Charge Nurse

The closing date is 21 September 2025

Are you a compassionate and experienced Nurse ready to take the next step in your career? Join Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust as a Band 6 Charge Nurse in one of our Community Hospitals. You'll lead a dedicated team of healthcare professionals, deliver high-quality, holistic care, and take charge of the ward and hospital in the Matron's absence. You'll represent the team at Trust forums and contribute to service development.

This is a fantastic opportunity to work in a supportive, multidisciplinary environment that values kindness, professionalism, and excellence. If you're passionate about making a difference and ready to lead with care, we'd love to hear from you.

We have opportunities at the following locations:

• Hawkhurst Community Hospital, TN18 4PU
• Tonbridge Cottage Hospital, TN11 0NE
• Victoria Hospital, Deal, CT14 9UA
• Whitstable and Tankerton Hospital, CT5 2HN

You will be asked as part of your application form to confirm your preference of base, please include your 1st, 2nd and 3rd preferences.

Driving may be required for these roles as you may be asked to travel to other sites to provide support to your community hospital colleagues if and when needed.

Main duties of the job

As Charge Nurse, you'll be responsible for the clinical and managerial leadership of a team of Nurses and Healthcare Assistants, ensuring the delivery of safe, effective, and compassionate care. You'll manage patient assessments, develop rehabilitation programmes, and monitor outcomes. You'll also support staff development through supervision, appraisals, and in-house teaching.

You'll work closely with the Matron to maintain high standards of care, manage resources efficiently, and ensure compliance with governance and safety protocols. Your role will involve attending multidisciplinary meetings, liaising with internal and external partners, and responding to patient and family concerns. You'll also contribute to service improvement initiatives and uphold the Trust's CARE values—Compassionate, Aspirational, Responsive, and Excellent—in everything you do.

About us

Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we are committed to delivering high standards of patient care and excellent services to improve community health. We value equity, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from people with varied backgrounds, perspectives and experiences.

We ask for information about protected characteristics on our application forms. This is not visible to anyone involved with shortlisting or interviewing, except when you choose to be considered under the guaranteed interview scheme due to disability. Short listers will see two ticks to apply the scheme to your submission.

The data we collect helps us ensure diversity in our applicants and equitable access to career opportunities, supporting us on our journey to being a Great Place to Work.

As a flexible-working organisation, we support arrangements that fit both colleagues and patients. Discuss flexible working options with us; we'll aim to accommodate where possible.

See where you can go with KCHFT career pathways.

Job responsibilities

As part of these roles, you may be asked to confirm you have a full UK driving licence if driving is a requirement of the role. We are committed to supporting candidates with disabilities into employment; if you are unable to drive due to a disability, please contact the Recruitment Team via kentchft.recruitment@nhs.net quoting the vacancy reference number so we can support you further.

The job description and person specification detail the criteria for this role. Please review them carefully and show in your application how you meet the requirements. If you need an alternate format for the application, please contact the recruitment team. All information supplied should be true and accurate to the best of your knowledge.

Still have questions? The recruiting manager would love to hear from you; their contact details can be found in the job advert.

We encourage timely applications; roles may close early if there is high interest.

At KCHFT we support vaccination for staff in contact with patients, to protect health and safety.

Find out more about the community difference here.

Good luck! We can't wait to meet you and welcome you to #teamKCHFT, #cometocommunity.

Person Specification

Base preference

• Please indicate your 1st, 2nd and 3rd preference of Hospital locations, as listed above. Failure to complete this question correctly will delay your application.

Qualifications

• Registered health care professional (NMC or HCPC registration) / experience in health improvement environment
• Health related degree and evidence of relevant post graduate development at Level 6
• Evidence of Specialist qualifications relevant to area of practice (examples - non-medical prescribing; mentorship, coaching, clinical expertise)

Experience

• Experience in mentoring / education / supervision
• Significant experience in area of practice
• Practical experience in managing health-related projects/complex caseloads

Knowledge

• Evidence of continued relevant professional development and implementation in practice within the last 12 months
• Understanding of National Service Frameworks and NICE guidance relevant to care setting and its application across health care services

Skills & abilities

• Ability to prioritise and work under pressure to meet deadlines
• Ability to work effectively with a variety of people at all organisational levels across different sectors
• Ability to communicate complex, sensitive information to individuals and groups

Personal attributes

• Ability to motivate and organise others to ensure best practice
• Ability to manage others and lead change

Ability to manage

• Able to support the implementation of local and national health agendas under guidance of the senior Practitioner
• Ability to prioritise care delivery in line with Trust policies and procedures

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and a Disclosure to the DBS is required.

Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Community hospitals across Kent; please state your preferred site

Faversham, Deal, Hawkhurst, Herne Bay, Tonbridge, Whitstable

Salary: £38,682 to £46,580 per year, pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

846-7481021-CF

Job locations

Community hospitals across Kent; please state your preferred site

Faversham, Deal, Hawkhurst, Herne Bay, Tonbridge, Whitstable