Nurse Team Leader

Ashgate Hospice; Chesterfield; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive hourly rate

Generous holiday entitlement

Flexible working

Cycle to Work scheme

Health Cash Plan

Employee Assistance Programme

Pension with employer contribution

Life assurance

On-site parking

On-site café

Job summary

Ashgate Hospice in North Derbyshire is seeking a Nurse Team Leader to provide clinical leadership in our 10-bed Inpatient Unit. You will support, manage and develop a nursing team, ensuring safe staffing and high-quality, compassionate care for patients and families.

Working with the Ward Leader, you’ll coordinate care, supervise staff, recruit and develop the team, and contribute to governance and service improvement in our hospice setting.

Qualifications

• Be a registered nurse with current NMC registration and significant post-registration experience in palliative care.
• Be educated to degree level or be willing to undertake further study.
• Have experience leading or coordinating a nursing team, including workloads and rotas.
• Demonstrate strong communication and interpersonal skills across the multidisciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate the nursing team, ensuring safe staffing and effective patient care.
• Take charge of the unit during your shift, prioritising and delegating work.
• Support day-to-day management of staff, including rotas, sickness, and absence, supervision and performance management.
• Encourage staff development through feedback, coaching, induction and support for professional growth.
• Promote staff wellbeing and an inclusive team culture.
• Oversee safe medicines management and administration.
• Coordinate admissions, transfers and discharges with the MDT.
• Promote patient safety, governance and quality improvement.
• Contribute to audits and service development.
• Deputise for the Ward Leader when delegated.

Skills

NMC registration

Leadership

Palliative care

Staff development

Communication

Education

Degree level education

Job description

Join Our Team as a Nurse Team Leader

Are you an experienced registered nurse with a passion for delivering outstanding palliative and end of life care, while also supporting, managing and developing others?

We are looking for a compassionate and motivated Nurse Team Leader to join our 10-bed Inpatient Unit at Ashgate Hospice.

This is an opportunity to combine clinical leadership with an important role in the day-to-day management of our IPU team. Working closely with the Ward Leader, you will help ensure our patients receive excellent care while creating an environment where colleagues feel supported, confident and able to develop in their roles.

Why Join Ashgate Hospice?

• Play a key role in the leadership and development of our 10-bed Inpatient Unit.
• Combine hands-on clinical practice with responsibility for supporting and managing a nursing team.
• Help colleagues develop their skills, confidence and professional practice.
• Contribute to safe staffing, effective team working and the smooth running of the unit.
• Work collaboratively with an experienced multidisciplinary team.
• Make a meaningful difference to patients, their families and those important to them every day.

About the Role

As a Nurse Team Leader, you will provide clinical leadership while delivering high-quality, compassionate and person-centred palliative and end of life care.

Working alongside the Ward Leader, you will take delegated responsibility for the safe and effective running of the unit during your shift, coordinating patient care, managing workloads and supporting decisions around admissions and discharges.

A key part of the role will be leading, supporting and developing the nursing team. You will help maintain safe staffing levels, coordinate rotas, support the management of sickness and absence, and contribute to staff supervision, feedback and performance management. You will also support recruitment, induction and ongoing development, helping colleagues feel confident and supported in their work.

Alongside this, you will promote high standards of clinical practice, contribute to clinical governance and quality improvement, and help shape the ongoing development of our inpatient service. You will also deputise for the Ward Leader when delegated.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate the nursing team, ensuring safe staffing, appropriate skill mix and effective patient care.
• Take charge of the unit during your shift, prioritising and delegating work appropriately.
• Support the day-to-day management of staff, including rotas, sickness and absence, supervision and performance management.
• Encourage staff development through regular feedback, coaching, induction and support with professional development.
• Promote staff wellbeing, positive working relationships and a compassionate, inclusive team culture.
• Oversee the safe management and administration of medicines.
• Coordinate patient admissions, transfers and discharges, working closely with the multidisciplinary team.
• Promote patient safety, clinical governance and evidence-based practice.
• Contribute to audits, quality improvement initiatives and service development.
• Support and deputise for the Ward Leader when delegated.

What We're Looking For

The successful candidate will:

• Be a registered nurse with current NMC registration and significant post-registration experience within palliative care, oncology or a relevant clinical environment.
• Be educated to degree level or be willing to undertake further study.
• Have experience of leading, managing or coordinating a nursing team, including workloads, rotas and shifts.
• Demonstrate the ability to support staff, address concerns appropriately and encourage professional development.
• Be confident making decisions, managing competing priorities and responding to changing clinical needs.
• Have strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build positive relationships across the multidisciplinary team.
• Demonstrate specialist palliative care knowledge and the ability to support patients, families and colleagues through sensitive and distressing situations.
• Have an understanding of clinical governance, patient safety and quality improvement.
• Be committed to staff wellbeing, inclusive team working and the values of compassion, teamwork, respect, openness and inclusion.

Desirable qualifications and experience include:

• A recognised qualification in palliative care or relevant advanced clinical practice, or a willingness to undertake further study.
• A management or leadership qualification.
• A teaching or mentorship qualification.
• Experience of clinical audit or quality improvement projects.
• Experience supporting and working with volunteers.
• Advanced Communication Skills Training, or a willingness to complete this.

Working Pattern

Shifts are usually 11.5 hours, worked predominantly during the day across Monday to Sunday, including weekends and bank holidays. We are open to discussing alternative shift patterns, including shorter shifts, where these can meet service needs and support continuity of patient care. Occasional night shifts may be required.

About Ashgate:

Ashgate Hospice, based in North Derbyshire, offers free palliative and end of life care for adults with life-limiting or incurable illnesses, including cancer, neurological diseases, and advanced heart, kidney, and lung conditions. Last year, we cared for over 2,400 people. Our aim is to support our patients by keeping them informed, managing their symptoms, and improving their quality of life from diagnosis onwards.

We also provide vital support to the people who are important to them, offering practical assistance and emotional support, including bereavement services.

We're more than a care provider. We're a campaigner for sustainable end of life care funding in the UK, and we continually invest in our services and workforce.

Our values are at the heart of everything we do:

• We are compassionate.
• We are a team.
• We are respectful, open, and inclusive.

We value diversity and inclusion and encourage applicants from all backgrounds.

We strive to create a workplace that’s happy, safe, and supportive – and our team seems to agree! In fact, 87% of workforce would recommend Ashgate Hospice as an employer/place to volunteer.

We know how important wellbeing and work-life balance are, which is why we're open to flexible work arrangements, including job-sharing.

As part of our team, you'll have access to training opportunities to help you grow, both personally and professionally. Whether you want to develop in your current role or explore new career paths, we'll support you every step of the way.

Want to know more about what it’s like to work with us? Visit our website, check out our social media channels, or listen to our podcast, The Life and Death Podcast. It's a great way to get a sense of the Ashgate team and the difference we make.

Benefits of joining us

At Ashgate, we take care of the people who take care of others. Here are some of the benefits we offer:

• Competitive hourly rate plus unsociable hour enhancements
• Generous holiday entitlement, with the option to increase it through our Annual Buy and Sell Leave Scheme.
• A flexible working approach to help meet your needs and ours, including options like job-sharing.
• A Cycle to Work scheme and a Tech Benefit scheme to help spread the cost of your next bike or gadget.
• Health Cash Plan, giving you money back on treatments like physiotherapy, dental care, and eye tests.
• Access to a range of discounts, with discounts at hundreds of high-street retailers.
• A confidential Employee Assistance Programme, offering free, round-the-clock support when you need it.
• A pension scheme with up to 7% employer contribution, helping you save for the future.
• A life assurance scheme, giving peace of mind for you and those important to you, up to age 65.
• A commitment to your personal and professional development, with training opportunities to help you grow.
• Free, on-site parking whenever you're working at the hospice.
• Discounted, onsite café at our Old Brampton site, available to all staff
• A wide range of initiatives to support your wellbeing, and the time out to practice self-care

Ready to make a difference?

To learn more about the role, please contact Karen Walker at 01246 568 801 or email You are also welcome to arrange a visit to the hospice to see what it would be like to work with us.

Proposed interview date: 1st December

Additional Support for Candidates

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive, fair, and accessible.

We welcome requests for reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process for individuals with disabilities, neurodiverse conditions, or long-term health conditions.

As part of our Disability Confident commitment, we guarantee an interview to disabled candidates who meet the essential criteria for the role.

All shortlisted candidates will receive interview questions in advance to support preparation.

Accessibility Resources:

If you need support completing your online application, you can contact the Disability Employment Service / Youth Employment Service via .

We also encourage candidates to complete and share a Health Adjustment Passport. This can help us understand any adjustments or support you may need during the recruitment process or in the workplace. Sharing your passport is entirely optional, but many people find it a helpful tool for identifying and discussing support needs.

You may also be able to access support through the Access to Work scheme - a government initiative designed to help people start or remain in work if they have a health condition or disability. This support can also apply during the recruitment process.

The following resources may also be helpful:

• Looking for work if you are disabled
• Reed in Partnership, Chesterfield Office: Call 0124 695 6275
• Disability Employment Service, Derbyshire County Council

Right to Work in the UK

All applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application and throughout their employment.

Ashgate Hospice does not currently hold a Skilled Worker sponsor licence and is therefore unable to sponsor visa applications or offer sponsorship for roles.

Applicants must ensure they have the legal right to work in the UK before applying.

We encourage applicants to check their eligibility using the UK Government's Right to Work and visa guidance before submitting an application. Applications from candidates who require sponsorship will not be progressed.

If you have any questions about adjustments or the recruitment process, please contact our People Services team at or call 01246 568 801.

We kindly ask that applicants who have previously been unsuccessful do not reapply for this role unless they can demonstrate significant additional skills, experience or development since their last application.