Head of Care & Quality

Job responsibilities

Main duties & responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Service Development

• As part of the Senior Leadership Team, contribute to the strategic leadership of KEMP Hospice and support delivery of the organisations strategic aims.
• Lead on the development and implementation of the clinical services strategy across KEMP Hospice, ensuring services remain responsive, high quality, sustainable and aligned to local need.
• Lead the ongoing development and implementation of Hospice at Home as part of KEMPs wider clinical services strategy, ensuring the service is safe, effective, sustainable, responsive to local need and well integrated with KEMPs existing services.
• Utilise a range of internal and external data sources to review and develop Care Services, involving service users and key stakeholders, to ensure existing and emergent patient, client and family outcomes are achieved.
• Promote and support evidence-based practice and actively encourage research initiatives within KEMP and externally, within ethical committee guidelines.

Operational Leadership & Service Delivery

• On behalf of KEMP Hospice, hold the positions of CQC Registered Manager, Deputy Safeguarding Lead for Adults and Children, Accountable Officer for Controlled Drugs and Caldicott Guardian.
• Provide strong, visible and supportive leadership to the managers of the Care Services, including Hospice at Home, enabling them to effectively lead their teams, deliver safe and responsive care, and continually review, develop and improve services.
• Be accountable for the safe operational delivery, quality assurance and continuous improvement of Hospice at Home, ensuring effective coordination with internal teams and external partners to support patients and families in community settings.
• As senior clinical lead, role model and lead by example to assure the highest levels of professional performance and conduct, ensuring all Care Services and Hospice at Home team members and volunteers fulfil the requirements of their job descriptions and adhere to all organisational policies and procedures.
• Ensure record keeping, information management, cleanliness, infection control, nutrition and hygiene standards meet hospice policies and procedures in line with ICB Grant specifications and wider regulatory expectations.
• Ensure Care Services training and development plans support the appropriate skills mix required for hospice and community service delivery.

Quality, Safety & Clinical Governance

• Be accountable for ensuring KEMP Hospice adheres to the highest standards of clinical governance, quality and safety across all Care Services, including Hospice at Home.
• Provide leadership and oversight in relation to audit, risk management, safeguarding, incident management, complaints, policy development, learning from events and continuous improvement.
• Chair the Quality & Safety Group, ensuring the group provides effective oversight, scrutiny and assurance in relation to clinical quality, safety, governance and service improvement.
• Ensure that matters arising through the Quality & Safety Group are appropriately escalated, monitored and reported through the Hospice Services Committee and other relevant governance routes as required.
• Accountable for ensuring that all safeguarding regulations are adhered to and that mandatory training, policies and procedures reflect best practice.
• Working with Senior Team colleagues, ensure all complaints, concerns, accidents and incidents are handled effectively and efficiently, in accordance with hospice procedures and best practice.

People Leadership & Culture

• Accountable for the recruitment, retention and development of Care Services staff and volunteers, ensuring effective workforce planning, staffing models, clinical skill mix and capacity across hospice-based and community-based services, including Hospice at Home.
• Oversee professional learning and development of the Care Team and ensure the provision of appropriate support, reflective practice and clinical supervision.
• Hold all staff and volunteers in positive regard and foster a culture of respect and consideration between all members of KEMP.
• Work across departments at KEMP, supporting effective communication and collaborative working as one team.
• Work closely with the Head of People & Operations to promote a culture of compassion, inclusion, accountability, continuous learning and high professional standards.

Partnerships, Representation & External Relationships

• Represent KEMP externally, attending regional and network meetings, building relationships with other providers, commissioners and regulators of palliative and end of life care, and health and social care, with the aim of contributing to and influencing the specialist palliative and end of life care agenda regionally.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with GPs, district nursing teams, acute and community providers, specialist palliative care teams, commissioners and other partners to support coordinated care, appropriate referrals, safe discharge pathways and equitable access to KEMPs services, including Hospice at Home.
• Work collaboratively with the Head of Fundraising & Communications and internal and external stakeholders to provide information and data for funding applications, ensuring the maximisation of available trusts and grants to support the hospices services, including service development opportunities.
• Support fundraising, marketing, communications and community engagement in order to increase the reach of KEMP Hospice across Wyre Forest and surrounding areas.

Finance, Performance & Reporting

• Be responsible for monitoring against key targets, providing and analysing data to enable effective governance of services, inform strategic development and monitor the external environment locally, regionally and nationally, to anticipate changing demands on service provision.
• Working closely with the Head of Finance, be accountable for setting and monitoring the Care Services budgets, including Hospice at Home, ensuring services operate within agreed budgetary parameters and that resources are deployed effectively to support safe, high-quality and sustainable service delivery.
• Prepare clinical statistics and high-quality reports for H&W ICB, NHS Quality Account, Board of Trustees, Hospice Services Committee, and other stakeholders and forums as necessary.
• Contribute to service evaluation, business planning and performance reporting to support the future sustainability and development of KEMPs clinical services.

All KEMP employees are expected to:

• Demonstrate a commitment to their own development, to take advantage of education and training opportunities and develop their own competence.
• Support and encourage harmonious internal and external working relationships.
• Make a positive contribution to fundraising and raising the profile of the Hospice.
• Provide support and advice to colleagues within KEMP within your area of expertise by working closely with the Multi-disciplinary Team within KEMP
• Always behave in a professional manner, reflecting and maintaining KEMP values.

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered healthcare professional with current registration with the appropriate professional body (e.g. NMC, HCPC or equivalent).
• Degree-level qualification or equivalent professional experience in a relevant health, nursing, allied health or care-related discipline.
• Evidence of continuing professional development relevant to leadership, quality, governance and/or palliative and end of life care.
• Evidence of safeguarding training appropriate to the role.

Desirable

• Postgraduate qualification in a relevant subject such as leadership, management, palliative care, healthcare quality, governance or a related field.
• Management or leadership qualification.
• Formal training or qualification in safeguarding, clinical supervision, quality improvement or service development.
• Qualification or recognised training relevant to palliative and end of life care.
• Experience / Knowledge

Experience

Essential

• Significant senior leadership or management experience within a healthcare, hospice, palliative care, community care or similar regulated care setting.
• Experience of leading and developing clinical or care services, including service improvement and change.
• Experience of leading, managing and supporting multidisciplinary teams, including line management responsibility.
• Strong understanding of clinical governance, including audit, risk management, incident management, complaints, safeguarding and policy development.
• Experience of working within a regulated environment, with a sound understanding of CQC requirements and quality standards.
• Experience of working collaboratively with a range of internal and external stakeholders, including health and social care professionals, commissioners and partner organisations.
• Experience of preparing and presenting reports, data and service updates for senior leaders, committees, boards or external stakeholders.
• Experience of budget management and resource planning.
• Knowledge of current issues, challenges and developments in palliative and end of life care, community health and/or hospice services.
• Understanding of the importance of equality, diversity, inclusion and person-centred care in service delivery.

Desirable

• Experience of working within a hospice or specialist palliative and end of life care setting.
• Experience of supporting or leading community-based services, including care delivered in patients own homes.
• Experience of leading or supporting the development and implementation of a Hospice at Home or similar community service model.
• Experience of acting in a senior governance role such as Registered Manager, Caldicott Guardian, Safeguarding Lead or similar.
• Experience of working with commissioners, grant funders or external partners to support service development or sustainability.
• Experience of contributing to inspections, quality reviews or regulatory submissions.
• Knowledge of outcome measures, service evaluation and quality improvement methodologies.
• Experience of supporting evidence-based practice, research or innovation in care services.
• Skills / Attributes
• Confident and credible in representing the organisation externally.
• Able to work with ambiguity and complexity in a calm and solution-focused way.
• Demonstrates resilience, emotional intelligence and self-awareness.
• Passion for developing services to meet future community need.

Skills / Attributes

Essential

• Strong and visible leadership skills, with the ability to inspire, motivate and support others.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build credibility and positive working relationships at all levels.
• Ability to think strategically while also maintaining oversight of operational delivery.
• Strong organisational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritise effectively in a demanding environment.
• Ability to analyse information, interpret data and use insight to inform decision-making and service development.
• Ability to manage change positively and lead teams through periods of development and transition.
• Demonstrates sound judgement, accountability and professionalism.
• A commitment to compassionate, inclusive and high-quality care.
• Ability to work in line with and actively promote KEMP Hospices values.

About you / person specification

Essential

• Be friendly with excellent communication skills, reflecting the We Care value.
• Demonstrate honesty, trustworthiness, and reliability, embodying We have Integrity.
• Exhibit exceptional time management and organisational skills.
• Show commitment to KEMP Hospice, colleagues, and service users, living We are Collaborative and We are Inclusive values.
• Bring passion and enthusiasm to their work while seeking innovative solutions.
• Create a culture of respect and inclusion for everyone.
• Display energy, drive, and resilience, delivering under pressure while ensuring sustainability.
• Inspire, empower, and collaborate with team members and stakeholders.
• Demonstrate self-awareness and openness to feedback, encouraging continuous learning.

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).