Frailty Team Lead

Frailty Team Lead

The closing date is 24 July 2026.

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust.

As a senior leadership role, the postholder will support Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs), nursing staff, and Allied Health Professional (AHP) colleagues to ensure the delivery of seamless, timely, high‑quality patient care across the Frailty Teams.

Main duties of the job

• Lead, manage, and coordinate Frailty Teams, ensuring delivery of high‑quality services.
• Prioritise patients with clinical deterioration, ensuring timely assessment, intervention, and ongoing management.
• Provide education and training in collaboration with the Consultant and Frailty Clinical Lead, enhancing staff confidence, competence, and skills.
• Oversee audit projects and review and update relevant guidelines and policies.
• Provide expert guidance on frailty care across all care groups.
• Serve as visible leadership, effective line management, authorised signatory, and budget holder for the Frailty Teams.
• Practice as an Advanced Nurse or AHP Practitioner when required.

Responsibilities

• Take an operational lead for frailty services within the University Hospital of North Durham (UHND) site.
• Deputise for the Frailty Team Matron and work closely with ANPs/AHPs.
• Act as line manager to all members of Hospital at Home ( ), Acute Frailty Team (AFT), and Frailty Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) regarding:
• Appraisal, clinical supervision, training and professional development
• Absence management in accordance with Trust policy
• Recruitment and selection of staff
• Grievances and disciplinary issues
• Allocation of work
• Rostering and management of leave
• Incidents and complaints
• Governance
• Ensure delivery of a high standard of service from

, AFT, and SDEC.

• Maintain quality of care through robust evaluation, reflection, and peer review.
• Attend Trust and care group meetings as requested.
• Provide high‑level clinical advice regarding frail patients.
• Work clinically as a practitioner to apply clinical skills.
• Collaborate with ward matrons and clinicians to report incidents and adhere to duty of candour.
• Promote good practice, lessons learned, and achievements within the organization.
• Lead audit processes to identify areas of poor compliance and partner with clinical teams to improve practice.
• Contribute to development and implementation of policies and procedures supporting clinical changes.
• Share good practices internally and externally.
• Ensure confidentiality of information following Information Governance standards.
• Support delivery of training and education for Frailty Teams throughout the Trust.
• Represent the Trust positively at all times.
• Attend essential training as required.
• Maintain professional knowledge, skills, and competence in line with NMC code and registration.
• Execute any other duties relevant to the grade.

Person Specification

Experience

• Strong leadership and people‑management skills, engaging, inspiring, and motivating staff.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, interpersonal skills, capable of influencing stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong decision‑making ability, prioritising and managing multiple tasks effectively.
• Expertise in operational management, resource allocation, capacity planning, and service improvement.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage competing demands in a dynamic clinical environment.
• Significant post‑registration experience at Band 6 or above.
• Proven experience in managing and leading multidisciplinary teams (nurses, ANPs, AHPs).
• Experience in service development, operational planning, and delivery of healthcare services.
• Experience with clinical audit.
• Statutory Registration
• NMC / AHP
• Special Requirements
• Full UK licence and access to own car with business insurance.

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse or Allied Health Professional with current professional registration.
• First‑level degree or equivalent in clinical management, leadership, or related field.
• Teaching and assessing qualification or equivalent.
• Demonstrable commitment to continuous professional development (CPD).
• Evidence of advanced clinical practice or leadership qualifications.
• Special Skills & Knowledge
• Extensive experience caring for frail patients.
• High level of personal & professional credibility.
• Supportive of colleagues.
• Organised.
• Reliable.
• Flexible.
• Motivated.
• Articulate.
• Innovative approaches to practice.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires submission of a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

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