Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Deputy Director of Nursing
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Job Overview
Are you a senior nursing leader ready to shape the future of care?
The Goodall Division at Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust is recruiting a Deputy Director of Nursing to lead services across Outer London.
This strategic role requires a Master’s-qualified nurse with proven expertise in clinical leadership, service improvement, and workforce development. You’ll drive quality, safety, and innovation, ensuring CQC compliance and leading new care models.
Working closely with Lead Nurses, Clinical Directors, and Education Partners, you’ll enhance professional practice and support integrated service delivery. Regular travel across the division is essential, especially in London and Surrey. Services include Community Health Services, Mental Health, CAMHs, Eating Disorder, Adult and Older Adult Mental Health and Community Mental Health
You’ll also represent the division at Trust-wide forums and lead key portfolios including safeguarding, safer staffing, non-medical prescribing, and nursing education.
Main duties of the job
- Provide leadership to promote excellence in patient care and quality
- Develop and implement clinical standards aligned with national policies.
- Act as a role model for nursing staff and promote professional development.
- Monitor services against CQC standards and address concerns promptly.
- Lead on clinical governance and patient safety, ensuring NMC compliance.
- Foster a culture of learning and openness regarding incidents and complaints.
- Oversee recruitment, retention, and career progression for nursing staff.
- Ensure effective preceptorship for new nurses and quality experiences for students.
- Collaborate to develop training pathways and support professional practice.
- Establish clinical supervision systems across the division.
- Work with clinical leaders to enhance service improvement and integrated care.
- Represent the Trust externally and build relationships with partners.
- Lead divisional committees and manage budgets for financial compliance.
- Address nursing-related medicine management and support non-medical prescribing.
- Implement innovative, cost-effective care models.
- Advise on research and practice development aligned with Trust priorities.
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Working for our organisation
There’s a place for you at CNWL.
We’re passionate about delivering first-class patient-centred, safe and effective care, whether it is in a hospital setting, in a community clinic or in the patient’s own home. Patients are at the heart of everything we do.
Providing top quality care depends on our ability to employ the best people.
We’re always looking to recruit outstanding people who will go the extra mile to support our patients, colleagues, teams and the Trust. With every new employee we’re hoping to find our future leaders and we’ll support our staff by providing opportunities to develop your career.
With a diverse culture and equally diverse range of opportunities across mental health, community services, addictions, eating disorders, learning disabilities and more – whatever stage of your career you're at, there's always a place for you at CNWL.
Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities
The Deputy Director of Nursing (Band 8C) provides strategic and visible leadership across the division, driving improvements in patient outcomes, safety, and experience. Working closely with the Director of Nursing, the DDON leads the development and implementation of clinical standards, governance systems, and innovative care models aligned with national policy and Trust priorities.
Key responsibilities include overseeing compliance with CQC standards, leading on safeguarding, safer staffing, and non-medical prescribing, and ensuring effective clinical supervision and professional development. The DDON supports workforce planning, recruitment, and retention, including apprenticeships and student placements, while promoting diversity and talent management.
The role involves advising on nursing practice, managing complaints and incidents, and contributing to service improvement and transformation. The DDON chairs divisional meetings/committees, collaborates with internal and external stakeholders, and represents the Trust at professional forums. They also support manage budgets, support research and development, and ensure adherence to NMC standards and Trust values.
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Ultimately, the DDON plays a pivotal role in shaping nursing strategy, enhancing care quality, and fostering a culture of excellence, learning, and integrated working across the division.
Person specification
Experience
Essential criteria
- Track record of managing complex issues
- Evidence of working across professional and organisational boundaries, and working with multiple stakeholders
- Evidence of implementing significant organisational change
- Broad experience of providing leadership across the profession
- Broad clinical experience relevant to the post
- Experience of working collaboratively with other professions and partner organisations
Desirable criteria
- Budgetary management experience
Education/Qualifications
Essential criteria
- First Level Registered Nurse
- Evidence of continuing professional development
- Level 7 qualification or currently working towards
Desirable criteria
- NMP/ACP Qualification
Skills/Abilities
Essential criteria
- The political awareness, tact and diplomacy required to establish credibility & good working relationships with colleagues & external organisations
- Ability to provide high quality, impartial, consistent advice to managers and clinical colleagues
- Ability to handle difficult or contentious issues with colleagues
- Ability to manage rapid and sustained change
- Team working, including collaboration and delegation
- Commitment to continuous self-development
- Ability to communicate vision and inspire
- Strong, open, participative leadership style which instils confidence & is positive
- Excellent leadership qualities
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Understanding of recent health policy and NHS systems reform and professional issues
- Understanding of professional guidance, medical policy and relevant regulations and statutes
- Broad understanding of the clinical governance agenda
- An understanding of the education, training and workforce agenda for nurses and other non-medical trainees
- An understanding of the equal opportunities issues for a diverse Division spanning a variety of services over a wide geography
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