Modern Matron

Job overview Please note that this is an internal only role and therefore only current employees of Oxford Health are eligible to apply. We are pleased to invite applications from experienced Band 7 and Band 8a colleagues with inpatient experience for a 12-month secondment opportunity to cover maternity leave in the role of Modern Matron for Ruby and Sapphire Wards, commencing 1st October 2026. This is an opportunity for an aspiring or experienced leader to further develop their skills by providing clinical and professional leadership across both inpatient wards. The successful candidate will play a key role in supporting the delivery of safe, effective, and high-quality patient care, working collaboratively with ward managers, multidisciplinary teams, and key stakeholders. The successful candidate will be expected to: Provide visible, compassionate, and professional leadership. Support quality improvement, patient safety, and governance initiatives. Foster staff engagement, wellbeing, and professional development. Lead and contribute to service improvement projects and organisational priorities. Promote a positive culture that supports excellent patient and staff experience. This secondment offers an excellent opportunity to gain valuable experience in a senior leadership role while making a meaningful contribution to the continued success of our inpatient services. This role offers you a combination of patient contact, carer involvement and managing ward teams, leading on the provision of high quality evidence-based mental health nursing care. Main duties of the job You'll hold a key role as a member of the leadership team for the wards they are responsible for, alongside psychiatry and allied health professionals. Demonstrate a level of healthy curiosity about care delivery and become actively engaged in care planning and risk management as required. Contribute to the governance of care and lead on the improvement and development of nursing care with a strong focus on quality improvement, ensuring that Care Quality Commission (CQC) essential standards are met and exceeded Support and inspire teams within our inpatient services to meet CQC standards of ‘Excellent’. The in-patient wards are also involved in the in-patient mental health transformation programme, including the NHS England Culture of Care programme. You will be a core part of the leadership team driving this transformation to improve quality of care. Please refer to the job description attached for a comprehensive list of duties. The ability to travel independently between sites within the Trust is essential for this role. Working for our organisation Oxford Health is a great place to work and to be able to showcase the best of yourself when making an application please read the “candidate guide to making an application” and ensure your supporting statement is tailored to the role you are applying for and addresses any essential criteria. As a Trust we provide physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and Northeast Somerset. Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people’s homes, delivering care as close to home as possible. Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive: “Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team” Our values are: “Caring, safe and excellent” We offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include: Excellent opportunities for career progression Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and development 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers Competitive pension scheme Lease car scheme Cycle to work scheme Employee Assistance Programme Mental Health First Aiders Staff accommodation (please note waiting lists apply) Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team Detailed job description and main responsibilities Our inpatient services provide high quality care and are currently assessed as ‘Good’ by the CQC. We are actively working towards 'Excellent'. You'll offer operational and strategic leadership to the in-patient teams at the Whiteleaf Centre and be the clinical and governance lead for two adult acute wards. We hope that the advert has given you a clear understanding of the skills we are seeking and the opportunity at hand. You will need to use the “supporting statement” element of your application form to demonstrate your suitability for this role and you should refer to the job description, person specification and the guidance notes attached to this role to help you tailor your application. The essential and desirable criteria will be used to shortlist for interview, and you should ensure that you refer to these within your application to increase your chances of being selected for interview. We are aware that some candidates may choose to use AI tools to support their application. We kindly remind applicants that submissions should remain an honest and accurate representation of their experience and must take care to ensure the use of AI tools does not generate an application that does not accurately reflect their knowledge, skills and values. Person specification Qualifications Essential criteria RMN, Educated to degree level Mentor Qualification Post graduate management qualification or equivalent management experience Desirable criteria RGN and/or Master’s degree Knowledge Requirements Essential criteria Experience of successful budget and resource management Skills and experience in managing poor performance and dealing with misconduct issues Extensive knowledge of clinical governance and Care Quality Commission (CQC) essential standards of care Experience Essential criteria Experience of leading teams, and of managing the performance of individuals within those teams. Detailed understanding of the key policy issues affecting the delivery of health and social care across local health economy and at national leve Experience of leading the planning, delivering, and evaluation of care to address changing needs. Personal Qualities Essential criteria Demonstrate an ability to organise and motivate self and others Demonstrate an ability to communicate at different levels and relay information to people with different levels of ability to understand Contractual / other requirements Essential criteria To be available to take part in on-call rota To be able to travel to work in different parts of the Trust; if possible to hold a current driving license Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults Documents to DownloadJob Description (PDF, 208.7KB) Guidance Notes for Candidates Applying for a job at OHFT (PDF, 424.6KB) Recruiter Contact DetailsName: Nilam Patel Title: Senior Matron Email: Nilam.Patel@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk Telephone: 07747 008621