Service Manager - Acute Inpatient Services

Service Manager 8b is required for an initial 6 months with experience of acute Mental Health flow and experience of Adult Mental Health services in the NHS. You will need to have similar senior level experience in the NHS working to at least an 8b and have the ability to deliver the duties as set out below.

The Service Manager for Adult Mental Health Inpatient Services will provide senior operational leadership across the inpatient pathway, working in partnership with clinical, professional and corporate colleagues to ensure services are safe, responsive, recovery-focused and aligned to the Trust's values and strategic priorities.

The post holder will support the delivery of high-quality care by creating the conditions for effective multidisciplinary working, strong ward leadership, purposeful inpatient admissions and timely, person-centred discharge. They will use service intelligence, staff and service user feedback, and partnership working to identify opportunities for improvement and ensure that operational delivery remains focused on outcomes, safety, experience and value.

As a key member of the Adult Inpatient leadership team, the Service Manager will contribute to service planning, transformation and assurance, helping to build resilient teams and sustainable services that respond effectively to local need, regulatory expectations and the wider health and social care context.

Key duties Include:

• Provide visible operational leadership for Adult Mental Health Inpatient services, ensuring safe, effective, compassionate and person-centred care is delivered consistently across all wards and associated pathways
• Be responsible for the day-to-day operational management of the inpatient service, including service delivery, workforce deployment, patient flow, escalation management and delivery of agreed performance standards.
• Work in close partnership with the Head of Service, Clinical Lead, Matrons, Ward Managers, MDT colleagues and corporate teams to ensure operational decisions are clinically informed and aligned to Trust strategy, quality standards and local service priorities.
• Lead the implementation of service plans, transformation programmes and improvement priorities across inpatient services, ensuring actions are delivered, monitored and reported through appropriate governance routes.
• Ensure robust systems are in place to monitor service quality, patient safety, clinical risk, incidents, complaints, safeguarding concerns, restrictive practice, observations, staffing, infection prevention and control, and compliance with relevant legislation and Trust policies.
• Monitor and improve key operational indicators including bed occupancy, delayed transfers of care, clinically ready for discharge, out of area placements, length of stay, readmissions, patient flow, discharge planning and use of temporary staffing.