provide key assurance to the board, providing evidence that the organisation is delivering safe care and supporting and developing staff to fulfil their roles.

Main duties of the job

1. To lead as a visible nursing role model that can provide inspiration and direction. Matrons will be supported to implement or introduce innovative practice and develop effective problem solving skills. The Matron will provide clinical and managerial leadership within their areas of responsibility, developing and strengthening and supporting the role of Ward/Department managers and the staff.
2. As a core member of the Care Group Team of Three, you will work closely with the Clinical Director and Care Group Manager ensuring demonstrable improvements are made and sustained in patient care and contributing to the wider Trust agenda.

About us

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust is an integrated Trust and the only provider of NHS acute care in Walsall, serving a population of 284,300, providing inpatient and outpatient services at the Manor Hospital as well as a wide range of services in the community. Walsall Manor houses the full range of district general hospital services under one roof. The £170 million development was completed in 2010 and the continued upgrading of existing areas ensures the Trust now has a state-of-the-art Critical Care Unit, Neonatal Unit, Obstetric Theatre, and Integrated Assessment Unit facilities.

A new Urgent Emergency Care Centre was opened in March 2023. The two-storey development has significantly improved emergency care facilities and capacity and has provided almost 5,000 square metres of additional clinical space.

Job responsibilities

1. Key Responsibilities: As a Clinical Leader will ensure the needs of patients are recognised and met by the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of care across a specific Care Group for admitted and non admitted patients.
2. Act as a point of liaison for multi disciplinary and multi agency working in order to achieve the best possible outcome for patient care. Will take appropriate action to remedy any deficiencies in service provision from other agencies for the agreed Care Group.
3. Provide strong clinical leadership, be a visible member of the team undertaking clinical shifts where appropriate and support to nursing staff within an agreed Care Group including any clinical nurse specialists.
4. Ensure effective use of advanced nursing knowledge and skills, relating to the speciality in order to enhance patient care delivery.
5. Work collaboratively with other professionals and agencies to ensure patient needs are met, especially in relation to on-going care needs and discharge arrangements.
6. Provide departmental leadership over a 7 day period
7. Will work alongside the CNS to promote quality and autonomy in practice working collaboratively within the integrated team across primary and secondary care to support effective and efficient patient flows.
8. To work with the CNS to develop the integrated pathways.
9. Ensures the Trust\’s aims and objectives are achieved and maintained.
10. The post holder will monitor the standard of record keeping for the designated areas and work in partnership with Senior Sisters and CNS to develop processes that address any deficits.
11. The post holder will monitor the standards of medicine management, ensuring that development and remedial action is taken as appropriate adhering to the NMC guidelines.
12. Undertake additional training as required to meet the needs of the patients and register any additional skills acquired as a result of enhanced practice.
13. Co-ordinate and monitor the enhanced practice undertaken within the agreed Care Group.
14. Promote networking internally and externally.
15. Ensure a shared, forward thinking approach to the delivery of the service

Managerial Responsibilities

1. To lead as a visible nursing role model that can provide inspiration and direction. Matrons will be supported to implement or introduce innovative practice and develop effective problem solvingskills.
2. To provide clinical and managerial leadership within their areas of responsibility, developing and strengthening and supporting the role of Ward/Department managers and the staff.
3. To investigate accidents, incidents and complaints, implementing corrective actions where necessary, in consultation with the Medical Directorate management team in accordance with trustpolicies.
4. To demonstrate expert clinical leadership in caring for patient through comprehensive and holistic health needs assessment and the development, delivery and systematic evaluation ofprograms of care.
5. To influence patient care through clinical practice, management, leadership, education, research, audit and professional activities.
6. Ensure that the Senior Sisters and CNSs are sufficiently developed and skilled to act as the first point of contact for all issues of discipline and grievance, sickness absence and recruitment and selection.
7. To act as a resource, and where appropriate implement higher-level action in relation to all the Trust\’s policies and procedures.
8. Ensure all staff participates in the Individual Performance and Development Review in line with Trust Policy.
9. Monitor the provision of support services within the designated areas to include ward/department hygiene standards and the standard of the provision of food and nutrition.
10. In collaboration with Deputy Deputy Divisional Director of Nursing, monitor the provision of care through review and audit of patients\’ experiences using complaints management system, Patient RelationsService and local national patients\’ satisfaction surveys. Incorporates these findings into service improvement plans.

Effective Leadership

1. To lead and develop a culture which engages and involves staff in decision making.
2. Actively participate with senior staff within and outside the Trust to facilitate the flow of patients through the wards/units and the hospital.
3. Develop and introduce systems to enhance the responsiveness of dealing with patients concerns in conjunction with the PALS service, monitoring any trends, and developing appropriate action plans
4. Provide a clear, effective and appropriate leadership style that engages the team and ensures the vision and direction of travel is clear.
5. Ensure the individual staff members work in a climate where their contribution is valued, developing roles across boundaries and working collaboratively in teams.
6. Ensure the ongoing development and maintenance of a robust culture of strong clinical governance and assurance and maintain systems for clinical and non clinical risk managementand reporting of untoward incidents and near misses
7. Empower Senior Sisters/Charge Nurses to manage the financial, staffing and quality elements.
8. Facilitate staff to reach their maximum potential through continuous professional/personal development.
9. Support and encourage appropriate innovation in clinical and non clinical practice.
10. With other Matrons, show effective collective leadership to the Care Groups, and work in partnership to maximise benefits to the Trust and to the patients.

Human Resources

1. The post holder will be accountable and responsible for ensuring that record keeping across an agreed pathway, is both accurate and legible and is in accordance with local policies and NMC guidelines.
2. Maintain a safe level of nursing staff, taking remedial action when this cannot be achieved, and appraising the Deputy Divisional Director of Nursing where variations occur.
3. In collaboration with the Deputy Divisional Director of Nursing, conduct skill mix reviews and contribute to workforce planning, developing plans to implement any changes identified.
4. The post holder will conduct training needs analysis ensuring that all training needs are captured, making certain that plans are developed, in conjunction with both Senior Sisters and the Care Group Manager to facilitate attendance by all staff.

Financial Management

1. Manage the budget for the identified area(s), ensuring capital and equipment resources within the clinical area are used to provide an efficient, effective and high quality service.
2. Monitor spending, identify areas of potential budgetary overspend and implement plans to address potential overspending. Inform the Deputy Divisional Director of Nursing of the remedial steps taken to addressarea of concern.
3. The post holder will manage their budgets within agreed Care Group ensuring resources are put to the most efficient and effective use to meet the needs of the patients and the department.

Development

1. Responsible for monitoring compliance with the Trust standard relating to the assessment and continual professional development of staff within the designated area of responsibility using mechanisms such as Individual Performance Development Review (IPDR) to generate aPersonal Development Plan (PDP).
2. Personal accountability for own development needs. Responsible for keeping self-updated and maintain own development within this speciality Identify personal training needs and careerdevelopment with line manager through individual appraisal and personal development plan.
3. Demonstrate qualities of clinical leadership and act as role model for others.
4. Ensure own professional knowledge is current, regarding the specialty and nursing developments, to identify the implications for the service and the specialist role.
5. Identify personal development plan, in response to both individual and service developments reflecting evidence based practice and directives produced by governing bodies.
6. Develop and maintain accurate, timely and accessible information about staff, including working patterns, competencies, education and deployment.
7. Ensure all staff adheres to the Trusts Uniform Policy taking action when individuals do not conform.
8. Participates in the teaching and supervision of the clinical team including, where applicable learner nurse and others in training allocated to Ward area.
9. Ensures that the environment conducive to the development of practice, utilising evidence from research and best practice is fostered and enhanced.
10. Will monitor and co-ordinate research activity in collaboration with the Care Group.
11. As part of a development of personal and professional skills will access mechanisms to support staff in accordance with Clinical Supervision Policy to undertake clinical supervision as either supervisor/supervisee.
12. The post holder is required to undertake clinical duties, having regard to the NMC `Code of Professional Conduct for the Nurse, Midwife and Health Visitor\’ and their professional contribution to Clinical Governance Maintain own professional registration and practice within the NMC\’s Code of Professional Conduct and ensure the maintenance of professional standards within the Division.
13. The post holder is required to Select and support others to develop clinical leadership and agree a system of delegated responsibility for direct reports and other staff.

Person Specification

Knowledge

• Experience of working as a Senior Sister/Charge nurse within a medical specialty
• Experience of leading a team
• Experience of utilising quality improvement and change management methods to improve care and practice
• Management of clinical incidents and complaints

Qualifications

• NMC Registration
• Masters Degree or equivalent qualification OR working towards (healthcare)
• Quality improvement qualification or recent QI experience
• Management Qualification or equivalent management experience
• Skills and abilities necessary for the safe and effective performance of the job.
• Be able to talk to and work with patients and their families, carers, representatives – explaining discharge processes and procedures in a way which they can understand.

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.

Deputy Divisional Director of Nursing for MLTC