St Clare Hospice

Head of Community Services

The closing date is 03 August 2025

Job summary

The post holder will provide visible strategic and operational leadership for the Community Nursing Service, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, patient-centred care that meets both local needs and contractual requirements. They will be accountable for ensuring services are delivered in line with national standards and that all contractual obligations are met consistently and effectively.

Main duties of the job

Using local data and service user feedback, the post holder will lead service development and improvement initiatives. They will foster strong partnerships across internal teams and external stakeholders to support integrated, seamless care for patients and families. A key part of the role involves using data and performance metrics to monitor service delivery and ensure compliance with commissioning agreements.

The post holder will also contribute to organisational learning and resilience by sharing expertise, supporting team development, and deputising for other clinical leads as needed.

About us

At St Clare Hospice our vision is that every adult with a life limiting condition in our local communities should have access to palliative care services wherever and whenever they need them, supporting them to make the most of every moment, no matter how long they have left to live. Our many different services provide patients, their families and carers with holistic and personalised care in their chosen location

Date posted

17 July 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£60,913 to £73,847 a year Includes High Cost Area Allowance

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

B0175-25-0010

Job locations

Hastingwood Road

Hastingwood

Harlow

Essex

CM17 9JX

Job description

Job responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership and senior-level management of Community Services at St Clare Hospice, ensuring alignment with the organisations mission, values, and long-term goals.

Act as a visible clinical leader and role model, demonstrating excellence in compassionate care, ethical practice, and professional integrity

Act as a key member of the senior leadership team, deputising for the Director of Patient Care and Quality when required, and offering high-level support to other Clinical Service Managers across the hospice.

Play a central role in shaping and delivering strategic objectives that support the sustainability, growth, and innovation of both the Community Services and the wider hospice.

Demonstrate strong operational leadership by effectively managing staff and resources to ensure optimal service delivery and value for money.

Ensure the service remains responsive and flexible, adapting to the changing needs and preferences of patients, families, and the wider community.

Serve as a vital link between Community Services and the Senior Leadership Team, fostering open communication, collaboration, and a shared commitment to transformational change as outlined in the hospice strategy.

Build and maintain influential relationships with internal departments and external healthcare partners to support the delivery of integrated, person-centred care pathways.

Lead the implementation and continuous monitoring of care models that are safe, caring, responsive, effective, and well-led, in line with CQC standards and national best practice.

Champion distributed leadership and transformational change by embedding a culture of regular staff engagement, meaningful 1to1s, and robust personal development planning.

Lead a culture of intelligent, data-informed decision-making using real-time analytics and population health data to shape service delivery, identify gaps, and drive continuous improvement

Ensure the team is trained and confident in interpreting and applying data to improve patient outcomes and service efficiency.

Provide senior clinical oversight for governance processes, including incident reporting, risk management, safeguarding, and compliance with statutory and regulatory frameworks.

Ensure that clinical risks are identified, assessed, and mitigated through robust systems and a culture of continuous learning

Be accountable for measurable improvements in patient experience, clinical outcomes, and service responsiveness, aligned with hospice strategy and national benchmarks.

Ensure that all aspects of care delivered by Community Services are underpinned by the requirements of Care Quality Commission registration.

Model inclusive leadership that values diversity, fosters belonging, and ensures equity in care delivery and workforce development.

Lead by example in upholding the highest standards of clinical practice, ethics, and professionalism.

Develop and implement succession planning strategies to identify and nurture emerging leaders within the Community Services team. Support career progression through structured development pathways, mentorship, and coaching.