Senior Charge Nurse - Enhanced Therapeutic Observation and Care

NHS Scotland

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.

Who We Are

NHS Ayrshire and Arran are one of 14 territorial NHS Boards within NHS Scotland.

In support of our core purpose of Working together to achieve the healthiest life possible for everyone in Ayrshire and Arran, we are committed to a culture that is Caring, Safe, and Respectful. You will be required to work collaboratively in a safe, caring and respectful way.

To find out more about NHS Ayrshire and Arran please visit our website -

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Position

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Band 7 Registered Mental Health Nurse to support and lead improvements in Enhanced Therapeutic Observation and Care (ETOC) across acute hospital sites.

ETOC (Enhanced Therapeutic Observation and Care) focuses on ensuring patients who require additional therapeutic support and observation receive safe, person-centred, and clinically appropriate care.

This role will focus on strengthening the quality, coordination, and consistency of care delivery for:

• Patients requiring 1:1 enhanced therapeutic observation
• Cohorted patients within acute care environments
• Patients detained under current mental health legislation
  
  

The post will play a key role in improving patient outcomes and experience, while supporting a reduction in reliance on supplementary staffing through improved assessment, coordination, and more effective workforce utilisation.

Hours

36 hours per week.

UK Driving Licence

A UK driving licence is essential for this role.

What You Will Do

As the Band 7 Senior Charge Nurse, you will provide clinical and operational leadership to enhance ETOC practice across acute services. This will include:

• Reviewing and strengthening assessment processes for patients requiring enhanced therapeutic observation and care
• Developing and embedding consistent, high-quality care approaches for cohorted and detained patients
• Ensuring care delivery aligns with mental health legislation, professional standards, and organisational policies
• Working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, senior nurses, and operational leads
• Supporting staff education, upskilling, and promoting consistent standards of ETOC delivery
• Improving the coordination and oversight of enhanced observation to ensure safe, effective use of resources and reduce supplementary staffing spend
• Contributing to monitoring, evaluation, and reporting to support ongoing service improvement
  
  

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Band 7 RMN to:

• Lead improvements in quality and safety of patient care
• Strengthen clinical and operational leadership skills
• Support delivery of more sustainable workforce models
• Influence practice for patients requiring enhanced therapeutic care within acute settings
  
  

For further information on the role please click the link below to view the job description.

Knowledge, Training And/or Experience Required For This Post

You will be a Registered Mental Health Nurse with significant post registration and management experience, demonstrating:

• Strong clinical knowledge of mental health care within acute or complex environments
• Experience supporting patients requiring enhanced observation and/or detention under mental health legislation
• Proven leadership and ability to influence and improve practice
• Excellent communication and collaborative working skills
• Understanding of workforce pressures and commitment to improving quality while promoting efficient use of resources
  
  

For further information on the requirements for the role please click the link below to view the person specification.

If you would like to find out more about the role, please contact:

(David Thomson CNM Emergency Care Ext 27739 david.thomson5@aapct.scot.nhs.uk)

Right to Work / Certificates of Sponsorship

To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service. Further information on what NHS Scotland Boards are required to do to check this as well as what your responsibilities include can be found within the attached Candidate Information Pack.

It is essential that you have checked that you either already have an appropriate right to work in the UK or that the post would be eligible to be sponsored before submitting your application form.

NHS Ayrshire & Arran may be able to offer visa sponsorship for certain roles, provided the post meets the minimum salary threshold and any other required criteria. When considering if a post meets the salary threshold for sponsorship, please note the salary advertised is based on a full-time contract and must be pro-rated for part-time positions. Sponsorship is not guaranteed and is assessed on a case-by-case basis following interview and at the commencement of pre-employment checks.

Please visit for further information.

We are unable to provide sponsorship for Band 2 posts or bank contracts.

Additional Information For Candidates

• You should apply for this post by completing the application process on NHS Jobs Scotland.
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