Fundamentals of Care Lead Nurse

Job summary
This is an exciting developmental opportunity to support driving change and support leading on our Fundamentals of Care Strategy and Fundamentals of Care Academy.

We are looking for an enthusiastic Fundamentals of Care Lead Nurse to support the delivery of our Trust-wide approach to the fundamentals of care, supporting all Harm Free Care subjects/agenda. This is an opportunity to provide visible clinical leadership, work alongside teams across the organisation and help embed safe, effective, person-centred and harm-free care for every patient, every time.

The post holder will play a key role in supporting the delivery of the Fundamentals of Care Strategy and Fundamentals of Care Academy, working collaboratively with nursing, midwifery, allied health professional and wider multidisciplinary colleagues and supporting the Corporate Director of Nursing in driving our strategic aims and objectives across WWL. You will support teams to strengthen standards, share learning, promote best practice and use quality improvement approaches to improve patient outcomes and reduce avoidable harm.

Please Note: This role is PENDING AFC SALARY BANDING APPROVAL; therefore, salary cannot be fully confirmed until the Banding is approved.

Please note that this vacancy may close early if a sufficient number of applications are received. We encourage interested candidates to apply promptly to avoid disappointment.

Main duties of the job

• Improved quality, safety and consistency of fundamental care across all Trust services and sites.
• Successful implementation and embedding of the Trust's Fundamentals of Care Strategy and Fundamentals of Care Academy
• Reduction in avoidable harm across harm-free care priorities, including but not limited to skin integrity, falls prevention, sepsis, nutrition and hydration, continence care, infection prevention and control, personalised care, patient experience, dignity, comfort, communication, documentation standards and risk assessment completion.
• Improved use of audit, data, evidence and quality improvement methodology to identify variation, support improvement activity and demonstrate measurable outcomes.
• Increased staff knowledge, confidence and capability in delivering the fundamentals of care through education, coaching, role modelling and practice-based support.
• Greater standardisation of evidence-based practice, tools, processes and documentation across clinical areas.
• Strengthened governance and assurance through clear reporting, escalation of risks, monitoring of key performance indicators and evidence of learning from incidents, complaints, audits and patient feedback.
• Improved patient, family and carer experience through care that is compassionate, person-centred, dignified and responsive to individual needs.
• Effective collaboration with divisional, community, corporate and multidisciplinary teams to support sustainable improvements in care delivery.

About us
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is proud to provide high-quality acute hospital and community services to the people of the Wigan Borough and surrounding areas. At WWL, our staff are central to everything we do -- we believe that happy staff make for happy patients , and this ethos underpins our culture and our success.

We have a strong, recognised track record in staff engagement and in living our values:

People at the Heart

Listen and Involve

Kind and Respectful

ONE Team

We are committed to placing patients at the heart of every decision and delivering safe, effective care that protects dignity and enhances experience. We seek to recruit people who share our values, our passion for high-quality care, and our belief in working together as One Team.

At WWL, we recognise the strength that comes from a rich and diverse workforce. We welcome applications from all sections of society and are dedicated to creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.

Details
Date posted: 20 July 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 7
Salary: £49,387 to £56,515 a year per annum, pro rata
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working
Reference number: 302-26-8126869CPR
Job locations: Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, Wigan & Leigh Health Services NHS Trust, Wigan, WN1 2NN, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

• Plan, coordinate and support delivery of the Trusts Fundamentals of Care Strategy and Fundamentals of Care Academy, ensuring alignment with organisational priorities, national standards and the wider harm-free care agenda.
• Develop and maintain structured programmes of work to support sustainable improvement across harm-free care priorities, including but not limited to skin integrity, falls prevention, sepsis, nutrition and hydration, continence care, infection prevention and control, personalised care, patient experience, dignity, comfort, communication, documentation standards and risk assessment completion.
• Plan and prioritise workload effectively, balancing strategic objectives, improvement programmes, education delivery, assurance requirements and operational demands across Trust services and sites.
• Coordinate quality improvement activity, including audits, data collection, action plans, evaluation cycles and learning reviews, ensuring timely delivery and measurable outcomes.
• Organise and deliver education, workshops, coaching and practice-based support to strengthen staff knowledge, confidence and capability in delivering the fundamentals of care.
• The post holder will develop and maintain effective working relationships with the Clinical Quality Lead, Corporate Director of Nursing, nursing and midwifery teams, Allied Health Professionals, medical staff, Ward Managers, Matrons and senior nursing leaders and all staff across all clinical areas.
• The role will require close collaboration with divisional, community and operational leadership teams, Practice Development and Education teams, Patient Safety, Quality and Governance teams, safeguarding leads, Patient Experience and Engagement teams and corporate and operational management teams to support consistent delivery of the fundamentals of care across Trust services and sites.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Registered Nurse, Midwife or Allied Health Professional with current NMC or HCPC registration.
• Educated to degree level or equivalent level of clinical experience.
• Evidence of recent continuing professional development relevant to clinical practice, quality, safety or improvement.

Desirable

• Teaching, coaching, leadership or quality improvement qualification.
• Post-registration qualification relevant to fundamentals of care, harm-free care, governance, leadership or education.

Experience
Essential

• Significant post-registration experience at Band 6 level or equivalent/above within a clinical setting.
• Experience of providing visible clinical leadership and supporting teams to deliver safe, effective, person-centred care.
• Experience of leading or supporting quality improvement activity, including audit, data analysis, action planning and evaluation of outcomes.
• Experience of working collaboratively with multidisciplinary, divisional, community, corporate or specialist teams.
• Experience of influencing practice, supporting behaviour change and embedding evidence-based standards across clinical areas.
• Experience of contributing to governance, assurance, risk escalation, incident learning, reports or committee updates.
• Experience of delivering education, coaching, practice-based support or informal teaching to staff groups.

Desirable

• Experience of Trust-wide or cross-divisional improvement work.
• Experience of supporting harm-free care priorities such as skin integrity, falls prevention, sepsis, nutrition and hydration, continence care, infection prevention and control, patient experience or documentation standards.
• Experience of working with digital, clinical informatics, business intelligence or reporting systems to support improvement and assurance

Skills
Essential

• Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage, influence and support staff at all levels.
• Ability to provide compassionate, inclusive and visible leadership across clinical environments.
• Ability to work autonomously, prioritise competing demands and respond flexibly to service needs.
• Ability to analyse audit findings, incident themes, patient feedback, key performance indicators and performance metrics to inform improvement.
• Ability to develop, support and evaluate improvement plans using quality improvement methods.
• Ability to design, deliver and evaluate education, coaching and practice-based support
• Ability to prepare clear reports, presentations and assurance updates for governance meetings.
• Ability to build effective relationships with nursing, midwifery, allied health professional, medical, operational, specialist and corporate colleagues.
• Ability to promote accountability, challenge poor practice appropriately and escalate risks or concerns in line with Trust policies.

Desirable

• Change management skills.
• Advanced report writing and presentation skills.
• Confident use of digital platforms, dashboards, clinical systems or business intelligence tools.

Knowledge
Essential

• Knowledge of digital innovation, clinical informatics, dashboards or reporting tools linked to care improvement and assurance
• Awareness of specialist harm-free care subjects including tissue viability, falls prevention, sepsis, nutrition and hydration, continence care and infection prevention and control.

Desirable

• Change management skills.

Additional
Essential

• Flexible, adaptable and able to work across multiple clinical environments and Trust sites.
• Able to travel independently across Trust sites as required by the role.
• Committed to continuing personal and professional development.
• Demonstrates resilience, professionalism and compassion when working in sensitive, challenging or emotionally demanding situations.
• Able to speak English to an appropriate standard relevant to the role, with confidence and accuracy.

Desirable

• Flexibility to support occasional early, late or weekend working where required to meet service needs and support staff engagement.

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 (opens in a new window).

Employer details
Employer name: Wrightington Wigan & Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, Wigan & Leigh Health Services NHS Trust, Wigan, WN1 2NN, United Kingdom
Employer's website: (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact:
Director of Nursing
Sarah Kehoe
View email address on meeveem.com
View phone number on meeveem.com

Supporting documents
Wrightington Wigan & Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)