Supportive Care Lead

• Manage and oversee Supportive Care Services, including family and patient support, bereavement support and social work, ensuring services continue to adapt to the needs of patients, carers and families.
• Provide expert operational advice and leadership in supportive care and safeguarding to colleagues at all levels.
• Produce and present reports related to supportive care and safeguarding activity, sharing learning across the organisation.
• Report to the organisations Clinical Governance Committee on safeguarding and supportive care services.
• Lead the delivery of safe, high-quality clinical care to agreed and auditable standards, in line with national and local legislation and guidance.
• Report to the Associate Director and work closely with the organisations Designated Safeguarding Lead.
• Actively engage with and contribute to the Clinical Directorates Senior Management Team.

• Provide leadership for the Supportive Care team, enabling service development and facilitating knowledge, skills, and practice development.
• To demonstrate expert practice in order to influence and lead the development of the Supportive Care service, ensuring that they meet the needs of the service user, working in consultation with the Associate Director of Clinical Services in order to achieve organisational strategic objectives.
• Oversee delivery of supportive care services, providing clinical input and advice as appropriate.
• Ensure the team receives appropriate clinical supervision and participate in own supervision.
• Demonstrate expert practice to influence and lead the development of supportive care and safeguarding services.
• Manage the Supportive Care budget and allocate resources to maximise service delivery.
• Responsible for staff recruitment, induction, and operational management of the Supportive Care Service.
• Record contemporaneous, legible and accurate records according to guidelines contained within the relevant professional code of conduct and input data on computer systems, as appropriate, maintaining confidentiality and data protection as part of GDPR requirements.
• Ensure service compliance with national standards and best practice.
• Work within own sphere of professional practice and influence
• Monitor the safeguarding inbox and respond to requests for advice in an informed and timely way in collaboration with the social work team ensuring adequate cover and response.
• Be responsible for the timely response to safeguarding issues, ensuring adequate cover for
• To report on service outcomes and service activity.
• To review exemplar practice, concerns and incidents putting in place and monitoring appropriate action plans to ensure learning is shared across teams and services.
• To proactively work with external organisations to enhance care pathways and service delivery.
• In collaboration with the teams, recommend and implement service developments and improvements as appropriate across portfolio.
• Ensure consistency across the county, ensuring access to services and service delivery is consistent and equitable, identifying barriers to access and adapting accordingly.
• To be responsible for staff recruitment and induction within the Supportive Care team
• To be responsible for the operational management of the Supportive Care Service, including, but not limited to:
• Monitoring staff absences, implementing best practice for sick leave absence.
• Identifying training needs and processing study leave applications
• Co-ordinating annual leave among the team
• Undertaking Personal Development Reviews as an appraiser
• Optimise the qualities of all team members through effective performance management and a coaching style of leadership
• To utilise the hospice information systems to supply contemporaneous statistical evidence required for resource management and clinical audit of the service, collecting and reporting accurate information relating to caseload statistics
• To ensure service compliance with national standards and best practice.
• Demonstrate flexibility to meet service needs.
• Participate in the on call manager rota, responding to incidents, maintaining safety and service continuity.
• As a senior clinical leader, act with integrity, role model and reflect behaviours expected in others. Act as an ambassador for St Margarets Hospice.

• Monitor clinical safeguarding procedures and produce data for governance committees.
• Chair or deputise the clinical safeguarding committee.
• Share learning from safeguarding activity and ensure follow-up actions are presented through clinical governance.
• Work with education and service leads to ensure training schedules are fit for purpose and compliance data is robust.
• Attend ICS safeguarding meetings and feedback to relevant committees as required.
• Chair the clinical safeguarding committee as required.

• Report on service outcomes and activity, reviewing practice and incidents to ensure learning is shared.
• Collaborate with Somerset County Council and other agencies to manage, review, and develop services.
• Recommend and implement service developments and improvements.
• Ensure consistency and equity of access to services across the county.

• To manage/participate in educational programmes for visitors (including medical students, nursing staff, medical practitioners, trustees) to the supportive care services as required.
• Work with the Designated Safeguarding Lead to agree, allocate and set standards of training requirements and levels within the organisation
• To fulfil internal and external teaching and presentation commitments as appropriate to the role
• To participate in the staff Personal Development Review scheme as an appraisee and to be responsible for complying with the agreed organisational, professional and personal objectives.
• Undertake any necessary skills training, professional updates and mandatory training as appropriate to the post and as directed
• Work closely with the learning and development team to ensure the internal and external educational provision relating to supportive care is planned and delivered in an effective and efficient way.
• To participate in professional networking, membership of relevant professional groups, clinical supervision, and significant event meetings as appropriate.

• Identify, plan and participate in research, clinical audit and standard setting at a local, regional and national level and to monitor and review practice regularly
• To utilise research findings in the delivery of the supportive care service and to disseminate relevant information concerning research as appropriate.
• To participate in the development and progression of research projects within the supportive care service and identify potential areas for future research.

• Lead in the development and implementation of Supportive Care policies and protocols, ensuring consistency of service and appropriate standards of practice.
• To review, develop and monitor compliance with relevant national and hospice guidelines, policies and protocols.
• Make recommendations for the future development of the service and actively contribute to the implementation of the Hospice Strategic Business Plan and Operational Objectives
• Comply with all relevant hospice policies and procedures in exercising the duties of the role.

• Ensure effective delivery of Supportive Care Services to patients and family/carers and engage with them in order to maintain and improve quality of services

• Lead team meetings and ensure effective communication within the team and with the wider Hospice.
• To communicate effectively with other Hospice teams and relevant external organisations to ensure the Supportive Care service is managed in a co-ordinated and collaborative way
• To work across organisational and professional boundaries to promote the palliative care philosophy and an understanding of the supportive care services, helping to ensure an integrated approach to care management between organisations and agencies.
• Communicate effectively with people about highly complex or sensitive topics and/or in difficult situations; managing patient/carer expectations relating to realistic treatment outcomes and the extremes of emotion associated with life-limiting illnesses and palliative care; supporting anxious or distressed patients and relatives as necessary.
• Work collaboratively with all relevant health and social care professionals and agencies establishing clear lines of communication, good liaison and professional working relationships across all departments and agencies.
• To represent the service within local, regional and national networks.
• Express ideas clearly through oral, written and electronic communication mediums, varying the level and style of communication with all people, respecting their differing levels of understanding and responding to communication difficulties as appropriate

• 33 days including bank holidays, rising to 35 days after 1 year, and increasing with length of service (pro-rata if part-time)
• For Band 5 clinical roles, annual leave entitlement may include reckonable service from previous clinical roles at Band 5 or above, where joining us directly from the NHS or another hospice.*
• Ability to buy and sell annual leave

• NHS pension continuation where applicable*
• 6% employer / 5% employee contribution for non-NHS staff

• Life assurance cover (2x salary)*
• Health Cash Plans*
• Employee Assistance Programme with 24/7 GP access, counselling, wellbeing support, and legal/financial advice
• Blue Light Discount Card
• Enhanced maternity leave*
• Excellent learning and development opportunities
• Free on-site parking in Yeovil and Taunton
• Opportunities to volunteer and support fundraising initiatives
• Eligibility criteria applies

Essential

• Experience of inter organisational working and representing an organisation externally.
• Demonstrable evidence of relevant clinical professional development