Hospice at Home Lead (Band 7)

This is an opportunity to help shape the next stage of

Hospice at Home at St Michaels Hospice, supporting patients and those

important to them to receive care in their preferred place.

As Operational Manager, you will lead day-to-day service

delivery, line manage the team and oversee staffing, rotas, referrals and

capacity. Working with the Clinical Lead, you will use clinical information,

patient feedback and service data to improve care and develop a more responsive

service.

You will work alongside a Band 7 Clinical Assessor in a

complementary partnership with clear responsibilities and planned overlap.

Regular direct clinical work will allow you to maintain your assessment and

symptom management skills.

You will work with hospice colleagues, primary care,

community teams and hospital services to coordinate care and support timely

discharge home. This role offers the opportunity to combine leadership with

specialist clinical practice and contribute to a more resilient service.

Current NMC registration as an Adult Nurse is essential.

A non-medical prescribing qualification is desirable; where appropriate, an

agreed development pathway may be considered, subject to organisational

approval and support.

the operational delivery of Hospice at Home while maintaining specialist

clinical practice. Work alongside the Band 7 Clinical Assessor to provide a

responsive, coordinated service for patients with palliative and end-of-life

needs and those important to them. The role combines clear management

accountability with regular direct clinical work and planned mutual cover.

accountability to the Clinical Director. Base: St Michaels Hospice and the

community service area. Working pattern: agreed part-time roster reflecting

service needs. No additional on-call commitment is assumed in this draft.

Key working

relationships

Lead, Clinical Director, Operational Manager or Clinical Assessor, Hospice at

Home nurses and healthcare assistants, medical team, hospice multidisciplinary

services, quality and governance colleagues, primary care, community nursing,

specialist palliative care and urgent care partners. Work with Rowans Hospice

colleagues to share learning and align practice through agreed arrangements.

leadership and people management

Lead the day-to-day delivery and development of Hospice at Home, translating

the hospices clinical strategy into practical service priorities with the

Clinical Lead.

Provide substantive line management for the Hospice at Home team, including the

Clinical Assessor, under the agreed management structure. Lead recruitment,

induction, appraisal, attendance and performance management, staff development

and wellbeing, with senior and HR support where required.

Manage rotas, skill mix, leave and deployment within agreed resources. Ensure

access to appropriate senior clinical advice throughout service delivery and

escalate unsafe staffing or capacity gaps promptly.

Lead team meetings and maintain clear expectations for professional conduct,

communication and accountability. Address concerns fairly and promptly in

accordance with hospice procedures.

Monitor expenditure within delegated authority, identify resource pressures and

contribute to workforce planning and service investment proposals.

capacity and service improvement

Oversee referral pathways, caseload review and allocation of staff, working

closely with the Clinical Assessor to match clinical urgency and patient need

with available capacity.

Assess workload using acuity, complexity, geography, travel time, visit

requirements and staff competence rather than caseload numbers alone. Review

accepted work and escalate unmet demand and service limitations.

Lead service development towards a responsive model supporting patients in

their preferred place of care and timely transition home. Implement changes

through agreed governance and engagement with staff and partners.

Lead service audit, quality improvement and review of incidents and complaints.

Provide accurate activity, workforce, outcome and quality information to the

Clinical Lead, using feedback and data to evaluate care.

practice and maintenance of skills

Remain an active specialist palliative care nurse through planned, regular

clinical sessions agreed with the Clinical Lead. Maintain competence in

holistic assessment, triage, symptom management and clinical decision-making

rather than relying solely on emergency absence cover.

Undertake direct assessment and care for patients with complex palliative and

end-of-life needs, supporting families and carers and developing individual

care and anticipatory plans.

Provide specialist advice, recognise deterioration and reversible causes within

competence, and obtain medical or other specialist review when indicated.

Support advance care planning and ReSPECT discussions within training and local

arrangements.

Provide agreed clinical cover during the assessors absence within competence

and available capacity. Reprioritise operational duties with the Clinical Lead

so that clinical cover does not compromise safe management of the service.

Joint working

and service resilience

Work as a complementary Band 7 partnership with the other post holder,

maintaining distinct primary responsibilities and a shared understanding of

clinical priorities, staffing, risks and service pressures. Agree regular joint

reviews, documented handovers and planned overlap within contracted hours.

The Operational Manager retains substantive responsibility for team line

management and operational delivery. The Clinical Assessor provides day-to-day

operational cover during the managers absence under agreed delegated

authority. Both post holders remain accountable for their own professional

practice.

Agree cover arrangements with the Clinical Lead before planned absence and at

the earliest opportunity for unplanned absence. Record responsibilities,

decisions requiring senior approval and escalation routes. Cover does not

automatically transfer budget authority or formal employment decision-making

powers.

Balance clinical and operational work through an agreed work plan. Escalate

competing demands, staffing gaps or work beyond competence or available hours

to the Clinical Lead. These two part-time posts do not provide continuous

management or clinical cover for all service hours.

and partnership working

Communicate complex and sensitive information compassionately with patients and

those important to them. Support informed choices, assess decision-making

capacity within competence and follow hospice procedures where a patient cannot

provide consent.

Coordinate care with primary care, community nursing, specialist palliative

care, hospital teams, urgent and out-of-hours services and other partners.

Provide clear handovers, agreed responsibilities and escalation plans to

support safe transitions and timely discharge home.

Maintain professional boundaries, respect confidentiality and individual

cultural, spiritual and personal preferences, and promote constructive

communication and challenge within the team.

management and prescribing

Promote safe administration, storage, monitoring and use of medicines and

equipment, including controlled drugs, in accordance with hospice policies and

individual competence. Recognise, report and escalate medication concerns and

adverse effects.

Undertake independent prescribing only when appropriately qualified,

registered, authorised by the hospice and working within individual competence

and the agreed formulary and prescribing policy. Maintain prescribing

supervision and continuing professional development.

Where not qualified as an independent prescriber, work with authorised

prescribers to secure timely symptom management. Participate in an agreed

development plan towards non-medical prescribing where appropriate, subject to

organisational approval and support.

Education and

professional development

Maintain current clinical competence through direct practice, supervision,

reflection and continuing professional development. Undertake mandatory

training and maintain professional registration.

Teach, coach and support nurses, healthcare assistants, students and relevant

partners. Contribute to competency assessment within own competence and promote

reflective practice and staff wellbeing.

Participate in appraisal and agree a development plan covering the clinical and

operational skills needed for the partnership and absence cover.

and general responsibilities

Work in accordance with the NMC Code, St Michaels Hospice policies and agreed

clinical pathways. Maintain timely, accurate records and use electronic systems

only with appropriate authorisation.

Recognise and promptly report safeguarding concerns involving adults or

children. Follow agreed escalation procedures for deteriorating patients,

incidents, complaints and risks; contribute to investigation, learning and

improvement.

Comply with information governance, infection prevention, health and safety and

lone-working requirements. Promote equality, inclusion and the hospices

values, and use charitable resources responsibly.

Undertake other reasonable duties consistent with the role, Band 7 level,

competence and contracted hours. The job description will be reviewed in

consultation with the post holder as the service develops.

Work to maintain the values,

vision and aims of St. Michaels Hospice.

Additional Duties In discussion with the line manager to undertake

work, as and when required, in support of St. Michaels Hospice as an

organisation.

Public Relations To represent St. Michaels Hospice in the community

and public domain, including social media, appropriately.

Undertake all statutory and

mandatory training, as required.

To be conversant with and adhere to all St. Michaels Hospice Policies

and Procedures.

Be responsible for upholding and promoting St. Michaels Hospice

safeguarding policies, ensuring the safety and well-being of all individuals,

and promptly reporting any concerns or incidents in accordance with established

procedures.

This is an outline job description and may be subject to change,

according to the needs of the service, in consultation with the post holder.

Take responsibility for own personal safety and of others whilst at

work. You will take appropriate action or report any concerns to address any

health and safety issues that you or members of your team may be aware of.

St.

Michaels Hospice is a registered charity providing specialist palliative and

end of life care services since 1992, for the people of North Hampshire. We are

dedicated to providing care to people throughout North Hampshire who are

affected by life limiting illness to attain the highest possible quality of

life by providing a choice of specialist care and support.

As a

charity, we depend on the kindness and support of our local community to

continue offering our services free of charge. This care is made possible by

supporters donating, taking part in fundraising events and activities, playing

our lottery, shopping in our retail outlets, leaving gifts in their Wills or

giving freely of their time to volunteer.

We offer a competitive salary with attractive benefits,

including, free parking, life assurance, 27 days annual leave plus bank

holidays, and an extensive health and wellbeing plan and company pension.

For further information and to arrange

informal visits, please contact Jo Fricker, Clinical Director, on 01256 844744

or email: jo.fricker@stmichaelshospice.org.uk

Skills, Knowledge, Abilities

Qualifications

Experience

Attitude, aptitudes, personal characteristics

Desirable: - Knowledge of working in an independent charitable hospice.

Other requirements