Bi- Borough Urgent Community Response Pathway Lead

Site: Kensington Town Hall, Town Kensington and Chelsea

Salary: £64,156 – £71,148 per annum incl. HCAS (pro‑rated if part‑time)

Contract: 12 months (fixed‑term)

Hours: Full time – 37.5 hours per week (08:00 – 16:00, Monday to Friday)

Closing date: 15/02/2026 23:59

About CNWL

CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) employs almost 8,000 staff to provide integrated healthcare to a third of London's population, Milton Keynes and surrounding areas. We involve service users, carers, the public, staff and partner organisations in our way of working. Our catchment includes diverse communities, speaking over 100 first languages, from affluent to deprived areas. We are committed to equality for LGBT+, BME and people with disabilities and actively encourage local involvement to make a difference. We are recognised for high‑quality, innovative care and often contribute to national health strategy and policy. Many of our care models have been adapted for use internationally.

Job Overview

The Community Independence Service (CIS) is a growing part of Intermediate Care. Through our Urgent Community Response pathway, we deliver admission‑avoidance support, providing timely, high‑quality care in patients’ homes via a diverse multi‑professional team. We are seeking an experienced nurse or professional who is passionate about patient care and thrives in a collaborative environment. This bi‑borough role supports the Urgent Community Response pathway across Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea. The post is ideal for someone creative, adaptable, and committed to ensuring patients receive the best care. Strong leadership skills are essential, as you will contribute to service delivery and support the wider multi‑disciplinary team. The successful candidate will work across both bases with guidance from the Borough Leads, Head of Service, and Clinical Lead. You will be jointly accountable to two managers, benefiting from their ongoing support. We support professional development with supervision, Personal Development Reviews and opportunities to lead service and quality improvement projects. Development prospects are excellent within a supportive, friendly, forward‑thinking team. This is a demanding, specialist post. We recommend contacting us for an informal discussion or visiting one of our teams before applying.

Main Duties of the Job

This is a highly skilled clinical post requiring management of clinical risk in a fast‑paced community environment. Key responsibilities include:

• Lead the borough‑based clinical pathway for the urgent community response (nurses, paramedics and AHPs) and Home First Pathway; direct line management of clinicians in the pathway and professional responsibility for senior clinicians as required.
• Ensure staff in the pathway provide effective assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of care that meets professional and organisational quality standards.
• Maintain adequate nursing and therapy staff rosters, ensuring appropriate skills to safely meet patient needs.
• Carry out direct clinical work for a proportion of your time, managing a complex clinical caseload and acting as a role model for excellence in clinical care provision.
• Operate within evenings (08:00 – 20:00) and 7 days a week, with monthly weekend day cover and a management on‑call rota.

Working for Our Organisation

The bi‑borough Urgent Community Response Service is a multi‑disciplinary team of nurses, therapists, health technicians, HCAs and pharmacy staff. We take pride in skilled clinicians and strong teamwork, supported by a positive culture of shared lunches, celebrations, and staff recognition. This is reinforced by regular compliments from service users and partner organisations.

In return, we offer:

• A supportive environment to learn and develop
• Opportunities to work with a Consultant Geriatrician and extend knowledge beyond standard practice
• Regular statutory and mandatory training
• Strong focus on work–life balance
• Opportunities to deliver training sessions
• Full NHS benefits package plus lease car option

Detailed Job Description and Main Responsibilities

Overall responsibility for the safe and effective delivery of care to patients accepted into the service. Establish effective communication links with community colleagues, supporting integrated working and smooth hand‑over of care. Manage budgets effectively at the delegated level, participating in organisational and divisional budget monitoring arrangements. Maintain safe staffing levels, monitor rostering arrangements, minimise vacancies and lead timely recruitment and selection processes. Ensure all new staff in the pathway receive a comprehensive induction and orientation and that all staff have ongoing personal development programmes. Govern the team, investigating complaints and incidents to ensure lessons learnt are shared and implemented. Plan the workforce, manage recruitment and selection and conduct ongoing performance management including appraisals and objective setting. Manage the clinical performance of staff you directly line‑manage, ensuring interventions are commensurate with required competency. Ensure the service pathway meets all Key Performance Indicators, CQUINS and QIPP requirements. Develop and implement recovery plans as required, reporting progress to senior management. Take responsibility for plans, projects and programmes for your own service area as delegated. Maintain and develop high performance in the clinical pathway by managing staff absence, performance and conduct in accordance with HR policy and good people‑management practices. Record sickness absence information on a monthly basis via the Trust absence reporting system. Instigate a schedule of minuted weekly staff meetings to ensure effective team communication, clinical excellence and staff support. Analyse data associated with the team and suggest improvements based on reported statistics and facts. Provide rapid and effective support to staff to solve problems, handle informal patient feedback and convey difficult or contentious information sensitively. To communicate service information when required to own staff, management team and external agencies in an effective and professional manner. Represent your service area at relevant internal and external meetings in a professional and positive manner. Occasionally provide high quality clinical leadership and support to staff outside your own pathway where required. Undertake management duties in line with Trust values – Compassion, Respect, Empowerment, Partnership.

Person Specification

Education and Qualification

• Relevant registered Nursing or AHP qualification.
• Relevant Professional Body Membership.
• Evidence of continued professional development to Masters level or equivalent.
• Evidence of working in a multi‑disciplinary team in a leadership role.
• Teaching/Mentoring experience.
• Demonstrate postgraduate training relevant to this area of working.
• Understanding of current health service policies.
• Non‑Medical Prescribing requirements.
• Good understanding of Primary Care.
• Extensive clinical experience at band 7 of acute disease management and crisis care.
• Experience managing a complex patient case load.
• Experience of leading and managing a clinical team.
• Substantial post‑qualification experience of acute disease management and crisis care.
• Assessing and care planning for complex patients.
• Previous community clinical experience in an inner city/urban environment.
• Experience of line management of clinical staff including performance management and staff development.
• Experience of leading and managing a multi‑disciplinary team.
• Report writing for the public domain.
• Develop and maintain communication with people about difficult matters and/or in difficult situations effectively.
• Demonstrate the application of Trust values – Respect, Compassion, Empowerment, Partnership with an engaging and approachable management style.
• Inspirational and influential leadership style.

Skills and Knowledge

• In‑depth physical assessment skills.
• History taking and clinical examination skills.
• Advanced communication and interpersonal skills.
• Experience of safeguarding processes.
• Knowledge of long‑term conditions including end‑of‑life care.
• Experience of working in a multi‑disciplinary team.
• Knowledge and experience of working with people with Dementia.
• Project management skills and experience.
• Knowledge and understanding of current NHS policy and economic drivers for health care including commissioning arrangements.

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.

Due to high response levels we may expire any vacancies prior to the advertised closing date; submit your application as soon as possible. Applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applicants. Please check eligibility under the UKVI points‑based system to avoid disappointment. Our Agenda for Change employment contracts are subject to a 13‑week probationary period. If offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

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