Deputy Sister/Charge Nurse, Neonatal Unit

Deputy Sister/Charge Nurse, Neonatal Unit

Closing date: 28 December 2025

Key Responsibilities

• Promote and help to manage delivery of a quality nursing service, setting and monitoring clinical standards in NICU and Transitional Care.
• Be responsible for the assessment of patient care needs, the development, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care.
• Work as a Shift Leader and deputise for the Ward Sister/Charge Nurse after completion of unit specific competencies and shadow charging. This involves rotating shifts from night and day covering a 7 day week, in accordance with the nursing philosophy of Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust.
• Take responsibility for an area of clinical practice appropriate to the ward environment, which could involve audit, infection control, fire warden duties, manual handling, health & safety and other relevant functions.

The successful candidate will have strong leadership, communication and critical thinking skills, with a clear commitment to family centred care. A neonatal qualification (ENB 405/QIS or equivalent) and significant post qualification experience in a Level 2 or 3 neonatal setting are essential.

Main duties of the job

• Joint responsibility with other Unit Sisters for the operational management and service delivery processes within the Neonatal and Special Care Unit, including line management of all ward staff, managing and monitoring resources within a defined budget and contributing to the corporate agenda.
• Lead and promote a quality service using research and evidence based practice, including the setting and monitoring of clinical standards.
• Rotate onto night and day shifts.

About us

Ashford and St. Peters Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust serves a population of more than 410,000 people in North West Surrey, parts of Hounslow and beyond.

Over 3,700 highly trained doctors, nurses, midwives, therapists, healthcare scientists and other support staff form our workforce, providing a wide range of services across our two hospital sites, Ashford, Surrey and St Peter's, Chertsey, Surrey.

We also run many specialist clinics in the community and local community hospitals and other healthcare facilities.

Our vision is to be one of the best healthcare Trusts in the country. There has never been a better time to join us in the NHS at ASPH. We are committed to providing continuous professional development and flexibility to shape our workforce around our patient care.

We are expanding our theatres at Ashford Hospital and moving toward becoming our dedicated elective centre. We want to create a state of the art centre for excellence for planned surgical procedures.

• Excellent pension scheme and annual leave entitlement
• On site Nurseries
• On site staff cafés
• On site parking
• Salary Sacrifice schemes including wage stream, lease cars, Cycle to Work schemes and home electronics

Adverts may close early, so applicants are encouraged to submit an application as soon as possible.

For more information about a career at ASPH please visit .

Job responsibilities Clinical Practice and Professional Leadership Responsibilities

• Lead and supervise a safe, high standard nursing practice and the delivery of evidence based patient care in accordance with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct, the Trust's Nursing Strategy and Trust/Unit Policies and Procedures.
• Lead by example in demonstrating high standards of clinical care.
• Act as an advocate for the neonate.
• Contribute to the corporate nursing and patient care agenda.
• Develop and maintain own competence in agreed basic and advanced clinical skills.
• Act as a source of speciality expertise within the Directorate and across the Trust as appropriate.
• Ensure that clinical and housekeeping practice follows policies and procedures designed to prevent hospital acquired infection.
• Ensure the promotion and provision of health education for patients and their carers.
• Actively promote and implement research and evidence based practice.
• Lead a programme of standard setting and audit to implement change that meets patient requirements and improves standards. Seek feedback from carers.

Management Responsibilities

• Deputise for the Matron in her absence.
• Ensure that complaints and incidents are dealt with proactively in conjunction with the Divisional Governance Team.
• Investigate Datix incidents and complaints using Root Cause Analysis and provide reports as required.
• Develop, implement, monitor and evaluate associated action plans based on reflective practice and review of processes.
• Contribute to the recruitment and selection process.
• Take a lead in retaining nursing staff on the Unit.
• Ensure effective and efficient deployment of staff, planning appropriate skill mix in relation to workload and within the defined budget.
• Manage the ward in accordance with budget and contract requirements and ensure the most effective use of pay and non pay resources.
• Promote good working relationships and collaborative working with the multidisciplinary team, both within the Unit and across the Trust.

Education

• Maintain a suitable learning environment for all staff working in the ward.
• Liaise with the CPE to provide additional CPE support.
• Ensure that registered nurses understand the educational objectives of all staff and students, acting as a mentor and assessing performance as appropriate.

Clinical Governance Responsibilities

• In conjunction with the Head of Nursing/Matron, take a lead role in the planning and implementation of quality and risk management initiatives and targets, including CNST, RPST and Controls Assurance requirements.
• Actively develop and maintain evidence based quality standards that are regularly audited, and initiate appropriate changes in practice.
• In conjunction with the Head of Nursing/Matron, participate in the agreed programmes of clinical benchmarking.

Learning and Development

• Maintain own professional standards and education by attending relevant study sessions, mandatory training and reporting back to team members.

Person Specification Qualifications

• NMC registered
• NLS
• Safeguarding Level Stage 3

Experience

• Experience as a band 5 in a neonatal Unit and consolidation of ITU post QIS.
• Management of people.
• Staff teaching and mentoring.
• Experience as a band 6 in a Neonatal Unit.
• Changes in nursing practice to improve patient care.

Knowledge

• Professional code of conduct.
• NHS constitution.
• Trust vision and strategy.
• Communication and interpersonal skills.

Skills

• Diversity and human rights.
• Professional and sensitive.
• Prioritisation.
• Motivate staff.

Other

• Flexible to the needs of the service.
• Calm under pressure.
• Able to work various shifts required.

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.

Ashford & St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

£40,617 to £48,778 a yearpa inc. HCAS, pro rata for part time