Fair Havens Community Team Manager

We have an opportunity for an experienced senior nurse to join our Adult Community Team, based out of Fair Havens hospice, located near beautiful Priory Park. The role of Team Manager provides operational and clinical leadership to the Fair Havens Community Team and Hospice Rapid Access Service (HRAS), ensuring the safe, effective, and responsive delivery of high-quality palliative care services. Due to the leadership and operational nature of this role, the position is primarily on-site/community-based (typically 4 - 5 days a week), to support direct team leadership, collaboration, and service delivery. Homeworking is not a standard arrangement for this role. We regret that the charity does not offer any sponsorship opportunities, and all candidates should hold the right to work full-time in the UK.

Main duties of the job

• The post holder will be responsible for workforce management, service delivery, and clinical oversight, ensuring care is patient-centred, evidence-based, and delivered in line with organisational policies, regulatory standards, and national guidance.

Job responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day leadership and management of the Community Team in partnership with the FHCT Matron and Band 6 Sisters/Charge Nurses, including oversight of students and volunteers.
• Ensure safe and effective staffing through workforce planning, rota management, and clear allocation of workload and priorities.
• Manage annual leave and unplanned absences to maintain safe staffing levels and continuity of service delivery.
• Lead recruitment, onboarding, and probation processes, ensuring new employees are supported and all probation requirements are completed in line with organisational policy.
• Ensure all employees receive regular one-to-one supervision and annual appraisal, with clear objectives and development plans in place.
• Provide clinical leadership and oversight of the FHCT and HRAS caseload, supporting complex decision-making, contributing to MDT discussions, and acting as nurse in charge when required to ensure care is safe, effective, and responsive.
• Use feedback from employees, patients, and colleagues to inform continuous improvement in personal and team performance.
• Promote and embed safeguarding practices, ensuring risks to children and adults at risk are identified, managed, and escalated appropriately.
• Promote person-centred care that upholds dignity, respect, and independence for all patients.
• Manage employees performance, capability, and conduct in line with organisational policy and the ACAS Code of Practice, ensuring fair, consistent, and well-documented processes.
• Foster a culture where employees feel able to raise concerns, ensuring these are addressed constructively with a focus on learning and improvement.
• Monitor and ensure compliance with mandatory training and organisational policies across the team.
• Promote equality, diversity, and inclusion, ensuring a culture free from discrimination in line with the Equality Act 2010.
• Provide clinical oversight of the community team, ensuring high-quality, patient-centred care that is responsive to individual needs and aligned with organisational policies, procedures, and professional standards.
• Ensure patients receive holistic assessment, with appropriate care planning, implementation, and evaluation undertaken by the team in accordance with best practice and regulatory requirements.
• Provide specialist advice and leadership in symptom management and end-of-life care, supporting employees with complex clinical decision-making.
• Promote a supportive and inclusive care culture that prioritises psychological safety, encourages learning, and involves patients, families, and carers in care decisions wherever appropriate.
• Maintain patient confidentiality and ensure all information is handled in accordance with data protection and organisational policies.
• Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams and external professionals across primary and secondary care settings to ensure coordinated and effective care delivery.
• Ensure safe and effective medicines management in line with organisational policy and professional accountability standards.
• Act as an advocate for patients and families, ensuring their needs, preferences, and dignity are always upheld, including during end-of-life care and bereavement support.
• Support the development of employees and students through supervision, teaching, and participation in clinical education activities.
• Ensure safe moving and handling practices are followed, including the appropriate use of equipment and adherence to relevant policies and procedures.
• Comply with infection prevention and control requirements, including the appropriate use of personal protective equipment, and work safely in environments where there may be exposure to hazardous substances.
• Contribute to the effective delivery of community hospice services through collaborative team working.
• Communicate decisions clearly and effectively to employees, patients, families, and colleagues, including volunteers, ensuring understanding and appropriate action.
• Develop and oversee effective rota systems that support safe service delivery, considering workforce capacity, fatigue, and service demand.
• Ensure appropriate delegation and oversight of employees supervision processes, maintaining accountability for completion and follow-up of agreed actions.
• Promote a proactive and solution-focused approach to service delivery, supporting employees to identify and resolve issues constructively.
• Ensure compliance with organisational policies, procedures, and health and safety requirements.
• Lead and contribute to team meetings, ensuring effective communication, shared learning, and engagement across the service.
• Lead investigations into incidents as required, ensuring timely action, compliance with policy, and implementation of learning to improve safety.
• Represent the service at internal and external meetings, including deputising for the FHCT Matron where required.
• Contribute to the development and review of policies and procedures, supporting their implementation within the team.
• Participate in and, where appropriate, lead risk management processes, including relevant governance or risk subgroup meetings.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• First level Degree or Diploma in Nursing
• Current and unrestricted practice registration with the NMC
• Post registration education and training up to Post Graduate Diploma level or equivalent
• Full UK Driving Licence and access to own vehicle with business insurance

Skills & Experience

• Demonstrable significant experience at Band 7 level of leading and managing a nursing and care team
• Experience in managing people processes, such as absence management, appraisals, performance management and investigating concerns, as per Acas best practice
• Knowledge and experience of identifying and managing safeguarding concerns
• Demonstrates evidence-based practice and quality improvement methodology
• Ability to communicate sensitively and diplomatically with a wide range of people
• Ability to use Microsoft Office (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams), databases, other relevant software and systems, and the internet to an intermediate level
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Experience in coaching and mentoring team members.

Job Related Skills

• Able to manipulate a range of clinical equipment to deliver patient care where there are narrow margins for error
• Ability to concentrate on clinical tasks, working methodically and paying attention to detail
• Demonstrates evidence-based practice and is willing to learn and develop new skills
• Ability to update and maintain records, databases, and other systems accurately and efficiently.

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.

£47,810 to £54,710 a year Up to £54,710.00 per annum depending on experience.