Ward Manager

British Antarctic Surve; Worthing; On-site; GBP 49,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company/ NHS pension scheme

Up to 35 days annual leave

On-site education support & study-leaf

Bupa access option for healthcare

Free parking & meals subsidies

Gym discounts and Blue Light Card

Employee Assistance Programme

Death in Service

Job summary

Southern Hospice Group, including St Barnabas House, is seeking a Ward Manager to take overall day-to-day ward leadership and ensure safe patient care. You will lead the team, maintain standards, support development and occasionally provide direct patient care while deputising for senior colleagues.

You will bring current nursing registration, post‑registration palliative care skills and strong leadership with experience of managing multidisciplinary teams to deliver compassionate,

Qualifications

• Current Registered Nurse status and CPD ongoing.
• Postgraduate learning in palliative care and physical assessment.
• Substantial post-registration experience including senior clinical role.
• Strong leadership, communication and organisational skills.
• Experience in people management and multidisciplinary working.
• Specialist palliative care skills with evidence-based practice.
• Flexible, compassionate approach aligned with organisation values.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop ward team, foster a supportive environment.
• Oversee assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of palliative care.
• Maintain safe staffing and right skill mix.
• Monitor quality, governance, medicines management and records.
• Manage resources, including budgets, recruitment and attendance.
• Build relationships with patients, carers and partners.
• Promote learning for students and staff at all levels.

Skills

Registered Nurse

Palliative care CPD

Post-qualification assessment

Senior clinical experience

Leadership

People management

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Evidence-based practice

Compassionate approach

Education

Postgraduate palliative care

Postgraduate physical assessment

Job description

Location St Barnabas House Vacancy Type Full Time/Permanent Pay Range Grade 7 - £48,751 - £54,661 (DOE) Pro rata for part time roles Contracted Hours 37.5 Application Deadline Tuesday, October 27, 2026 Job Profile Job Profile document

Job Summary

About the role

As Ward Manager, you will take overall responsibility for the day-to-day management of the ward and the safe delivery of patient care. You will lead the team effectively, maintain professional and clinical standards, support learning and development, and work closely with colleagues across the multidisciplinary team. You will also remain clinically active, providing direct patient care when needed and deputising for senior colleagues where appropriate.

What you will do

• Lead, motivate and develop the ward team, creating a positive and supportive working environment.
• Oversee the assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of specialist palliative nursing care.
• Maintain safe staffing, effective deployment and the right skill mix across the ward.
• Monitor quality, clinical governance, medicines management, infection prevention and record keeping.
• Manage resources responsibly, including budgets, recruitment, attendance and performance.
• Build strong relationships with patients, carers, colleagues and external health and care partners.
• Promote learning by supporting students, apprentices and colleagues at every stage of their development.

What you will bring

• Current Registered Nurse status and relevant continuing professional development.
• Relevant postgraduate learning or qualifications in palliative care and physical assessment.
• Substantial post-registration experience, including experience in a senior clinical role.
• Strong leadership, communication and organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities.
• Experience of people management, service development and multidisciplinary working.
• Specialist assessment and palliative care skills, together with a commitment to evidence-based practice.
• A flexible, thoughtful and compassionate approach, aligned with our Values.

About us

Southern Hospice Group is the largest group of hospices in Sussex and one of the largest in the UK.We are committed to providing exceptional and compassionate care to adults, children and their families across Sussex. Bringing our teams and resources together as one organisation means we can focus on new and exciting visions and plans for our people and patients and provide even greater opportunities for our workforce.

St Barnabas House provides specialist palliative care to adults in the Worthing, Adur, Arun and Henfield areas through a range of services, including in-patient care and community living well services.

Chestnut Tree Houseis the children’s hospice for East and West Sussex and South East Hampshire, providing specialist palliative care for children and young people with life-limiting conditions.

Martlets provides essential care to people affected by terminal illness in Brighton and Hove and surrounding areas. Our expert teams provide the very best care and support, helping patients and their loved ones to live life to the full during the precious time they have together.

Benefits

• Company pension scheme or NHS pension scheme for eligible employees
• Up to 35 days’ annual leave inclusive of bank holidays
• On-site education support and study leave opportunities
• Option to access Bupa and cover your everyday cost of healthcare for less
• Free parking, subsidised meals and various social activities
• Corporate rate gym membership, discounts with local complementary therapies and Blue Light Card
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Death in Service

We warmly welcome applications from all sections of our community. We also invite applications from suitably experienced people for all industry sectors who can demonstrate the skills, ability and enthusiasm to work with a people-centric organisation like ours.

Artificial intelligence (AI)

Your application and interview should give us an accurate and authentic picture of your skills and experiences. Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

Before you submit an application, we will ask you to confirm the information you provide is true and accurate.

Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

Please note that we reserve the right to close this vacancy before the published closing date where applicant volume is high.

Some of our roles aresubject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it may be necessary for a disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.