Community Services Team Lead

Job responsibilities

Leadership and management

Support the Bereavement Practitioner and Nurse Associates in their day-to-day responsibilities of coordinating and directing staff and volunteers, to ensure time and resources are managed through efficient team working.

Lead the induction of new staff, and ensure all staff have a three-month one-to-one recorded discussion and an annual appraisal, including bank staff, and ensure volunteers have an annual opportunity to review their role.

Actively support the Head of Clinical Operations with the recruitment of future staff and volunteers.

Ensure staff and volunteers have a clear understanding of their duties, responsibilities, and expected standards of performance and conduct, including undertaking initial and informal stages of Human Resources processes such as absence, performance management, disciplinary, and grievance procedures.

Work flexibly across the organisation and all services and sites, to support the delivery of Mary Ann Evans care services.

Ensure the right skill mix of staff is available for effective service delivery across clinical services on a seven-day basis, through careful rota planning and appropriate deployment according to skills and experience.

Work with the Head of Clinical Operations to implement and review clinical practices, ensuring they are evidence-based and cost-effective.

Contribute to new ways of working that support organisational objectives and service improvement.

Ensure policies within the area of responsibility are followed, and actively contribute to policy review and development.

Act as a role model to staff and volunteers.

Encourage staff to participate in clinical and reflective supervision, in line with the Mary Ann Evans framework.

Ensure high standards of cleanliness, tidiness, infection control, and environmental safety are maintained in clinical areas.

Oversee key worker roles and activities relevant to clinical services.

Work collaboratively with internal and external multi-professional colleagues.

Lead and support change processes, demonstrating professionalism, integrity, and responsibility.

Contribute to the clinical audit programme, and support staff to undertake audits and implement learning outcomes that improve quality standards and clinical governance.

Maintain professional standards in accordance with relevant professional regulatory codes.

Support the Head of Clinical Operations in the handling of clinical complaints.

Promote incident reporting, and support the development and implementation of action plans to improve practice.

Ensure risk assessments are completed for new activities, procedures, or operational changes.

Support delivery of services within agreed budgets, using a proactive and lean approach.

Clinical

Act as a competent practitioner, demonstrating evidence-based clinical expertise and undertaking holistic assessments of patients and carers.

Act as a mentor, resource, and advisor to colleagues, patients, and carers across Hospice at Home, Wellbeing, Bereavement, and Rapid Response services.

Work in partnership with clinical teams to ensure high-quality care, including referral management, care planning, and timely first assessments at home, where appropriate.

Ensure high standards of communication, documentation, and clinical records, in line with information governance and confidentiality principles, and effective use of electronic record systems (EMIS).

Lead the implementation, development, and use of electronic clinical systems, and act as a resource for staff to ensure high-quality documentation and reporting.

Ensure activity data and outcome measures are accurately interpreted and reported.

Ensure safe manual handling practices are used, including appropriate equipment.

Review clinical standards and practice, with a focus on evidence-based care, digital innovation, and new ways of working.

Ensure timely multidisciplinary discussions take place, and appropriate follow-up actions are completed to deliver the right care, at the right time and place.

Coordinate attendance at multidisciplinary meetings across community and specialist services.

Support implementation of action plans to improve service provision.

Maintain an accurate equipment register, including procurement, maintenance, replacement, safety, and cleaning.

Promote an integrated team ethos across services and external partners.

Role model a proactive, sensitive, and empathetic approach to patient and family care, including advance care planning discussions.

Support the completion and updating of patient preference records in relevant systems.

Provide bereavement support to carers, in collaboration with the Bereavement Practitioner.

Communication and Relationships

Actively support colleagues, as required.

Demonstrate sensitivity when handling complex, confidential information, and respond appropriately to safeguarding and duty of candour concerns.

Contribute to organisational and departmental meetings, and ensure team meetings occur monthly.

Participate in meetings with the Head of Clinical Operations, and cascade information to teams in a timely manner.

Represent Mary Ann Evans at external meetings when required.

Ensure information and decisions are communicated effectively, and staff understand their level of responsibility.

Maintain collaborative relationships across the multidisciplinary team, to ensure coordinated patient care.

Promote an open, honest, and positive culture.

Deputise for the Head of Clinical Operations, when required.

Education, professional development, and training

Support Mary Ann Evans as a research-active organisation, and ensure compliance with research governance requirements.

Maintain and develop personal clinical competencies and professional knowledge in palliative and end-of-life care.

Take responsibility for lifelong learning, reflection, and professional revalidation.

Participate in education and teaching activities, including supporting staff with new clinical skills and digital technologies.

Undertake clinical audit, and support staff to complete audits and report outcomes to leadership and trustees.

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• Demonstrable clinical skills in palliative and end of life care
• Ability to make clinical and operational decisions and to develop others in this area
• People management skills including:
• Motivation of staff
• Team building
• Decision making
• Conflict management
• Problem Solving
• Clinical leadership
• Staff development
• Initiating and managing change

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualified and registered healthcare practitioner
• Teaching and mentoring qualification
• Leadership or Management course or training*
• Accredited or post registration professional development in palliative care related field to enable advanced clinical care skills*
• Advanced Communication Skills course*
• * If not held then must be willing to undertake to be negotiated as part of personal professional development plan

Desirable

• Degree or Post Graduate Qualification, or willing to consider developing
• Non-Medical Prescriber
• Good Clinical Practice training for research compliance

Experience

Essential

• Substantial professionally qualified experience
• Previous experience working in a palliative care/end of life care environment
• Experience of service development
• Ability to lead and manage a range of staff
• Able to work autonomously and as part of team
• Evidence of excellent communication skills
• Evidence of excellent planning and organising skills
• Experience and commitment to continuous organisational improvement and ability to act as a change agent
• Demonstrate ability to shape and deliver ongoing programme of improvement
• Cost effective delivery of a service or programme
• Influencing, building and sustaining relationships in order to achieve results
• Experience of CQC compliance and evidencing regulations in practice

Desirable

• Experience of working for or in partnership with a hospice
• Evidence of good analytical skills

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).