A key part of my role is to support the Senior Charge Nurse in managing a team of Band 5 Qualified Nursing staff and Band 3 Nursing Assistants. I play a key role in the supervi-sion and practice development of all nursing staff within my area, ensuring that practice reflects the identified needs of my patient group. I also support the education of junior members of staff and un-dergraduate students. I have local financial responsibility for patient’s funds as well as the social budget, which I manage in collaboration with the Senior Charge Nurse to ensure effective utilisation of resources. This includes supporting the effective deployment of nursing resource, as well as the effective management of ward supplies. Further to this, I also deputise for the Senior Charge Nurse in their absence. I am expected to make autonomous clinical management decisions on a day-to-day basis as ward-level operational management decisions will routinely be made in the absence of the Senior Charge Nurse. This part of my role includes the provision of advice to junior members of the nursing team, as well as to members of the multi disciplinary team, and also requires me to make decisions on the ef-fective deployment of staff resources.I also carry out my duties in accordance with professional and organisational policy, protocols, guide-lines and procedures and I ensure that any decisions I make are fully informed by the legal and ethi-cal framework of the directorate.Another key aspect of my role is to attend a range of meetings that support such effective communications. Examples of this include my participation in clinical meetings, staff meetings, user/carer forums, supervision meet-ings, care programming, Clinical Governance as well as meetings with external agencies like the Scottish Government, representatives of the Criminal Justice System, the Prison Service and Child Protection Agencies.

I am a Registered Mental Health Nurse (Band 5) for The Directorate of Forensic Mental Health & Learning Disabilities.I am responsible for ward operational management, staff sickness management and ensuring ward safety. I support the Senior Charge Nurse by acting as a role model within the Medium Secure and Low Secure nursing team, and by representing the values and beliefs of the service. I establish and maintain a robust approach to ward management and clinical governance.I also work as part of a Multi-Disciplinary Team in a medium secure unit where I have the responsibility for assessing patient care needs and developing and evaluating programmes of care. I am required to ensure that all forms of care are carried out in partnership with patients, carers and other professionals in line with agreed standards and clinical policies without direct supervision. I have successfully completed additional training in the form of Child Protection training, Behavioural Family Therapy training, Historical, Clinical, Risk Assessment-20 (HCR20) training, Medical Emergency training, Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability (START) training, Management and Aggression training and Group-Work training.I am a qualified Behavioural Family Therapist which makes me point of contact for carers in my ward. I conduct practical, skills-based intervention providing information to service users and their familiesand carer(s) about service user mental health issues and treatment. I then set clear goals by identifying the needs of the family unit. I aid families in recognising the early indicators of relapse and create relapse prevention plans. I help promote positive communication, problem solving skills and stress management within the family unit.I have recently become a Clinical Supervisor which enables me to support my colleagues through professional and structured reflective practice.

I started my career in Lloyds Banking Group as a Customer Service Advisor where I dealt with general customer banking enquiries. I was promoted to the position of Team Manager where I was responsible for managing a team of 10 individuals while achieving sales and efficiency targets.