About this role
Job summary
Are you an experienced senior nurse leader looking for an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in hospice care?
Hospice of the Good Shepherd is seeking a Hospice Lead Nurse to provide senior clinical leadership across our In-Patient Unit (IPU) and Living Well Centre (LWC). This is an exciting opportunity for a credible, compassionate and motivated nurse leader to help shape high-quality specialist palliative and end of life care within a supportive, values-driven organisation.
About the role
As Hospice Lead Nurse, you will provide visible and effective leadership to nursing and ancillary teams, ensuring services are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led. You will play a key role in operational management, quality assurance, workforce development and clinical governance, supporting the delivery of outstanding care for patients and those important to them.
You will also work closely with the Director of Clinical Services, contributing to service development, CQC readiness, quality improvement and clinical leadership across the hospice.
Main duties of the job
We are looking for a current NMC-registered nurse with substantial senior nursing experience, ideally at Band 7 level or equivalent, and a strong track record of leading clinical teams. You will bring clinical credibility, professional accountability, and sound knowledge of clinical governance, audit, incident management, quality improvement and CQC standards, alongside excellent communication, leadership and people management skills. Above all, you will be committed to compassionate, person-centred care and continuous improvement, and will be a visible role model who can inspire others, build strong multidisciplinary relationships, and lead with professionalism, compassion and integrity in a regulated environment. In addition, we would particularly welcome applicants who are working towards or hold an Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) qualification, or who can demonstrate equivalent advanced clinical experience.
(Full details of the role in the job description)
About us
Why join us?
At Hospice of the Good Shepherd, you will be part of a dedicated team delivering specialist care with compassion and excellence. This role offers the opportunity to:
Influence and shape clinical practice and service development Lead and support a skilled and committed nursing team Contribute to quality improvement and organisational assurance Develop your own leadership and specialist palliative care expertise within a supportive environment We offer a comprehensive package of support, wellbeing, and development opportunities to help you thrive in your role, including:
Competitive salary Generous annual leave entitlement Continuation of the NHS Pension Scheme for existing members, or the opportunity to join the hospice pension scheme Excellent development opportunities, including a broad range of in-house education and support to access external training A staff support programme, including clinical supervision, confidential counselling, and occupational health services
Job description Job responsibilities
JOB SUMMARY
Hospice Lead Nurse
Provide effective senior clinical nursing leadership, operational management supporting quality assurance within the In-Patient Unit (IPU) and the Living Well Centre (LWC), ensuring care is safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led in line with CQC expectations.
Act as a visible role model to the hospice nursing and ancillary team, ensuring consistently high standards of specialist palliative and end of life care, underpinned by evidence-based practice and learning culture.
Foster strong multi-disciplinary working and partnership engagement to ensure coordinated care, safe pathways/transitions and effective communication with patients, families and external professionals.
Provide specialist palliative care advice within own service and contribute to wider clinical discussions as required
Act as the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Lead for the service, providing leadership and oversight for infection prevention and control practice, audit, policy compliance, staff awareness and escalation of risks or incidents.
Contribute to the implementation of strategic and operational plans, ensuring service delivery aligns with regulatory requirements, workforce plans and quality priorities.
Support to Director of Clinical Services
The post holder contributes to organisational governance, compliance and financial management processes but does not hold overall accountability for these functions.
Support the Director of Clinical Services in the delivery of safe, effective and high-quality clinical services.
Provide senior clinical leadership within own area and contribute to wider service delivery as part of the leadership team.
On an occasional and planned basis, provide short-term operational cover for the Director of Clinical Services to ensure continuity of service delivery.
Contribute to organisational initiatives, service development and quality improvement programmes as delegated.
Escalate risks, issues and performance concerns to the Director of Clinical Services in a timely manner.
Support compliance with CQC standards and contribute to inspection readiness within own service
Support the Director of Clinical Services in managing resources effectively by monitoring staffing levels and highlighting financial pressures or risks
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Clinical Leadership and General Responsibilities
Supervise and ensure assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of specialist palliative and end of life care for patients and those important to them, evidencing person-centered outcomes and experience.
Ensure care planning reflects preferences, capacity/consent considerations, communication needs, equality and cultural/spiritual requirements, and is reviewed in response to changing needs.
Ensure safe systems, pathways and transitions, including timely escalation, coordinated discharge/transfer processes, and clear communication with external professionals and services.
When appropriate, ensure external allied healthcare professionals are engaged effectively to support coordinated care and rapid access to equipment, medicines and specialist input.
Ensure all admission requests are managed effectively, transparently and equitably, with clear criteria, triage, documentation and communication.
Ensure staff access appropriate support mechanisms (clinical supervision, debrief, wellbeing support) and that learning from deaths, incidents and feedback is discussed and acted on.
Lead training, competency and learning plans for all nursing and ancillary staff and visiting learners, ensuring role-relevant competence (including medicines, IPC, safeguarding and end of life care).
Maintain high-quality electronic patient records and information governance, ensuring documentation is accurate, contemporaneous and supports safe decision-making and continuity of care.
Take responsibility for recruitment, selection and retention, ensuring safe and effective staffing, appropriate skill mix, supervision and deployment.
Support the Director of Clinical Services in achieving financial objectives while protecting safety and quality, with clear escalation of risks, pressures and mitigations.
Quality and Governance
Contribute to CQC readiness by maintaining service-level evidence and supporting the Director of Clinical Services in assurance processes.
Lead audit, incident review and quality improvement activity within the service, ensuring processes are embedded, learning is identified and shared, providing assurance to the Director of Clinical Services.
Actively participate in hospice policy development, ensuring policies are current and embedded in practice.
Support compliance with statutory and best-practice requirements within the service, ensuring systems and processes are followed and escalating risks where required.
Lead initial investigation and management of incidents and complaints within the service and escalate complex or high-risk issues to the Director of Clinical Services.
Ensure safe medicines management within the service, including controlled drugs governance, anticipatory medicines arrangements, safe storage, administration records and medicines-related incident learning.
Staff Development, Research and Education
Support staff development through regular supervision and performance reviews, access to learning opportunities, and role-specific competency assessment, with evidence maintained for assurance and CQC purposes.
Ensure the nursing team has the skills, time and resources to support student nurses, medical students and other placements, maintaining patient welfare, dignity and consent as the priority at all times.
Ensure learning from audits, complaints, incidents and feedback is shared with the team, translated into improvement actions, and reviewed for effectiveness (learning culture).
Personal Professional Development
Fully engage with appraisal and performance reviews with the Director of Clinical Services, agreeing clear organisational, service and personal objectives that are aligned to quality, safety and CQC expectations.
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of local and national healthcare priorities relevant to hospice and palliative care, including safeguarding, infection prevention and control, medicines optimisation, information governance and equality.
Maintain active professional registration (e.g., NMC) and demonstrate continuing professional development (CPD) that is relevant to the role and evidenced for governance/assurance purposes.
Practice in accordance with hospice policies and procedures, professional codes of conduct, and regulatory requirements, escalating risks or non-compliance promptly.
Contribute to and engage with clinical governance arrangements (audit, incident learning, complaints themes, quality improvement), ensuring learning is embedded and improvements are sustained.
Maintain awareness of CQCs Single Assessment Framework, relevant quality statements and evidence categories, and contribute to maintaining an inspection-ready service.
Confidentiality and Security Information
Uphold hospice policies on confidentiality and information governance, including secure handling of information relating to patients, those important to them, staff and organisational business.
Maintain professional standards of confidentiality. Information relating to patients care, staff records or organisationally sensitive matters must not be disclosed to any unauthorised person. Breaches may result in disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.
Be aware that breaches of confidentiality may also result in civil action and/or referral to a professional regulator.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Registered Nurse with active NMC registration. Evidence of ongoing CPD and ability to meet NMC revalidation requirements. Degree level qualification or equivalent experience, or willingness to work towards further academic/professional development. Evidence of continuous personal, professional and academic development.
Desirable
Teaching qualification. Palliative Care qualification. Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP). Non-medical prescriber.
Experience Essential
Significant experience at top of Band 6 level or Band 7 level or equivalent, including leadership and management responsibility. Experience of working as part of a senior team, contributing to service delivery under the direction of a senior leader. Experience in change management and quality improvement. Knowledge of the NMC Code and current professional expectations, including accountability, delegation, medicines management, record keeping and raising concerns. Knowledge of current CQC regulatory expectations, including the five key questions, quality statements, evidence categories, inspection readiness and assurance processes. Experience of governance processes including audit, incident management, complaints, Duty of Candour, risk management and embedding learning into practice.
Desirable
Previous experience of working within a Hospice or palliative care environment or similar Experience of managing and chairing meetings.
Skills and Abilities Essential
Strong working knowledge of current CQC regulatory expectations, including inspection readiness, evidence gathering and assurance. Ability to lead safe, effective clinical systems of care, including escalation, professional challenge and multi-disciplinary working across services. Sound understanding of NMC professional accountability, including delegation, documentation, medicines safety, confidentiality and speaking up on safety concerns. Ability to apply Duty of Candour, safeguarding, complaints handling and incident learning in practice, embedding improvement and assurance. Strong people management skills, with the ability to motivate, support and develop others. IT proficiency and ability to use digital systems to evidence quality, outcomes, compliance and workforce assurance. Excellent communication and teaching/facilitation skills to support learning, competency development and service improvement.
Desirable
Understand Risk management strategies, quality assurance issues and implications for practice. Work with and develop volunteers. Teaching or mentorship qualification.
Values and Behaviours Essential
Act as a visible role model, demonstrating professionalism, compassion and integrity. Build positive working relationships and work collaboratively across teams and services. Influence, motivate and support others, creating a positive and inclusive team culture. Remain calm, professional and decisive in pressured or complex situations. Demonstrate initiative, sound judgement and a solution-focused approach to problem solving. Show commitment to continuous improvement, innovation and service development. Approachable, respectful and able to communicate with empathy and sensitivity.
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 Hospice of the Good Shepherd
Address Hospice of the Good Shepherd
Gordon Lane
Backford
Chester
Cheshire
CH2 4DG
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://hospiceofthegoodshepherd.com/ (Opens in a new tab)