Modern Matron / Unit Manager - CAMHS

Would you like to lead and develop an established and well supported Low Secure Unit that supports the recovery/discovery of young people who present as a severe and enduring risk themselves? If so, then the Matron role at Austen House might be for you.

We are seeking an experienced manager with excellent clinical skills and an ability to engage young people with mental health difficulties, families, system partners and stakeholders, to join our established team for 12 months to cover a career break. The fixed term contract/secondment will begin in mid-December 2024, before the current Matron begins her career break, to provide a comprehensive handover period and induction to the service.

Set in picturesque grounds at Tatchbury Mount on the edge of the New Forest, on the same site as other secure services, Austen House is a purpose built hospital with excellent facilities and resources to ensure that it is a therapeutic environment for those young people requiring an admission. The site has recently undergone some refurbishment to ensure that it is sensory-friendly to support young people with neurodevelopmental conditions and other sensory processing difficulties.

By the time this post commences, work to reconfigure the internal layout of the unit will have begun so that in spring/summer 2025 the service can open an intensive care ward alongside the low secure ward., Applicants must have experience of working with service users with mental health difficulties, leadership skills which will support the operational management of our secure hospital service, and a style of working which supports all team members to achieve the best possible outcomes for young people and their families/carers.

The Matron will be responsible for the delivery of all aspects of the service, and will take over the lead on the development of the intensive care service. The post is well supported by the Specialist Services Divisional leadership and business support team, embedded performance and quality governance structures, and well-resourced clinical and administrative teams.

Austen House also benefits from being part of a portfolio of 3 CAMHS hospitals with a robust culture of collaboration, learning from events, and sharing innovation and best practice.

Southern Health is one of the largest NHS Foundation Trusts in the UK, specialising in mental health and learning disabilities, as well as offering physical health community-based services.

With a workforce of more than 7000 and a footprint that spans more than 200 sites across Hampshire, we're committed to providing the best possible healthcare, reaching a range of diverse communities, whilst placing patients and staff at the forefront of all our endeavours.

We are currently working closely with other NHS Trusts to combine all our collective community, mental health, and learning disability services, with the plan to create a new larger, more integrated and accessible organisation.

The transformation will happen in stages; Hampshire CAMHS, part of Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust joined Southern Health in February 2024, with Isle of Wight NHS Trust mental health and community services transitioning across in May 2024. The final combination of Southern Health and Solent NHS Trust services is expected in late 2024, when our new organisation, to be known as Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, will be formed.

Our new Trust will continue to cater to the unique needs of different communities, making healthcare across the county more accessible, as well as offering staff more opportunities for career development, training and partnership working.

Join us as we embark on this exciting journey to shape the future of healthcare in Hampshire.