About this role
Job summary
Lead services that make every moment matter
At East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH), we believe every child and young person with a life -shortening or life-threatening condition deserves outstanding care, and every family deserves support when they need it most.
We're looking for an inspiring and strategic leader to join our Care Directorate as our new Head of Care & Well-being Operations. This is a rare opportunity to lead services that directly impact the lives of babies, children, young people and families across East Anglia while shaping the future of children's hospice care.
If you are passionate about leading high-performing teams, delivering excellent care, driving innovation and creating positive change, we'd love to hear from you.
About the role
As a key member of our Care Senior Leadership Team, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across our hospice services, ensuring families receive safe, compassionate and high-quality support wherever they access our care.
You will lead our Service Managers and Well-being Leads across our hospice sites, helping to develop services that are responsive, sustainable and equitable. Working closely with colleagues, families and wider stakeholders, you will help us grow our impact and ensure we continue to meet the changing needs of children and families.
Main duties of the job
This is a role where you can influence service delivery across a whole region, champion innovation, improve access to care and contribute to transformational change whilst remaining connected to the people at the heart of everything we do.
What you'll be responsible for
Leading the day-to-day operational delivery of care and well-being services across EACH. Driving service improvement, innovation and transformation programmes. Supporting the development of services that meet growing demand and reduce inequalities in access. Providing visible, compassionate leadership to multidisciplinary teams. Ensuring strong clinical governance, safeguarding, quality and regulatory compliance. Working with families to ensure their voices shape service development and improvement. Developing meaningful partnerships across the health and care system. Supporting workforce planning, recruitment, retention and staff wellbeing. Using data, insight and performance measures to drive continuous improvement. Helping shape the future strategic direction of children's palliative care services across the region.
About us
Comprehensive range of benefits:
Free onsite parking & subsidised meals at our hospices Pool car provided when working in the community Employee health cash plan & wellbeing support schemes NHS pension - continuation if already contributing Enhanced Annual leave Entitlement - 27 days + 8 UK Bank Holidays Additional holiday purchase scheme AVIVA pension package up to 7% Employer Contribution including Life Assurance Free eye tests & cycle to work scheme
East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH) supports families and cares for children and young people with life threatening conditions across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk.
At EACH we believe in fostering a workplace where every individual feels valued and respected. We are committed to building a culture of inclusion where differences are embraced. We are actively seeking talent from all walks of life, recognising that diversity drives innovation, creativity and success.
Join us on a journey to create a more inclusive workplace, where everyone has equal opportunities to grow, contribute and succeed. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds to apply for opportunities at EACH and adjustments will be made to facilitate the application and selection process.
Job description Job responsibilities
Senior leadership role responsible for ensuring the safe, effective, and compassionate delivery of all care and well-being services across the hospices. Leading operational performance across care and well-being teams, ensuring high-quality standards, compliance with regulatory frameworks, and a seamless experience for babies, children, young people, and families accessing hospice services.
Influencing children's palliative care across the region, shaping system strategy, reducing inequalities, and delivering transformational change while remaining closely connected to families and frontline services. Working closely with the Director of Care to translate strategic objectives into operational practice, the role will foster a culture of continuous improvement, and ensure services are flexible, resilient, and responsive to the complex needs of children with life-limiting conditions.
Responsible for line managing the EACH Service Managers and Locality Well-being Leads, ensuring an integrated holistic approach to the provision of EACH services. The first line management team are responsible for managing large clinical/well-being teams which includes Care Managers at each hospice, nurses, care assistants and Counsellors, play and music specialists.
An integral member of the Care Senior Leadership Team providing strong and visible leadership across the three sites (Cambridge, Milton, Norwich).
Responsibilities
Strategic
To oversee the delivery and implementation of agreed transformation programmes and ensure that staff engagement is maintained throughout the transformation process.
To lead the development and delivery of operational plans to achieve the organisations strategic objectives.
To seek innovative and collaborative opportunities to promote the progress of EACHs care and well-being operations, ensuring EACH is able to meet the growing need for services.
To ensure EACH upholds the commitment to co-production ensuring family voice is at the centre of all we do.
Maintain a strong working knowledge of quality assurance, clinical governance, and Care Quality Commission (CQC) requirements, ensuring that all care operations are delivered in accordance with regulatory standards, organisational policies, and best practice guidance, while working collaboratively with the Head of Compliance and Quality Improvement to support a culture of continuous quality improvement.
Promote equitable access to services for all families, ensuring policies and processes reflect diversity and inclusion and foster a compassionate culture that enables team members and volunteers to thrive and perform at their best.
Provide operational performance data and analysis for board assurance and other reporting requirements.
Attend ICB meetings and other external meetings or events as required by the Director of Care.
Support workforce planning, including recruitment, induction, and retention strategies.
To drive efficiency in the delivery of care services, optimising capacity and sustainability to ensure EACH is able to meet the needs of all those who require our services.
To promote and contribute to the digital transformation agenda within care, identifying and facilitating solutions that support increased efficiency, including e-roster system, AI transcribing, Care App.
To be instrumental in the further development and integration of care volunteers across care and well-being operations.
Support the Care Directorate preparation of budgets and business plans that align with strategic direction.
Corporate
To be an engaged and active member of the organisations Care leadership team and work cooperatively with colleagues to roll out Care and charity-wide initiatives.
To positively and professionally represent the organisation and the Care team internally and externally as required acting in the best interests of the charity.
To forge positive working relationships with Trustees, peers in partner organisations and with key stakeholders.
To prepare and present papers to the Board of Trustees, Care leadership team, Clinical Governance Committee, Management Executive etc and other committees, meetings and events as required.
To be a key contributor to the annual quality accounts for the organisation.
Ensure that care and well-being services strive to provide equitable access and experiences, meeting the needs of diverse communities and addressing barriers in accessing EACH services.
Champion inclusive leadership practices, promoting equality, belonging and wellbeing across all teams
Operational
To be accountable for the effective day to day operations of the EACH care services.
To line manage the EACH Service Managers (Registered Managers) and Well-being Leads for each site.
Ensure best use of Care resources to maximise service delivery and service flexibility for service users.
To review and develop an effective operational model that enables a responsive specialist and end of life care service, alongside reliable planned care.
To support and enable the growth of well-being and spiritual care services.
To ensure the operational model enables an equitable offer of services and outcomes for families across the three sites.
To support the negotiation, monitoring and management of agreements with health and care commissioners, and partner organisations in conjunction with the Director of Care and Leadership Team.
To support the maintenance of good relationships with funders of care services and ensure all relevant conditions of funding are met.
To support the development of business cases for new services and expansion of existing services in line with agreed strategic priorities and objectives.
To be a key contributor in the preparation and presentation of performance and assurance papers for the Clinical Governance Committee.
To provide operational leadership and project management support for the introduction of new services and service development initiatives, working closely with the Head of Care Transformation and Development.
To work with colleagues within the ICS, and act as a system partner as required, seeking opportunities to collaborate where appropriate.
Be responsible for developing KPIs that measure key care deliverables and strive for continuous improvement.
Lead ongoing efforts to improve service productivity by reviewing working practices, identifying inefficiencies, and implementing solutions that support highquality and safe service delivery.
Maintain oversight of safeguarding within care operations, ensuring that staff understand and fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities, concerns are escalated appropriately, and safeguarding practices are embedded within the delivery of safe, high-quality care.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Leadership experience in healthcare, social care, children's services, palliative care, hospice care, community or well-being services or related environments, supported by relevant professional qualifications and/or equivalent experience. A recognised leadership qualification or completed leadership development programme is preferential for example NHS Leadership Academy completion, ILM Level 5 or 7, Chartered Management Institute qualification or equivalent. Knowledge of safeguarding and clinical governance, quality assurance, risk management and performance assurance frameworks. Up to date knowledge of the law and regulatory requirements which underpin best practice in safeguarding children and adults at risk. Demonstrable understanding of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging, and experience of embedding inclusive practices within teams and service delivery Understanding of integrated health and care systems and partnership working
Desirable
Health, social care or well-being qualification with current professional registration, alongside significant post qualification study. Masters degree in relevant topic or related discipline, or equivalent senior leadership experience demonstrating strategic and operational expertise Knowledge of transformation, service development and change management principles with evidence by CPD. Advanced specialist knowledge and experience in paediatric palliative and end-of-life care Knowledge of psychological therapies and well-being interventions, for pre and post bereavement support. Knowledge of CQC requirements and regulatory compliance. Knowledge of digital technologies that support operational efficiency and service delivery.
Other Requirements Essential
Ability to travel across East Anglia region responsively as required. Evidence of commitment to own continuing professional development. Adaptable and work flexibly to the requirements of the post which may require occasional working outside of core office hours.
Experience Essential
Experience of operational management within a health or social care related service. Evidence of leadership skills, motivation and development of people Proven experience in review of operational models and service development. Experience of performance monitoring and reporting. Business management experience or co-ordinating budgets and resources Experience of managing partnership agreements and contracts. Experience of business development and stakeholder engagement. Demonstrable skills of managing change and people. Experience of co-production - Ensure the voices of families are actively sought, valued and incorporated into service design, evaluation and improvement activities.
Desirable
Experience of working in a hospice setting or palliative care service provider Experience of operational responsibility for childrens services. Experience of managing multi-disciplinary teams delivering holistic care. Experience of managing and developing volunteer roles in a care setting.
Skills & Abilities Essential
Highly developed communication and listening skills with ability to articulate ideas clearly. Ability to produce clear, accurate, and audience-appropriate written communications Proven ability in problem solving and ability to work on own initiative. Able to develop and maintain relationships across agencies. Able to implement policies and propose policy change/ service development. Able to monitor service effectiveness and efficiency. Demonstrated planning and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines. Able to demonstrate a flexible attitude and approach to the changing work environment.
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.
Employer details Employer name East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices
Address The Treehouse Hospice
St. Augustines Gardens
IPSWICH
IP3 8NS
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.each.org.uk (Opens in a new tab)