Director of Care

LLOYD'S REGISTER INTERNATIONAL; Thatcham; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

DBS check

Job summary

Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Service in Thatcham, United Kingdom is seeking an inspirational Director of Care to provide strategic, clinical and operational leadership across its medical, clinical and holistic care services. The role reports to the CEO and works with the Board of Trustees to ensure high-quality, safe and compassionate care for children and families.

The successful candidate will be a registered nurse with extensive paediatric palliative care and senior leadership

Qualifications

• Registered nurse with paediatric palliative care experience.
• Senior-level leadership experience.
• Experience of CQC compliance, clinical governance, PSIRF and safeguarding.

Responsibilities

• Provide strong, visible and inspirational clinical leadership across all care services.
• Lead the strategic development of medical, clinical and holistic care provision.
• Ensure services are safe, effective, family-centred and responsive to needs of children and families.
• Act as Joint Registered Manager with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
• Provide strategic oversight of governance, quality assurance, risk management and safeguarding.

Skills

Clinical leadership

Strategic thinking

Communication skills

Data interpretation

Education

NMC registration (Children’s or Adult Nurse)

Master’s degree in health/leadership (desirable)

Job description

Director of Care

Lead exceptional care. Shape the future of children’s palliative care. Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Service is looking for an inspirational and experienced Director of Care to provide strategic, clinical and operational leadership across our medical, clinical and holistic care services. This is a pivotal role within our organisation. Reporting to the CEO and working closely with the Board of Trustees and Senior Leadership Team, you will be responsible for ensuring that children, young people and their families receive the highest quality, safe and compassionate care.

You will have the opportunity to shape the future direction of our care services at an exciting time in the development of Alexander Devine.

As Director of Care, you will have overall responsibility for the leadership, management, quality and performance of our care services.

• Provide strong, visible and inspirational clinical leadership across all care services.
• Lead the strategic development of our medical, clinical and holistic care provision.
• Ensure services are safe, effective, evidence-based, family-centred and responsive to the needs of the children and families we support.
• Act as Joint Registered Manager with the Care Quality Commission.
• Provide strategic oversight of clinical governance, quality assurance, risk management, safeguarding and compliance.
• Ensure we are prepared for CQC and other regulatory requirements and that learning from incidents, complaints, audits and research drives continuous improvement.
• Lead and support a highly skilled multidisciplinary Care Team, encouraging a culture of reflection, development, innovation and excellence.
• Work with the CEO and wider Senior Leadership Team to deliver the charity’s strategic plan and manage resources effectively.
• Develop strong relationships with Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and support the development and management of commissioned services.
• Represent Alexander Devine locally and nationally, contributing to the wider development of children’s palliative care.
• Champion the voice of children, young people and their families, ensuring their experience informs the ongoing development of our services.

About you

We are looking for an exceptional clinical leader who combines strategic vision with strong operational management and a genuine passion for children’s palliative care.

You will be a registered nurse with significant experience in paediatric palliative care and senior-level leadership experience. You will have a strong understanding of clinical governance, CQC requirements, PSIRF and safeguarding, together with experience of leading service development and change.

You will bring

• NMC registration as a Children’s or Adult Nurse.
• Significant experience of palliative paediatric nursing.
• Senior-level experience of management, strategic thinking and service development.
• Experience of CQC compliance, clinical governance, PSIRF and safeguarding.
• Strong financial and budgetary understanding.
• Excellent communication skills and the confidence to communicate complex and sensitive information to a wide range of audiences.
• The ability to interpret data and use evidence to inform strategic and operational decisions.
• Excellent networking and partnership-building skills.
• A Master’s-level qualification in a relevant health or leadership subject is desirable.

Most importantly, you will be an inspirational, resilient and motivational leader who can engage people, build confidence and create a culture where staff are empowered to deliver their very best.

Why Alexander Devine?

This is a rare opportunity to join a growing children’s hospice charity and play a leading role in shaping the future of our services.

At Alexander Devine, our values are at the heart of everything we do: determined, empowering, valuing others, integrity, nurture and empathy. We are looking for a leader who genuinely shares these values and can translate them into meaningful action for children, families, staff and volunteers.

You will have the opportunity to work alongside a committed Senior Leadership Team, an experienced clinical team and a passionate wider charity, while building strong relationships with partners across health, social care and the children’s palliative care sector.

If you are an ambitious and compassionate clinical leader who wants to make a lasting difference to children and families, we would love to hear from you.

Please note: The successful candidate will be required to undertake an Enhanced DBS check.

For an informal discussion, please contact Tim Hebditch, Chief Operating Officer or Warren King, Director of HR on 01628 822777.

For an application pack, please contact Fay Denwood at [e-mail]