Head Nurse

Head Nurse Location: Melksham, Wiltshire Salary: £25.95 per hour Contracted Hours: 42 hours per week Contract Type: Permanent MELKSHAM GARDENS – A BRAND-NEW CARE HOME OPENING IN 2027 Be part of something from the very beginning. We’re looking for an experienced and compassionate Head Nurse to join the team at Melksham Gardens, our brand-new 80-bed care home in Melksham. Our purpose-built home on Longleaze Lane will provide residential, nursing and dementia care, alongside respite and day care. With en-suite bedrooms, landscaped gardens, private dining, a cinema, gym and wellbeing facilities, and innovative technology, Melksham Gardens will offer a truly special environment for residents, their families and our colleagues. Joining a brand-new home is an exciting opportunity to help shape its future, establish high standards of clinical care and create a positive culture from the very beginning. RECRUITMENT OPEN DAY: Come and meet the team and find out more: Wednesday 21st October 10 am – 3 pm Melksham Town Hall – Council Chamber Come along to find out more about Melksham Gardens, the Head Nurse role and what it’s like to be part of a brand-new care home team. We’d love to meet you! A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY: Joining a brand-new home is exciting – but it is also different. Depending on the progress of the home, you may join us during the preparation and mobilisation period or as we welcome our first residents. Your exact start date may therefore be subject to change and could be later than initially anticipated. As Head Nurse, you’ll play a pivotal role in establishing and maintaining high standards of clinical care at Melksham Gardens. Working closely with the Home Manager, you’ll help develop effective clinical practices, support and guide colleagues, and embed the standards, routines and culture that will underpin excellent, person-centred nursing care. This is an opportunity to bring your clinical expertise and leadership experience to a brand-new home, helping to build a confident nursing team and ensure residents receive safe, compassionate and individualised care from the outset. We’re looking for someone who is adaptable, proactive and comfortable with change, with the clinical knowledge and leadership skills to help turn our vision into reality. ABOUT THE ROLE: Are you a Registered Nurse who thrives on making a real and positive difference to the lives of older people and has experience leading or supervising a clinical team? Are you passionate about delivering high-quality, person-centred nursing care and confident in making clinical decisions? Our care teams make a real difference every day, and your professionalism, kindness and compassion will be at the heart of everything you do. The role of Head Nurse is pivotal within our homes, combining clinical leadership with the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with residents and support their individual health and wellbeing needs. Working closely with the Home Manager, you’ll provide clinical nursing leadership and support the management of the home, making critical decisions and managing clinical issues within a person-centred care model. You’ll take responsibility for the quality of nursing assessments, care planning, implementation and evaluation, ensuring residents receive an excellent standard of care. You’ll lead, motivate and support your team, actively monitoring and supervising care practices to ensure high standards of nursing and personal care are maintained. You’ll also provide clinical guidance and leadership, helping colleagues develop their skills and confidence while ensuring care is delivered safely and effectively. As part of a brand-new home, you’ll have the opportunity to help establish clinical processes, embed best practice and build a strong nursing team. You’ll play an important role in ensuring the home is ready to welcome residents and that clinical standards remain at the heart of everything we do. Some days will bring challenges as the home and team develop, but you’ll also have the opportunity to make a lasting contribution to a home that residents, families and colleagues can be proud of. ABOUT YOU: You’ll be a Registered General Nurse (RGN) or Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMN) with a current, active NMC PIN and a minimum of two years’ experience leading a care or clinical team. You’ll have a strong understanding of the clinical and psychological factors that affect the health and wellbeing of older people, together with a clear understanding of relevant regulatory frameworks and the importance of maintaining safe, high-quality care. You’ll also have experience in, or be willing to undertake training in, a range of clinical skills, including: * Medication administration * Catheterisation * End-of-life care * Verification of death * Syringe drivers * Gastrostomy care * Venepuncture * Diabetic awareness * Tissue viability * Epilepsy awareness * Management of deterioration, including sepsis awareness. You’ll be a positive role model with excellent communication skills and a natural ability to build positive working relationships. As a supportive and approachable leader, you’ll know how to motivate colleagues, provide clinical guidance and encourage your team to deliver the best possible care to residents. Most importantly, you’ll be adaptable, organised and enthusiastic about the opportunity to help establish a new care home. You’ll be committed to promoting dignity, independence and choice, while ensuring residents receive the highest standards of clinical care and compassion. AND IN RETURN, the Trust is a great place to work. We’ve been providing care for almost 1,000 years, and we’re currently the second largest not-for-profit provider in the UK. Not-for-profit means that we reinvest every penny we make into our residents, colleagues and the care homes we live and work in. Our nursing roles offer the opportunity to exercise clinical judgement, enjoy autonomy in decision-making and build close relationships with residents through a consultative, case-management approach. We’re committed to supporting our colleagues to grow and develop, offering opportunities for career progression and training within a nurturing, engaging and rewarding environment. Here are some of the benefits you’ll enjoy as a valued member of our team: * 30 days holiday (including Bank Holidays) * Fully funded renewal of your NMC PIN * A company pension * Free uniform * Access to our Employee Assistance Programme * Blue Light Card and “My Rewards” programme, offering discounts on shopping, days out, restaurants and much more. BE PART OF THE BEGINNING If you have the clinical expertise, leadership skills and compassion to deliver the highest quality of nursing care as a Head Nurse, we’d love to hear from you. Come and help us bring Melksham Gardens to life, build a confident and capable nursing team, and create a truly exceptional place to live, work and belong. We reserve the right to close this role before the closing date, with no advance notice. We do encourage you to complete an application as soon as possible if interested.