Communications Ensures effective communication channels exist between patients and relevant stakeholders at all levels. Ensures patients and their families are treated with dignity and respect and information is conveyed to them in a timely and understandable manner. Risk & Clinical Governance Works collaboratively with Divisional Governance team and Quality & Standards team and leads on complex investigations, resolutions and action planning. Undertake root case analysis and develop action plans, ensuring this leads to sustainable changes in improved practice. Supports patients and staff in the handling of complaints and works to ensure early and satisfactory resolution of concerns. The Matron takes the lead role within their areas of responsibility for ensuring effective patient and family engagement, ensuring that the views and comments of patients, carers and service users are sought and acted upon. Be champions for driving the infection prevention and control agenda and challenging poor practice. Ensuring patients are cared for in clean and safe environments taking remedial action if standards are not maintained. Where possible, take all reasonable action to address problems, concerns and complaints as near to source as possible, but also understands when to escalate. Responsible for implementing effective risk assessment and management within own clinical areas or teams working closely with the divisional quality and governance team. Responsibility for Patient Care Be a visible leader who is accessible and assists patients/service users/carers/relatives during incidental contacts. Accountable for ensuring the appropriate and effective development, delivery and monitoring of patient care and service across areas of responsibility. Monitor the quality and timeliness of nursing care and service provision in accordance with relevant professional and local standards. Responsible for ensuring that care is delivered in a safe, efficient, effective and timely manner and that plans for discharge to ward, and department areas and transfer of patients is within acceptable safe parameters. Responsible for providing senior nursing advice across areas of the Trust as required, including participation in Duty Manager rota for evenings, weekends and bank holidays. Support Matron colleagues and Ward Managers to ensure the most appropriate distribution of staffing resources to balance risks and to ensure the safe and smooth running of the division. Planning and organising Work in collaboration with the clinical teams daily. Monitor and action decisions in relation to clinical areas ensuring nursing skill mix in relation to activity and acuity. Manage and report any risk issues to the Divisional Associate Chief Nurse in a timely manner. Organise and plan own day to day workload or activities to meet the demands of the job role. Ensure that day to day staffing and resources are deployed across the division to meet the needs of services in conjunction with the divisional Matrons. Use information obtained from patients, families and staff to make changes to the patient environment and care where appropriate or necessary. The Matron will supervise the assessment, planning, implementation provision and evaluation of patient care; ensuring that nursing and corporate standards are implemented, maintained, monitored and improved upon where necessary. This includes assuming all overall accountability within the directorate for the monitoring, review, improvement and provision of evidence and assurance relating to patient care. In conjunction with the Divisional Associate Chief Nurse, the Matron will contribute to the strategic direction of service lines and specialties through meeting key performance indicators and national and local activity targets. Responsibilities for Physical and / or Financial Resources Ensure safe and efficient use of equipment, resources and consumables always. Within sphere of responsibility ensure self and line-report staff manage pay and non-pay resources efficiently and effectively, and in accordance with corporate standards, procedures, policies and objectives. Include formulating and delivering remedial action plans where adverse variances arise. Work in partnership with Divisional Senior Management team, finance, HR and information analysts to lead the service line and specialties in a business-like way and to ensure the safe and effective management and leadership of the specialty teams and resources. In partnership with facilities and estates colleagues, the Matron is responsible and accountable for ensuring that the environment in which care and service are delivered are fit for purpose, clean and maintained and meet relevant national cleaning and other performance standards. The Matron is responsible for ensuring that all equipment in their department is well maintained and cleaned and replaced in accordance with relevant professional and corporate standards, ensuring accurate records are maintained. The Matron is accountable for implementation of systems for monitoring the quality and safety of patient care and experiences including effective and efficient patient throughput in the theatre environment. Responsible for overseeing ward pay, non-pay budgets and addressing adverse variances whilst identifying opportunities for cost improvements. Responsibility for Policy and Service Development and Implementation Participates with service/specialty teams in the development of policy, processes and business plans at Directorate/Service level. Represent and provide nursing expertise and advice to business and operational discussions, meetings and forums. Responsible for recognising service requirements and ensuring these are communicated to the Directorate/Specialty teams and Divisional Associate Chief Nurse. Ensuring that all staff practice in accordance with statutory and corporate policies; including those specific to patient safety. To be aware of, comment on and/or actively participate in changes on policies, procedures or service developments. To embrace and support line management and the department in making service improvements effective within the workplace. Responsibilities for Human Resources and Leadership Support new or less experienced work colleagues to adapt to the workplace. Ensure self and others practice is in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Councils Code of Conduct. As an ambassador of the nursing profession, ensure self and others practice to the highest professional standards. Responsible for the informal and formal appraisal of direct line report staff and for ensuring that they are trained, supported and developed accordingly. Ensure that all direct line report staff have clear and agreed performance objectives that support the delivery of the Directorate and the wider Divisional and Trust objectives Participate in skill mix review, workforce redesign and recruitment and retention strategies to develop and modernise the workforce in conjunction with the divisional Senior Nursing and Management team. Responsible for the effective management of staff sickness and absence as well as maintaining an overview ensuring absence percentage targets are not breached, acting where required. Responsible for overseeing HR management within their areas of responsibility including recruitment, sickness absence, training etc. Overseeing and monitoring the quality, timeliness and development of nursing care in accordance with relevant professional standards. The Matron will provide professional advice and support to specialty teams and service line colleagues to ensure the delivery of the highest quality of patient care and service delivery. As a member of the senior team within the Division, the Matron will act as a professional role model to all nurses and will take corrective action to uphold the standards required of the Trust and the profession. The Matron will be required to deputise for the Divisional Associate Chief Nurse as required and appropriate. The Natron will ensure that nursing and relevant support staff are managed and developed to enable them to deliver the highest standards of patient care and service. Participate in training and development activities that are relevant to the job role. Responsibilities for data and information resources Responsible for providing accurate and timely records on patient care and performance IT based systems. Development of audits and analysis of working practices and trends to support improvements in performance in relation to quality and patient experience. Ensure patient confidentiality is maintained. Research, Development and Audit Ensure that the clinical areas and teams for which they are responsible for adopt best practice evidence-based standards. Ensure national and local quality initiatives are implemented for nursing across the Directorate. Responsible for ensuring that areas for which they are responsible implement the quality audits and any associated or successor initiatives to within agreed/required timescales. Maintains accurate and contemporaneous records. Promote an environment where research and development are valued. Participate in clinical audit and promote/identify research activity/opportunities.