CHC Clinical Lead in Ely

We are Central East ICB, the new organisation entrusted with serving more than 3.5 million people across Bedfordshire, Luton, Milton Keynes, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and Hertfordshire. We are responsible for making sure that the NHS can continue to support our community – now, and in the future. Everything we do will be guided by our core purpose: to do what best serves the population of this area. We promise to focus on what makes the biggest difference to people’s lives – acting earlier to help prevent illness and detect disease and making it easier for our community to get the health care they need, closer to home, whenever that’s possible.

Job overview

The Band 8a Clinical Lead for Continuing Healthcare (CHC) provides senior clinical leadership, expertise, and oversight across the CHC pathway, ensuring assessments, eligibility decisions, and reviews are person-centred, evidence-based, and compliant with the National Framework. The postholder supports safe, consistent, and legally robust decision-making in complex cases involving high levels of need, safeguarding, disputes, and clinical uncertainty. To provide advice to multidisciplinary teams, support CHC panels, and practitioners in clinical reasoning, risk assessment, and defensible decision-making. Clinical Lead high standards of clinical governance through audit, quality assurance, and performance improvement, ensuring learning from reviews and feedback is embedded. The postholder leads workforce development by coaching, mentoring, and delivering specialist training to enhance clinical knowledge and consistency across the service. Working collaboratively with local authorities, providers, acute and community services, safeguarding, and commissioning teams, they strengthen integrated working and support service improvement. The Clinical Lead contributes to policy implementation, service development, and continuous improvement, fostering a culture of accountability, fairness, and excellence. Through expert clinical leadership, the role ensures high-quality, compassionate, legally compliant Continuing Healthcare services that improve outcomes for patients and carers.

Main duties of the job

The Senior Manager (CHC Clinical Lead) provides senior operational and clinical leadership within the Integrated Care Board, supporting the Head of Service and Associate Director to deliver strategic priorities, service improvement, and high-quality Continuing Healthcare (CHC) services. The role is responsible for leading a defined portfolio, managing service performance, governance, budgets, and workforce development, while ensuring compliance with the National Framework and relevant legislation. The postholder provides expert clinical advice on complex cases, oversees quality assurance and decision-making processes, supports multidisciplinary working across health and social care partners, and drives continuous improvement through the use of data, evidence, and best practice. Through strong leadership, partnership working, and a focus on quality and outcomes, the Senior Manager contributes to the delivery of integrated, person-centred, and sustainable care services across the system.

Working for our organisation

We are committed to promoting equal opportunities to achieve equity of access, experience and outcomes and to recognising and valuing people’s differences. We are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity; we see this as a strength and part of our founding mission, values and behaviours. We know through experience that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger and more creative work environment that delivers patient outcomes. We are committed to creating the best place to work, where your contribution is valued, your wellbeing is supported and all our colleagues can reach their full potential. We welcome and encourage applications from all areas of the community, who meet the criteria for the role, regardless of their protected characteristic. We work to ensure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible to everyone, including making adjustments for people who have a disability or long-term condition and support with the recruitment process for people with lived experience. We are happy to discuss flexible working options for all roles. We operate a Carer friendly working environment that is supportive and inclusive. We actively encourage Carers to self-identify themselves. We are a Disability Confident Employer and commit to shortlisting suitable applicants who meet the essential criteria for an interview. Please inform us of any adjustments you may require.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For further information on this role please see the job description and person specification attached.

Person specification

• Educated to degree level or equivalent experience in a relevant field (e.g., health, care, public services, or management).
• Significant experience in senior management within a complex organisation, ideally in health or public services.
• Experience of operating in politically sensitive environments and managing competing priorities.
• Proven management experience in a multi-agency or complex environment.
• Experience in strategic planning, commissioning, or service redesign to improve outcomes and efficiency.
• Demonstrable success in delivering change, transformation, or service improvement programmes.

Please Note: This vacancy may close before the advertised closing date if a sufficient number of suitable applications are received. We recommend submitting your application early to avoid disappointment. Successfully shortlisted applicants will be contacted by email with an invitation to interview. Please note that we do not pay interview expenses, all costs are incurred by the candidate.

Notes on completion of applications: All reference requests will be made to your employer/previous employers' HR Department, covering the previous 3 years of activity. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expect all staff to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to robust safer recruitment processes. All eligible staff will need to have gained clearance through a standard/enhanced DBS check prior to working. All posts are subject to a probationary period.

You must have appropriate UK professional registration. This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.