Associate Chief Nurse Safeguarding, MH, LD and Autism

The Associate Chief Nurse for Safeguarding, Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Autism is a senior leadership role within the Corporate Nursing Team. The postholder will provide strategic leadership, professional expertise and organisational oversight, ensuring the Trust meets its statutory and regulatory responsibilities and delivers safe, equitable and person-centred care for vulnerable patients.

Working with the Deputy Chief Nursing Officer and clinical leaders, the postholder will set the strategic direction for safeguarding, mental health, learning disabilities and autism across the Trust. They will strengthen governance and assurance, oversee organisational risks and performance, lead improvement and inspection readiness, and ensure learning is translated into sustained changes in practice.

The role will work across organisational and agency boundaries, representing the Trust in local and system partnerships and influencing the development and delivery of policy. The postholder will lead the relevant corporate teams and specialist networks, ensuring clear accountability, effective use of resources and consistent standards across all services.

The successful candidate will be a credible and experienced senior clinical leader, able to manage complexity, influence at Board and system level, and deliver measurable improvements for children, adults and communities who may be at increased risk or require additional support.

Main duties of the job

As Associate Chief Nurse, you will:

• Provide strategic leadership for safeguarding, mental health, learning disabilities and autism across the NCA.

• Ensure the Trust meets its statutory, regulatory and professional responsibilities, providing clear assurance to the Board and senior leaders.

• Lead delivery of Trust-wide strategies, improvement plans and policies, including the response to external reviews and inspections.

• Strengthen governance, risk management, performance reporting and learning across the portfolio.

• Lead and develop the safeguarding, learning disability and autism teams, working with specialist leads and clinical services to deliver consistent standards.

• Provide senior professional advice in relation to complex safeguarding, mental health, capacity and consent issues.

• Ensure reasonable adjustments and equitable, person-centred care are embedded across services.

• Oversee safeguarding training and development, including the strategic delivery and impact of Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training.

• Maintain readiness for CQC, JTAI, Ofsted and other external inspections, ensuring actions are delivered and sustained.

• Build effective partnerships with local authorities, NHS organisations, the Integrated Care System, regulators and voluntary sector partners.

• Manage the relevant workforce and budget, ensuring resources are used effectively to improve quality, safety and patient experience.

About us

The Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (NCA) provides hospital and integrated health and social care services to over one million people living across Greater Manchester. Our 20,000 colleagues care for people in hospital and in the community, working across Bury, Rochdale, Oldham and Salford, to save and improve lives.

As a large NHS trust we are committed to enhancing the health of our local population by delivering consistently high standards of care and working closely with local authorities and key partners. We believe in our power and potential to make a difference and we're always looking for people who demonstrate our three core values - care, appreciate and inspire - to join our team.

In return, we can offer you a job role with purpose and flexibility. The size and scale of the NCA means we can provide more challenge and opportunities so your career can always be moving in the right direction. By joining us you can also access a competitive benefits package, including, a fantastic annual leave allowance, flexible working opportunities and protected hours for health and wellbeing activities, helping you to achieve more personal downtime and a better work-life balance.

Learn more about us in our Candidate Information Pack.

Details

Date posted

13 October 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8d

Salary

£94,356 to £108,814 a year

per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

236-NCA-NM813-26

Job locations

NCA wide

NCA Head Quarters, 3rd Floor, Mayo Building

Salford

M6 8HD

United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

To read more information about the advertised role, and the main job duties/responsibilities please open the Job Description and Person Specification located under the supporting documents heading. You can also read more information about working at the Northern Care Alliance within the attached Candidate Information Pack or by visiting our careers website: www.careers.northerncarealliance.nhs.uk

Job responsibilities

To read more information about the advertised role, and the main job duties/responsibilities please open the Job Description and Person Specification located under the supporting documents heading. You can also read more information about working at the Northern Care Alliance within the attached Candidate Information Pack or by visiting our careers website: www.careers.northerncarealliance.nhs.uk

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Master's level education or equivalent professional qualification

Professional Registration

Essential

• Registered Nurse/Midwife/AHP with current NMC or HCPC registration

Knowledge skills and experience

Essential

• Senior leadership experience in a complex healthcare setting, ideally across multiple sites or systems with the ability to shape, influence, and implement new developments aligned to organisational priorities.
• Extensive knowledge of safeguarding statute and regulation
• Extensive leadership experience, at a senior level, across a range of services and systems and with multi-professional teams

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Master's level education or equivalent professional qualification

Professional Registration

Essential

• Registered Nurse/Midwife/AHP with current NMC or HCPC registration

Knowledge skills and experience

Essential

• Senior leadership experience in a complex healthcare setting, ideally across multiple sites or systems with the ability to shape, influence, and implement new developments aligned to organisational priorities.
• Extensive knowledge of safeguarding statute and regulation
• Extensive leadership experience, at a senior level, across a range of services and systems and with multi-professional teams

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see

NHS Careers website .

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see

NHS Careers website .

Employer details

Employer name

Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

Address

NCA wide

NCA Head Quarters, 3rd Floor, Mayo Building

Salford

M6 8HD

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.northerncarealliance.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

Address

NCA wide

NCA Head Quarters, 3rd Floor, Mayo Building

Salford

M6 8HD

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.northerncarealliance.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Job responsibilities

To read more information about the advertised role, and the main job duties/responsibilities please open the Job Description and Person Specification located under the supporting documents heading. You can also read more information about working at the Northern Care Alliance within the attached Candidate Information Pack or by visiting our careers website: www.careers.northerncarealliance.nhs.uk

Qualifications

Essential

• Master's level education or equivalent professional qualification

Professional Registration

Essential

• Registered Nurse/Midwife/AHP with current NMC or HCPC registration

Knowledge skills and experience

Essential

• Senior leadership experience in a complex healthcare setting, ideally across multiple sites or systems with the ability to shape, influence, and implement new developments aligned to organisational priorities.
• Extensive knowledge of safeguarding statute and regulation
• Extensive leadership experience, at a senior level, across a range of services and systems and with multi-professional teams