Head of Clinical Services and Quality

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job title: Head of Clinical Services & Quality

Responsible to: Director of Clinical Services

Responsible for: Care Directorate

Job Summary

The Head of Clinical Services & Quality is a senior nursing leadership role with a strong operational focus. The post holder is the CQC Registered Manager and acts as Deputy to the Director of Clinical Services, providing day-to-day leadership, oversight and assurance across all clinical services.

The role holds line management responsibility for the Integrated Nursing Team, Therapies and Wellbeing Team, and Education and Governance Team, ensuring safe, effective and high-quality care delivery across hospice, community and outreach settings.

The post holder plays a critical role in service stabilisation, scaling and transformation, particularly during periods of system change. They will provide visible clinical leadership, ensure regulatory compliance, manage operational risk, and support delivery of a responsive, outcomes-driven model of care.

The post holder must be a Registered Nurse, participate in the senior on-call rota, and demonstrate strong operational, leadership and decision-making capability.

Key Responsibilities

1. Clinical Leadership and Operations

Provide senior operational leadership across all clinical services, ensuring safe staffing, effective deployment and high standards of care

Act as Deputy to the Director of Clinical Services, supporting strategic delivery and deputising as required

Lead the day-to-day operational management of the Integrated Nursing Team, Therapies and Wellbeing Team, and Education and Governance Team

Ensure services operate safely across hospice, home and community settings, including Hospice at Home and end-of-life services

Support service mobilisation, expansion and transformation, ensuring workforce readiness, induction and supervision

Participate in the senior on-call rota, providing clinical and operational decision-making out of hours

2. CQC Registered Manager Responsibilities

• Act as the CQC Registered Manager for Haven House clinical services
• Maintain continuous readiness for CQC inspection under the Single Assessment Framework
• Ensure compliance with all relevant regulations, standards and guidance
• Lead responses to CQC engagement, inspections and follow-up actions
• Provide assurance to Trustees and the Senior Leadership Team regarding regulatory compliance and risk

3. Quality, Safety and Governance

Provide executive-level oversight of clinical governance, patient safety and quality improvement

Ensure robust systems are in place for incident reporting, investigation, learning and improvement

Oversee serious incident management, complaints handling and safeguarding processes

Ensure learning from incidents, audits and feedback is embedded into practice

Maintain oversight of clinical risk registers and escalation processes

Work closely with the Education and Governance Team to ensure alignment between quality, training and practice

Promote a culture of continuous improvement

4. Workforce Leadership and Line Management

Line manage senior clinical leaders across nursing, therapies, wellbeing and governance

Ensure effective appraisal, supervision, professional development and workforce wellbeing

Support recruitment, retention and succession planning for clinical teams

Foster a culture of accountability, learning, compassion and continuous improvement

Address performance, conduct and capability issues in line with Haven House policies

5. Integrated Working and System Leadership

Represent Haven House at system-level meetings with NHS, ICB, local authority and partner organisations

Support integrated working across acute, community and hospice services

Contribute to system planning, pathway development and service redesign

Promote equitable access to hospice services across diverse communities

6. Professional Responsibilities

Practice in accordance with the NMC Code of Conduct, Performance and Ethics

Maintain professional registration and ongoing professional development

Ensure confidentiality and information governance in line with legislation and Caldicott principles

Attend safeguarding, clinical and management supervision as required

General Requirements

To behave at all times in line with Haven House values and behaviours

To attend staff meetings, training and supervision as required

To uphold privacy, dignity and respect for children, families and colleagues

To actively promote equality, diversity and inclusion

This job description is not a definitive or exhaustive list of responsibilities but identifies the key responsibilities and tasks of the post holder. The specific objectives of the post holder will be subject to review as part of the individual performance process.

Haven House is committed to Equal Opportunities in Employment and therefore it is our aim to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on grounds of gender, disability, religion, race, colour, sexual orientation, and nationality, ethnic or national origins or is placed at a disadvantage by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be justifiable.

Haven House is responsible under the existing equality and diversity legislation to ensure equality issues are promoted and you are expected to work with Haven House to fulfil these obligations, policies and codes of good practice.

Employees must take reasonable care and be aware of the responsibilities placed on them under the Health & Safety at Work Act (1974) and to ensure that agreed safety procedures are carried out to maintain a safe environment for employees, patients and visitors.

Haven House is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. Employment is subject to receipt of satisfactory references and an enhanced DBS check.

Person Specification

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Strong operational leadership and decision-making skills
• Excellent communication and influencing skills
• Ability to manage risk and respond to crisis situations
• Strong people management and supervision skills
• Ability to work under pressure and manage competing priorities
• High level of organisational and planning skills
• Confidence working across organisational boundaries

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree or equivalent qualification in nursing or healthcare

Experience

Essential

• Senior clinical leadership experience in childrens or palliative care
• Experience of operational management of clinical services
• Experience as CQC Registered Manager or deputy
• Strong knowledge of CQC regulation and inspection frameworks
• Experience of leading multidisciplinary teams
• Experience of incident management, complaints and safeguarding

Desirable

• Experience of service transformation or scaling

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Visible, credible clinical leader
• Calm, resilient and solution-focused
• Values-led with strong professional integrity
• Commitment to safeguarding and equality
• Flexible and responsive to service need

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

Haven House Children’s Hospice

Address

The White House

Woodford Green

Essex

IG8 9LB

Employer's website

https://www.havenhouse.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)