We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced and dedicated Mental Health Nurse to join our Forensic Low Secure services as a Matron, overseeing forensic mental health and Learning disability inpatient wards. and LDFOLS. The role of the matron is critical to ensuring that all patients receive the highest standards of clinical care.
This will be achieved through a combination of professional curiosity, daily presence on the wards, and expert knowledge of care delivery. They will be visible to patients and carers and be available to resolve complex issues as they arise.
They will provide clinical line management to ward managers, be aware of local risks to care delivery, and be able to work collaboratively with others to implement plans to mitigate those risks.
The post holder will take a facilitative and empowering approach, nurturing creativity and being open to doing things differently if this improves the patient, carer and staff experience.
We are serious about diversity and inclusion, and we are working hard to build this into our DNA. We warmly welcome applications for any of our roles from people from diverse backgrounds, and we are proactively encouraging applications from under-represented communities for our more senior roles, like this one.
Oversight of wards alongside other matrons (with cross cover between Matron colleagues when needed) to include Clinical line management of Ward Managers and the following key responsibilities:
- Leading by example
- Gaining and providing assurance of quality patient care on a daily basis
- Building and sustaining systems of quality assurance
- Making sure patients receive high-quality care
- Ensuring staffing is appropriate to patient needs
- Empowering nurses to take on a wider range of clinical duties
- Improving ‘Team areas’ cleanliness
- Ensuring patients’ nutritional needs are met
- Improving wards for patients (to include supporting wards in identification of ligatures and management plan regarding existing ligatures)
- Making sure patients are treated with respect
- Preventing (hospital) acquired infection
- Resolving problems for patients and their relatives by building closer relationships
We are Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust. We care for the mental health and wellbeing of people across Kent and Medway and are rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Our teams support children, young people and adults with a wide range of mental health needs. We also provide specialist services, including all-age eating disorder services and neurodevelopmental assessments for children and young people, such as autism and ADHD.
Because we work across the whole county and across hospital and community settings, we can make care more joined up and easier to access for the people we serve.
Our vision is simple: we are here to help communities not just live with mental illness, but live well. It’s why we’re passionate about working with communities to make mental health care better for everyone. Everything we do is guided by our values: caring, inclusive, curious and confident.
Join us if you share our passion for better mental health care and want to be part of a team that’s working well together.
This role provides senior, compassionate, and inclusive nursing and managerial leadership across forensic inpatient (low secure) services and LDFOLS, ensuring the highest standards of safe, therapeutic, and recovery-focused care. The Matron will deliver visible and authoritative leadership, promote robust clinical governance, and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and external partners to drive continuous improvement and support safe, timely patient progression and discharge. This role has significant impact on patient outcomes, staff development, and overall service quality.
Responsibilities include:
- Deliver visible and authoritative leadership across low secure wards and LDFOLS
- Ensure high standards of clinical care, patient safety, and recovery-focused practice
- Maintain safe staffing levels appropriate to patient acuity and risk
- Empower nursing staff to deliver specialist forensic care and support ongoing development
- Uphold clinical governance, relational security, and compliance with the MHA, MoJ, and regulatory frameworks
- Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, MAPPA, criminal justice services, and stakeholders to ensure effective risk management and discharge planning
- Use data, audit outcomes, and feedback to drive quality improvement and reduce restrictive practices
- Enhance ward environments, including ligature and security risk management, cleanliness, and infection prevention
- Support patient nutrition and holistic care needs
- Promote dignity, respect, and trauma-informed care throughout all services
- Resolve concerns for patients, families, and external partners, including MoJ and MAPPA
- Maintain Duty of Candour with service users and carers at all times
- Ensure services are delivered safely and meet Health and Social Care Act requirements, monitoring quality, identifying and escalating breaches, and acting immediately
- Implement regular processes to review incidents, using triangulation to address risks and develop learning
- Manage and support staff, providing supervision, performance review, and development opportunities
- Lead and participate in multidisciplinary meetings and quality assurance initiatives
- Contribute to service improvement projects and foster a culture of continuous learning and innovation
Please refer to the attached job description for the full details on the responsibilities and person specification.
The post holder must hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car/vehicle to use for business purposes (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).
The High-Cost Area (HCA) allowance, also referred to as London Weighting is a payment made to employees who work in London and the surrounding areas.
As this post is based in Dartford, Gravesham or Swanley, the successful applicant will receive an additional payment each month. 5% of basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of £1,346 per year and a maximum payment of £2,270 per year (the agreed annual amount will be divided into 12 equal amounts and paid monthly) (2026/27 figures)
