Ward Manager – Complex Mental Health

Job Title: Ward Manager – Complex Mental Health

Hours: Full-time, with flexibility required for occasional shift cover and hands-on clinical duties

Location: South Yorkshire – commutable from Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham, and surrounding areas

Salary: Salary: £50,000 – £60,000 per annum (for exceptional candidates)

Benefits/Bonus:

• Competitive salary exceeding typical sector rates
• KPI-based salary progression available post-probation
• Flexible working arrangements
• Professional development and specialist training provided (e.g. NG feeding)
• Supportive leadership with direct access to senior decision-makers
• Free on-site parking
• Opportunity to shape the culture and clinical standards of a growing, specialist service

Company:

This is a specialist mental health provider offering bespoke inpatient services for adults with complex mental health conditions. The service recently reopened and is entering a crucial period of growth and development. It supports individuals with a wide range of comorbidities including autism, personality disorders, disordered eating, and anxiety, many of whom have long histories of hospital placements and high support needs. The organisation is focused on quality-driven, person-centred care delivered within a small, highly specialised team.

Role:

This role is pivotal in the operational and clinical leadership of a small but high-needs inpatient mental health unit. You will work closely with the senior leadership team, including the hospital manager, acting as their right hand in both daily service management and strategic decision-making.

You will be responsible for upholding and embedding existing governance frameworks, ensuring the smooth running of the ward, and providing visible, reassuring leadership to staff. In addition to leading a team of nurses and care professionals, you’ll be involved in audits, supervision, shift planning, and patient care where necessary. While administrative and strategic oversight is central, hands-on clinical involvement is also expected on occasion.

The environment requires a ward manager who is confident, resilient, and operationally firm, someone who can set boundaries, build trust, and lead by example. This is not a role suited to emergency department-style nursing; it demands deep understanding of mental health complexity and the emotional challenges of long-stay inpatient care.

Candidate Requirements:

• We are looking for a highly experienced Registered Nurse (RMN or RNLD with relevant MH experience), ideally with a background in complex mental health or specialist inpatient services. You should be:
• A confident clinical leader with credibility and compassion
• Skilled in building and supporting cohesive, well-functioning teams
• Operationally astute, with experience embedding and maintaining governance and safety standards
• Comfortable with clinical complexity including co-morbidities like autism, eating disorders, and personality disorders
• Able to provide visible leadership and reassurance to staff under pressure
• Experienced in managing or supervising care in a regulated inpatient environment
• Flexible and hands-on when needed – including occasional tasks such as NG feeding (training can be provided)

Process:

• The recruitment process will consist of two stages:
• In-person interview with the senior leadership team, including the hospital and clinical leads
• Virtual interview with the Head of Nursing
• No formal presentation is required, but candidates are encouraged to visit the ward or arrange an informal conversation in advance to assess alignment. Research into the service model and its ethos is advised.

Contact Details

If you would like to be considered for this exciting opportunity, please contact Ashley Collishaw directly on 0161 527 9631. Alternatively, email an updated CV to [email protected]

Recommendations

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