This Ward Manager role is ideal for an experienced RMN or RNLD who is ready to take ownership of a specialist inpatient mental health ward, lead safe day-to-day care, and make an immediate impact on standards, team stability and patient outcomes. You’ll be stepping into a clear leadership role where your experience in risk, governance, staffing and therapeutic care will matter from day one.

Why This Role

This role offers senior ward leadership, exposure to a specialist inpatient mental health and rehabilitation setting, and the opportunity to lead safe, recovery-focused care within a structured clinical environment. Unlike similar roles, this position focuses on hands-on ward leadership, supporting the nursing team, improving standards and maintaining a therapeutic environment for people with complex mental health needs.

The Role: Ward Manager

In this role, you will spend most of your time leading the daily running of the ward, supporting the nursing team and making sure care is safe, well documented and recovery-focused. You’ll work closely with the wider MDT and be responsible for delivering outcomes linked to clinical governance, patient safety, staffing, audits and high-quality care. The role balances visible ward leadership with operational oversight, providing clear expectations from day one.

You will:

• Lead and support the ward-based nursing team, including supervision, staffing and day-to-day clinical direction.
• Oversee care planning, risk assessments, safeguarding and incident management.
• Maintain strong documentation standards, audits and clinical governance processes.
• Work closely with the MDT to support recovery-focused care and safe step-down pathways.
• Help create a calm, therapeutic and person-centred ward environment.

What You’ll Bring

• Active NMC registration as an RMN or RNLD.
• Current or recent experience within inpatient mental health, rehabilitation, acute, PICU, forensic, secure, low secure or complex mental health services.
• Experience leading or supervising a ward-based nursing team.
• Strong understanding of clinical governance, audits, compliance, risk, safeguarding and safe care delivery.
• Right to work in the UK, as sponsorship is not available.

Benefits & Environment

This role offers permanent employment, senior leadership responsibility and a salary of £62,400 within a specialist mental health environment that supports safe, recovery-focused and person-centred care.

If this Ward Manager role sounds right for you, apply today.

Since 1951, Drake International has connected people with meaningful work across the UK and globally. We are committed to inclusive, equitable hiring and a respectful recruitment process in line with the Equality Act 2010. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK. We are unable to offer visa sponsorship.