About this role
Job summary
Progress your nursing career and take the next step into senior clinical leadership.
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced palliative care nurse to play a key role in leading our Inpatient Unit team and making a real difference to patient safety, quality of care, and the overall patient experience.
Using your advanced clinical judgement, specialist knowledge, and leadership skills, you will inspire and support the team to deliver outstanding palliative and end-of-life care. Working closely with colleagues across the organisation, you will help create an environment where patients and their families receive compassionate, person-centred care when they need it most.
Main duties of the job
You will bring a degree-level qualification in palliative care or a related subject, together with evidence of ongoing professional development. Significant post-registration experience in palliative and end-of-life care is essential, as is experience of leading and managing teams, coaching and mentoring colleagues, and facilitating clinical supervision. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are key, along with a passion for supporting the development of junior staff and helping others achieve their potential.
If you are looking for a role where you can develop your leadership expertise, influence service quality, and enhance lives through expert care, we would love to hear from you.
About us
Hospiscare has been supporting people in Exeter, Mid and East Devon with terminal illnesses for over 40 years. Our services include support at home, a specialist palliative care ward, out-patients clinics, and supportive therapies.
We support close to 2,200 local people each year, in some of the hardest times possible. As a local charity, we raise around £10 million each year to continue to provide our care. Our staff, volunteers and supporters help us to care for people when they're most in need, no matter what their individual circumstances may be.
We're proud to be rated as 'five star' by patients and families and as 'outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission, to have been awarded a Mind Bronze Award for wellbeing at work and to be a Disability Confident employer.
Job description Job responsibilities
Job Description
1. JOB DETAILS
Job Title: Ward Manager
Band: 7
Location: Searle House, Exeter EX2 5JJ
Team/Directorate: Clinical
Responsible To: Head of Inpatient Services and Clinical Quality
Responsible For: Senior Registered Nurses, Registered Nurses, Healthcare Assistants
Accountable to: Director of Clinical Services
2. JOB PURPOSE
To lead, direct and motivate the Inpatient Unit (IPU) team to ensure operational delivery of the best possible expert palliative/end of life treatment and care for patients with a life limiting illness.
To promote dignity, encompassing a person centred approach, to positively enhance the lives of patients on the IPU with complex life limiting illnesses.
To create an effective learning environment to promote and manage patient safety and support staff, volunteers and students in their roles.
To promote the organisational values and maintain relationships with the multi-disciplinary team and a wide range of key stakeholders to ensure seamless care.
3. KEY RESULT AREAS/PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES3.1 Main Responsibilities
Lead, direct and motivate the IPU team to deliver the best possible expert palliative/end of life treatment and care for patients with a life limiting illness and those close to them.
Monitor team performance to ensure delivery of the highest standards of palliative/end of life treatment and care whilst adhering to professional codes of conduct and Hospiscares values.
Design and deliver education and learning for the IPU team to ensure the provision of excellent palliative/end of life treatment and care in line with best practice and Hospiscares values.
Develop positive collaborative working relationships with other Hospiscare teams and with health and social care providers in order to contribute specialist and service knowledge to decisions and development.
Provide advanced clinical judgement, specialist knowledge and diverse strategies in order to deliver expert treatment and care in complex palliative and end of life situations.
Manage the completion of reporting to ensure clinical incidents, complaints and compliments are accurately reported and learning outcomes are shared with the team.
Act as a clinical ambassador for the organisation via social media and events to support fundraising and supporter donation.
Lead the team to consider re-enablement as part of patients needs in order to develop the most appropriate care plans that meet individual requirements.
Represent the IPU team at Clinical Leadership Team (CLT) and Patient Improvement Research and Innovation (PIRI) meetings to contribute to Hospiscares overall strategic development.
Manage the teams day to day budget in order that funds are allocated appropriately and responsibly.
Plan and facilitate regular team meetings in order to formulate strategies for positive change, team development, fostering good relationships and identification of clear team aims and objectives.
Promote and role model the use of evidence-based practice and support the development of relevant Hospiscare clinical guidelines, policies, standards and audit in order to demonstrate service effectiveness, quality and impact on treatment and care outcomes.
Collaborate with the Clinical Quality Team to ensure quality assurance and improvement processes are adhered to and Hospiscare remains compliant.
Infection Prevention and Control
Maintaining a safe environment for patients, visitors and employees is everyones responsibility. All staff are required to adhere to Hospiscares Infection Prevention and Control Policy and make every effort to maintain high standards of infection prevention and control at all times. This includes ensuring personal and team compliance with all relevant policies and procedures, and acting upon or reporting any identified risks.
Disclosure and Barring Service
This role requires a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced level check with Adults and Children Barred Lists.
3.2 Key Contacts
Internal:
Inpatient Unit team Head of Inpatient Services and Clinical Quality Medical team Community Teams Supportive Care team Director of Clinical Services
Clinical Administration
Clinical Quality Team
Learning and Development team
People team
Volunteers
Estates team
Trainees and Student Nurses
External:
Patients and those close to them Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital
NHS Community Services
General Practitioners
North East & West Devon Clinical Commissioning Group
Other charities commissioning Hospiscare services
Residential and Nursing Homes
Social and Domiciliary Care Workers
Providers of out-of-hours services
Informal carers
Other local or national organisations eg FORCE, Marie Curie
Universities of Exeter and Plymouth
3.3 Health & Safety Ensure that Health and Safety guidelines and fire regulations are strictly adhered to
Comply with safe working practices as defined by Hospiscare
Complete online training as and when required
Take reasonable care for your own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by acts or omissions at work
Report any accidents, incidents or near misses as soon as reasonably practicable
Manage own work life balance and general wellbeing, including any relevant pressures in respect of lone working, travel, difficult environments and challenging situations
3.4 General Be aware of and adhere to Hospiscare policies and procedures at all times
Take part in progress/performance reviews throughout the year
Cooperate with other Hospiscare departments
Attend training courses and complete online training modules as required to meet the requirements of the post
Take responsibility for own personal development, seeking out opportunities to learn new skills
Undertake any other duties as requested by management which are reasonably deemed to be within the scope of the role
3.5 Other
Apply the Hospiscare values and behaviours to every aspect of the role at all times
Promote and maintain the brand standards of Hospiscare
Person Specification
Knowledge Essential
Understanding of change theory and application in practice Advanced understanding of key issues relating to End of Life Care including policy developments Advanced understanding of theoretical nursing models and their impact on delivery of care Advanced understanding of the complexities of working with individuals at times of distress and conflict
Qualifications Essential
Registered Nurse with a current Nursing and Midwifery Council registration Degree in Palliative Care or degree level qualification in associated field Evidence of ongoing professional development Advanced Communication Skills
Desirable
Teaching and mentorship/supervision qualification Leadership or management qualification Non-Medical Prescriber Advanced clinical assessment skills (MSc level)
Additional requirements Essential
Able and willing to contribute to the 7 days/week specialist palliative care service Able to fulfil the physical and manual handling requirements for the role
Experience Essential
Significant experience of people/team management including motivating and developing high performance teams Substantial post registration experience in palliative and end of life care Substantial experience of coaching/mentoring or clinical supervision Significant experience of policy and/or standards development and monitoring Substantial experience of facilitating and implementing teaching and education programmes
Desirable
Experience of conducting audit and standard setting or academic research projects
Skills Essential
Ability to act as an expert practitioner, synthesizing complex information utilising an evidence based approach Advanced communication and interpersonal skills Highly developed ability to manage challenging circumstances effectively, to understand and disseminate multifaceted information Highly developed ability to prepare, lead and evaluate formal and informal teaching and education programmes Developed IT skills
Desirable
Developed negotiation and influencing skills
Personal attributes Essential
Ability to lead and work as part of a team, prioritise workload and manage time effectively Ability to work autonomously, problem solve and act on own initiative Flexible and adaptable with the ability to respond positively in a rapidly changing environment Commitment to continuing professional development Awareness of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in all aspects of work
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.
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 Hospiscare
Address Searle House
Dryden Road
Exeter
Devon
EX2 5JJ
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.hospiscare.co.uk (Opens in a new tab)