Job summary
Join Claire House Childrens Hospice in Transforming Lives
Are you a visionary leader with a passion for palliative care and a commitment to making a lasting difference in the lives of babies, children, young people and their families. Claire House Childrens Hospice is seeking an exceptional Director of Care and Family Services to lead our dedicated team and drive forward our mission to provide high-quality, family-centred palliative care ensuring that every baby, child, young person who is seriously and terminally ill receives the very best care and support, together with their family, whenever and wherever they need it.
About the Role
As the Director of Care and Family Services, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our hospice services. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, you will be a key member of the Executive Leadership Team and will lead the Clinical Leadership Team. Your strategic vision and leadership will be essential in delivering our Together Towards Tomorrow strategy and ensuring the highest standards of care and support for the whole family.
Main duties of the job
Key Responsibilities
- Strategic Leadership: Develop and implement strategic and operational plans to enhance our care services, aligning them with our mission and values.
- Visible Leadership: Provide strong, collaborative leadership across the Care and Family Services directorate and foster a truly positive team environment.
- External Relations: Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including healthcare providers, regulatory bodies, and strategic networks.
- Clinical Governance: Ensure compliance with Care Quality Commission standards and drive continuous improvement in clinical standards.
- Financial Management: Manage the care service budget and resources effectively, ensuring financial sustainability and maximum impact of our funding.
About us
Claire House Childrens Hospice helps seriously and terminally ill children live life to the full bycreating wonderful experiences and bringing back a sense of normality to family life.
By providing specialist nursing and end of life care, as well as emotional support, Claire House helps families through some of the toughest times of their lives.
Claire House has a team of trained professionals who are as passionate about what they do as they are talented at doing it. Our staff includes nurses, physiotherapists, play specialists, and counsellors.
We have two sites, a full hospice on the Wirral and a second site in West Derby, Liverpool, offering day-care, complementary therapies, clinics, play and music sessions, and counselling.
At Claire House, you will be part of a compassionate and dedicated team that is committed to providing the best possible care for children and their families. We offer a supportive and collaborative environment, opportunities for professional development, and the chance to make a real impact in the lives of those we serve.
Join us in making a difference. Together, we can transform the experience of every terminally and seriously ill baby, child and young person, alongside their families.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Part 1: Job Profile
Main Purpose of Job
To lead and develop Care and Family Services at Claire House Childrens Hospice, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, family-centred palliative and end of life care services to babies, children, young people, and their families in accordance with our mission, values, and strategic objectives.
Position in Organisation
- Reports to Chief Executive
- Leads the Clinical Leadership Team
- Member of the Executive Leadership Team
- Collaborates closely with: Executive Leadership Team colleagues, Board of Trustees, other departments within the organisation, and external stakeholders such as strategic networks, other childrens hospices, healthcare providers, and regulatory bodies.
Scope of Job
- Strategic leadership of Care and Family Services
- Enabling the delivery of our Together Towards Tomorrow Strategy
- Strategic leadership to develop and embed Claire House as a centre of excellence including the delivery of education, training and research
- Accountable for the development and delivery of care and family services
- Accountable for the management of care service budget and resources
- Ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, particularly CQC standards
- Accountable for the development of care and family services policies
- Promoting hospice services and building external partnerships
- Providing expert clinical advice and guidance to the Board of Trustees and Executive Leadership Team
- Nominated Individual for the CQC and for ensuring responsibilities such as Registered Manager, Caldecott Guardian, and Controlled Drugs Accountable Officer
- Executive Safeguarding Lead.
Dimensions & Limits of Authority
- Authority to make decisions regarding the development, management and delivery of Care and Family Services
- Financial authority within the care service budget
- Required to consult with the Chief Executive, Executive Leadership Team and Board of Trustees on major strategic decisions and budget approvals.
Qualifications & Skills Level
- Registered Childrens / Registered Nurse with valid NMC registration, or other highly qualified healthcare professional.
- Degree or masters level education in a relevant field
- Extensive experience in palliative and end-of-life care
- Proven leadership and management skills and experience
- Strong understanding of clinical governance and regulatory requirements
- Impeccable communication and interpersonal skills
- Ability to work collaboratively and build strong relationships internally and externally.
Part 2: Duties & Key Responsibilities (with indicative %)
Strategic Leadership (30%)
- Accountable for the development and implementation of the strategic and operational plans for Care and Family Services, particularly in delivering on our Together Towards Tomorrow strategy, and shaping Claire House services for the future
- Ensure alignment of care services with our mission, values, and strategic objectives
- Ensure that the evolution of services and decision making on future service development is evidence-based
- Represent Claire House at regional, national and international levels, promoting our services and building strong external partnerships (including with Commissioners)
- Play an active role in the Executive Leadership Team, and in the overall Governance of Claire House, in partnership with our Trustees.
Leadership (25%)
- Provide strong, visible leadership across all Care and Family Services, and across Claire House as an active member of our ELT
- Oversee workforce planning, recruitment, and service development
- Foster a positive and collaborative team environment, in line with Claire House values
- Ensure there is effective personal development and performance management of all care staff
- As the Executive Safeguarding Lead ensure effective support and guidance in relation to all aspects of safeguarding including allegations involving LADO
- Ensure effective support systems (including supervision) are in place for all staff.
External Relations (20%)
- Build and maintain relationships with other hospices, healthcare providers, and regulatory bodies
- Promote Claire House services
- Build and maintain external partnerships, including commissioners and regional and national palliative care networks and organisations
- Leading and participating in key external networks for CYP Palliative and end of life care
- Participate in promotional activities, including representing Claire House in fundraising initiatives.
Clinical Governance (15%)
- Ensure compliance with Care Quality Commission standards and other regulatory requirements
- Accountable for the development and implementation of care policies and procedures
- Accountable for high clinical standards and ensure continuous improvement through audits and feedback mechanisms
- Ensure the maintenance of an up-to-date risk register, and that high scoring risks have clear mitigation plans to reduce or minimise clinical and organisational risks.
Financial Management (10%)
- Manage the care service budget, ensuring effective allocation of resources
- Participate in budgetary and financial planning as part of the Executive Leadership Team
- Monitor and control expenditure from the care directorate budget, working closely with the Finance Team
- Enable the continued development of the commissioning of our services.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Part 1: Job Profile
Main Purpose of Job
To lead and develop Care and Family Services at Claire House Childrens Hospice, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, family-centred palliative and end of life care services to babies, children, young people, and their families in accordance with our mission, values, and strategic objectives.
Position in Organisation
- Reports to Chief Executive
- Leads the Clinical Leadership Team
- Member of the Executive Leadership Team
- Collaborates closely with: Executive Leadership Team colleagues, Board of Trustees, other departments within the organisation, and external stakeholders such as strategic networks, other childrens hospices, healthcare providers, and regulatory bodies.
Scope of Job
- Strategic leadership of Care and Family Services
- Enabling the delivery of our Together Towards Tomorrow Strategy
- Strategic leadership to develop and embed Claire House as a centre of excellence including the delivery of education, training and research
- Accountable for the development and delivery of care and family services
- Accountable for the management of care service budget and resources
- Ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, particularly CQC standards
- Accountable for the development of care and family services policies
- Promoting hospice services and building external partnerships
- Providing expert clinical advice and guidance to the Board of Trustees and Executive Leadership Team
- Nominated Individual for the CQC and for ensuring responsibilities such as Registered Manager, Caldecott Guardian, and Controlled Drugs Accountable Officer
- Executive Safeguarding Lead.
Dimensions & Limits of Authority
- Authority to make decisions regarding the development, management and delivery of Care and Family Services
- Financial authority within the care service budget
- Required to consult with the Chief Executive, Executive Leadership Team and Board of Trustees on major strategic decisions and budget approvals.
Qualifications & Skills Level
- Registered Childrens / Registered Nurse with valid NMC registration, or other highly qualified healthcare professional.
- Degree or masters level education in a relevant field
- Extensive experience in palliative and end-of-life care
- Proven leadership and management skills and experience
- Strong understanding of clinical governance and regulatory requirements
- Impeccable communication and interpersonal skills
- Ability to work collaboratively and build strong relationships internally and externally.
Part 2: Duties & Key Responsibilities (with indicative %)
Strategic Leadership (30%)
- Accountable for the development and implementation of the strategic and operational plans for Care and Family Services, particularly in delivering on our Together Towards Tomorrow strategy, and shaping Claire House services for the future
- Ensure alignment of care services with our mission, values, and strategic objectives
- Ensure that the evolution of services and decision making on future service development is evidence-based
- Represent Claire House at regional, national and international levels, promoting our services and building strong external partnerships (including with Commissioners)
- Play an active role in the Executive Leadership Team, and in the overall Governance of Claire House, in partnership with our Trustees.
Leadership (25%)
- Provide strong, visible leadership across all Care and Family Services, and across Claire House as an active member of our ELT
- Oversee workforce planning, recruitment, and service development
- Foster a positive and collaborative team environment, in line with Claire House values
- Ensure there is effective personal development and performance management of all care staff
- As the Executive Safeguarding Lead ensure effective support and guidance in relation to all aspects of safeguarding including allegations involving LADO
- Ensure effective support systems (including supervision) are in place for all staff.
External Relations (20%)
- Build and maintain relationships with other hospices, healthcare providers, and regulatory bodies
- Promote Claire House services
- Build and maintain external partnerships, including commissioners and regional and national palliative care networks and organisations
- Leading and participating in key external networks for CYP Palliative and end of life care
- Participate in promotional activities, including representing Claire House in fundraising initiatives.
Clinical Governance (15%)
- Ensure compliance with Care Quality Commission standards and other regulatory requirements
- Accountable for the development and implementation of care policies and procedures
- Accountable for high clinical standards and ensure continuous improvement through audits and feedback mechanisms
- Ensure the maintenance of an up-to-date risk register, and that high scoring risks have clear mitigation plans to reduce or minimise clinical and organisational risks.
Financial Management (10%)
- Manage the care service budget, ensuring effective allocation of resources
- Participate in budgetary and financial planning as part of the Executive Leadership Team
- Monitor and control expenditure from the care directorate budget, working closely with the Finance Team
- Enable the continued development of the commissioning of our services.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Extensive experience in palliative and end-of-life care for CYP
- Experience in a senior leadership or management role within a hospice or healthcare setting
- Experience of clinical governance and compliance with regulatory bodies
- Experience of budget management and financial planning
Desirable
- Experience of working with commissioners and other funders to develop services
- Experience of working in a charitable organisation
- Experience of collaborative service development
- Experience of holistic assessment and individualised planning of care
- Experience of effective collaborative working with professionals from other agencies and disciplines
- Experience of clinical audit
- Experience and understanding of clinical supervision and reflective practice
- Experience of line management of large clinical or multiprofessional teams including appraisals and performance management
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Commitment to the mission and values of Claire House Childrens Hospice
- Ability to work under pressure and manage time effectively
- Flexibility and willingness to adapt to changing needs
- Integrity, compassion, and professionalism
- Innovative, creative and forward thinking
- Proven ability and resilience to cope with stressful and challenging situations and support staff in this
Miscellaneous
Essential
- Enhanced DBS check required
- Full driving license and use of own vehicle for business purposes
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Childrens Nurse or Registered Nurse with valid NMC registration
- Degree or masters level education in a relevant field
Desirable
- Leadership qualification or training
- Palliative Care qualification
Knowledge and understanding
Essential
- Knowledge of regulatory requirements and clinical governance
- Extensive knowledge & understanding of palliative and end-of-life care for babies, children and young adults
- Understanding of counselling and family support, and the long-term impact of these services
- Knowledge of budget management and financial planning
- Awareness of the needs of children and young people with life-limiting conditions
- Knowledge and understanding of all aspects of Safeguarding in relation to CYP
Desirable
- Knowledge of relevant guidance, NMC and local policies to support clinical practice
- Knowledge and understanding of Data Protection Principles & patient confidentiality
- An understanding of grief, loss, and the psychology of trauma on children, families, and staff
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Extensive experience in palliative and end-of-life care for CYP
- Experience in a senior leadership or management role within a hospice or healthcare setting
- Experience of clinical governance and compliance with regulatory bodies
- Experience of budget management and financial planning
Desirable
- Experience of working with commissioners and other funders to develop services
- Experience of working in a charitable organisation
- Experience of collaborative service development
- Experience of holistic assessment and individualised planning of care
- Experience of effective collaborative working with professionals from other agencies and disciplines
- Experience of clinical audit
- Experience and understanding of clinical supervision and reflective practice
- Experience of line management of large clinical or multiprofessional teams including appraisals and performance management
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Commitment to the mission and values of Claire House Childrens Hospice
- Ability to work under pressure and manage time effectively
- Flexibility and willingness to adapt to changing needs
- Integrity, compassion, and professionalism
- Innovative, creative and forward thinking
- Proven ability and resilience to cope with stressful and challenging situations and support staff in this
Miscellaneous
Essential
- Enhanced DBS check required
- Full driving license and use of own vehicle for business purposes
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Childrens Nurse or Registered Nurse with valid NMC registration
- Degree or masters level education in a relevant field
Desirable
- Leadership qualification or training
- Palliative Care qualification
Knowledge and understanding
Essential
- Knowledge of regulatory requirements and clinical governance
- Extensive knowledge & understanding of palliative and end-of-life care for babies, children and young adults
- Understanding of counselling and family support, and the long-term impact of these services
- Knowledge of budget management and financial planning
- Awareness of the needs of children and young people with life-limiting conditions
- Knowledge and understanding of all aspects of Safeguarding in relation to CYP
Desirable
- Knowledge of relevant guidance, NMC and local policies to support clinical practice
- Knowledge and understanding of Data Protection Principles & patient confidentiality
- An understanding of grief, loss, and the psychology of trauma on children, families, and staff
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).
Additional information
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).
