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This is one of 2 Deputy Chief Nurse positions within UHP.  The Workforce, Education and Standards role oversees the following areas:-

• Responsible for trust wide and system nursing and clinical professions workforce and education programmes and activities
• Responsible for professional standards related programmes of work
• Senior responsible officer for a range of corporate equipment replacement programmes of work
• Trust lead for volunteer services, learning disability services and equality, diversity and inclusion patient programmes of work
• Delegated responsibilities with regards to Infection prevention and control, safeguarding, patient environment, , volunteer services, patient experience, quality and safety portfolios work, clinical digital portfolios of work,
• Produce highly complex reports and presentations as required
• Regularly present at Trust  Board and executive committees and represent the trust externally
• On call Executive responsibilities
• Undertake a range of other duties commensurate with the level of the role

 

What qualifications and experience do I need?

You’ll need to be a Registered Nurse or Midwife, with a first level degree plus a master’s degree or equivalent.

Pay and benefits

Please refer to the latest Agenda for Change pay scales for salary details.

Career Development

The DCNO can allow additional development opportunities via PHD/Doctorate studies or specialist qualifications.  There is also the option of enrolling onto the Aspiring Chief Nurse development programmes as well as the NHS Leadership aspiring executive programmes.

You can also undertake additional portfolios of work to prepare for future executive positions.

Registration

This is a registered post

 

My story: Bev Allingham

My name is Bev Allingham.  I have worked for the Trust for 7 years and my current post is Deputy Chief Nurse Workforce, Education and Standards.

How I got into this role

I trained as a student nurse in North Devon from 1987 to 1990. I took my first registered nurse post in Leeds in July 1990 and moved to Cambridge in 1994 following a 6 month placement at London to undertake a Hepatology Course. I also completed during the first four years a teachers and assessors course, and infection control course. I undertook a nursing diploma from 1991 to 1993 then completed my full degree in nursing studies in 1996.

I worked as a registered nurse in a range of NHS Trusts around the country. I worked in Acute medicine, Hepatology & Liver transplants and Gastroenterology in my early career.

I became a Junior sister in 1995 and a ward manager in 1997 following a 6 month secondment into Business Process Engineering (BPR now known as Quality Improvement and Change Programmes). I completed a diploma in healthcare management around this time also.

I had a short career break from my ward manager role from 2000 having had my third child. During that time I undertook other work on staff development in other hospitals, I was a governor at my local nursery and I also undertook some ad hoc nursing work force review work and recruitment work whilst running accounts for a personal business. All good other life experience.

I then became one of the first national modern matrons in 2002 which I did until 2005.

I moved back to Devon in 2005 and took a range of management and professional roles until I became a Senior Clinical nurse and then Assistant Director of Nursing.

I took the Deputy Chief nurse post in Plymouth in 2014 and completed my Masters in Business Administration in 2015.

Throughout my career I have also taken every opportunity that acme my way and also sought development continuously. I have presented at conferences and chaired local, regional and national committees.

The best bits and the challenges

The best bits are the people – the patients, carers, families and staff and my closet colleagues. When we have delivered great services and care and I have ticked off my list of work for the day. Seeing staff develop through our range of clinical apprenticeships gives me great pride as its supporting our local population to develop and come into great healthcare roles.

The challenges are the difficult days when the hospital is busy and we cannot provide the care and services that we aspire to give and the days when nothing seems to go right. I always reflect on those days afterwards and think what would I do differently now and what have I learnt?

Life outside of work

I am married and have three boys ranging aged 19, 21 and 23 who still keep me busy. I have always commuted from Barnstaple to Plymouth. I love all of Devon but particularly the North Devon coastline.

I love to spend time with my family and friends, cook, read, travel in Britain and internationally. I have a big trip planned for the Far East in 2022.  (? Should we include this bit – dates will mean that unless its regularly reviewed will soon be out of date?) I am an avid outdoor wild swimmer and hiker.

My top tips to being successful

Looking for the next opportunity either an executive position or a sideways move into a regulatory, workforce or education position nationally. Always stay positive, continue to learn and develop academically and professionally, learn from all your experiences the best ones and the more challenging, be the best of you, always be kind and assume positive intent and that we all come to work to do the best we can and finally remember we are ultimately here for our patients and need to keep this front and central with everything that we do.