Responsible to
Subject Lead for Mental Health and Learning Disability Nursing
Location
St Helena, Chesterfield Kedleston Road, Derby Campus
Closing date
Monday 13 July 2026
Salary
£32,260 to £36,251 per annum (for exceptional performers, there is scope for further progression up to £41,689 per annum).
Job grade
ATOS 6
Reference
0145-26
Contract type
Permanent
Post type
Full-time
Adaptive working type
Onsite
This role will be based on site, primarily in the named location.
We have one simple promise – to make a positive impact. Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better.
The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region.
We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 – making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes.
Financially strong and seriously ambitious we offer our employees an inclusive culture that centres itself around staff wellbeing, where you can be confident you will receive all the help and encouragement you need to build a rewarding career with lots of opportunities to enhance your skills.
At the heart of shaping future professionals and creative thinkers, the College of Health and Humanities brings together two dynamic and diverse schools:
The School of Health and Social Care
Preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals and social care leaders through hands-on learning, expert teaching, and strong industry partnerships. Our courses are designed to meet the demands of real-world practice and improve the health and wellbeing of our communities.
The School is made up of a broad range of subjects, reflecting the diversity and complexity of modern health and social care settings:
Through an integrated approach to learning and professional development, our students are equipped with the knowledge, values, and skills to thrive in their chosen fields and make a lasting impact.
The School of Humanities, Law and Creative Arts
Celebrating creativity, critical thinking, and cultural exploration. This school nurtures writers, performers, thinkers and artists, offering opportunities to grow intellectually and creatively across subjects like English, History, Creative Writing, Fine Art, and Media.
Together, the College of Health and Humanities delivers a rich, interdisciplinary environment where students gain the skills, experience, and inspiration to make a meaningful impact in society.
About the discipline
At the University of Derby, our discipline of Mental Health and Learning Disability Nursing is committed to developing compassionate, resilient, and skilled professionals who are ready to make a real difference in the lives of individuals and communities.
Rooted in the values of dignity, inclusion, and person-centred care, our programmes prepare students to support people with complex mental health needs and learning disabilities across a variety of settings. We focus on evidence-based practice, interdisciplinary learning, and service-user engagement, ensuring graduates are confident and capable in delivering safe, high-quality care.
With a strong emphasis on clinical placements, professional development, and emotional intelligence, this discipline nurtures future nurses who are advocates for change and champions of mental health and learning disability services.
Our Professional Skills Instructor/Mentors will support the development of professional skills, practical technical, vocational, and associated learning for students and apprentices and, where necessary, support their individual learning needs and progress monitoring both in the workplace, on placement, at alternative venues, on College/University premises or online. This will include supporting teaching, learning, and assessment, and the provision of work and learning mentoring and coaching. Your role will be to work with our academic teams to support our students develop to their full potential.
Your responsibilities will include:
If you’re committed to helping learners succeed and thrive in their careers, we’d love to hear from you!
We're looking for healthcare professionals who have an interest in education and supporting students to achieve highly. This role is suitable for anyone at any stage of their professional career for example early-career professionals or those considering a change from clinical work. We value all of your knowledge and skills, from whichever field of practice you are in.
We are seeking a healthcare professional with a relevant degree and current NMC registration as a Mental Health Nurse, who holds or is willing to work towards a teaching qualification and can demonstrate continued professional development in mentoring or coaching. We would also be able to consider candidates who are registered with the NMC as a Nursing Associate, provided your experience is within Mental Health.
You will bring experience from the health or care sectors, with the ability to engage learners and deliver high‑quality outcomes through strong communication, organisation, and time‑management skills.
You will be confident working both independently and as part of a team, committed to widening participation and supporting professional development, and flexible in working across multiple sites and with external partners.
General Duties
For further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Victoria Sweetmore, Subject Lead for Mental Health and Learning Disability Nursing via v.sweetmore@derby.ac.uk.
For enquiries regarding your application and for sponsorship eligibility, please contact the recruitment team via recruitment@derby.ac.uk.
The University is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers under the Skilled Worker route for this role; however, applications are welcome from candidates who are able to demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.
If you are successful, you will be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
Any information you provide will be treated in confidence and only used when considering your suitability for the post.
To enable us to process your DBS check please ensure you are able to supply the documentation listed on the DBS website at interview stage.
The University of Derby is committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion, regardless of age, disability, trans status, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief (or none), sex and sexual orientation.
We are Disability Confident Employers, demonstrating our commitment to disability inclusion, and invite applicants to highlight adjustments they may require to ensure equitable participation in our recruitment processes.
Further, we are committed to ensuring an environment which is trans and non-binary-inclusive for all our staff, students, partners, and visitors, and continuously review our policies, guidance and training.
When applying to join the University, you can choose your preferred title, including the gender-neutral title 'Mx'. We also ask our candidates if they would like to share their preferred pronouns. This is voluntary but demonstrates our commitment to inclusivity for trans and non-binary candidates. Once employed, you can add pronouns and preferred names onto our system.
The University of Derby undertakes anonymised shortlisting during the staff recruitment process. This means that, when shortlisting, panel members will not be able to see an applicant’s name and will see an applicant number instead. This demonstrates the practical steps we are taking to remove barriers to recruitment by minimising the possible impact of our unconscious bias.
However you identify, we actively celebrate the knowledge, experience and talents each person brings. Our students come from a wide range of backgrounds; therefore we are particularly interested to hear from applicants who will help our leaders and teams be more reflective of our student population.
Read more about equity, diversity and inclusion at the University of Derby.
At the University of Derby, we are passionate about embedding sustainability into everything that we do. We aim to bring environmental sustainability into all aspects of the University, including teaching, research and operational activities. In line with the University's strategic framework, we expect all our staff to embed sustainability into their working practices and support the University's objective to reach net zero carbon by 2050.
Continue your career evolution with us, apply now at University of Derby.
You can apply by submitting an online application. Once you have signed in or registered with us you will be able to begin your application. If you are creating an account for the first time, please ensure you provide an email address that you access regularly as this will be our main means of contacting you regarding your application.
The University reserves the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
If you require any assistance, including the provision of any documentation in an alternative format, please contact the Recruitment team at recruitment@derby.ac.uk.
Please note all applications must be submitted online by Midnight GMT on the closing date of the vacancy.
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