Clinical Lead for Palliative and End of Life Care in Reading

This is an exciting opportunity to join NELFT as a Complex Case Manager for Palliative and End of Life Care (Band 7) within the Integrated Community Team (ICT). The post holder will play a key role in identifying, assessing, coordinating, and managing the care of patients approaching the end of life, ensuring high-quality, compassionate, and person-centred care is delivered in the community.

Working autonomously and collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, primary care, hospices, acute providers, social care, and voluntary sector partners, the post holder will support patients to remain in their preferred place of care wherever possible, improve quality of life, and reduce avoidable hospital admissions. The role also provides clinical leadership, education, and support to community staff in palliative and end of life care.

Main duties of the job:

• Identify patients within the Integrated Community Team caseload who require palliative and end of life care support.
• Undertake comprehensive assessments and coordinate personalised care plans for patients and their families.
• Lead on advance care planning and ensure appropriate end of life pathways and documentation are in place.
• Support patients to remain in their preferred place of care and reduce unnecessary hospital admissions.
• Provide specialist advice, education, and clinical support to Integrated Community Team staff.
• Work collaboratively with GPs, hospices, acute trusts, social care providers, and other partner organisations.
• Facilitate multidisciplinary meetings and case conferences to support coordinated care delivery.
• Monitor patient outcomes, identify deterioration promptly, and coordinate appropriate interventions.
• Undertake audits, service improvement projects, and quality assurance activities related to palliative and end of life care.
• Provide regular debriefing and reflective support to staff managing complex and emotionally challenging cases.

The post holder will act as an autonomous registered practitioner who is professionally and legally accountable for their own practice in accordance with the NMC Code, Trust policies, and national guidance. They will be responsible for assessing, planning, coordinating, implementing, and evaluating highly complex packages of care for patients approaching the end of life.

Working across community settings, the Complex Case Manager will undertake comprehensive assessments, support the development of personalised care plans, and ensure that patients receive coordinated, high-quality care from all relevant services. They will monitor patients' changing clinical conditions, recognise deterioration, implement appropriate interventions, and coordinate ongoing support from multidisciplinary teams and specialist services.

A key aspect of the role is supporting advance care planning and ensuring that all patients requiring PEACE documents, end of life care plans, or other recognised pathways have the necessary documentation and arrangements in place. The post holder will advocate on behalf of patients and families, address barriers to care, and escalate concerns where appropriate.

The post holder will provide clinical leadership across the Integrated Community Team, acting as a specialist resource for palliative and end of life care. They will support workforce development through education, mentoring, joint visits, competency development, clinical supervision, and provision of debrief sessions. They will also participate in service evaluation, audit, governance processes, and the implementation of evidence-based practices to continuously improve patient outcomes and quality of care.

The role requires excellent communication, leadership, clinical decision-making, and partnership-working skills, alongside the ability to manage complex emotional situations involving patients, families, carers, and staff.

Starting with NELFT:

NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment.

As part of the process, new starters will also have the opportunity to meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop-in sessions focusing on engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Goodmayes, Essex.

Probationary Period:

This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).

High Cost Area Supplement – Fringe Zone:

This post attracts a High Cost Area Supplement (Fringe Zone), which covers areas just outside the M25, including parts of Surrey, Hertfordshire, Essex, and Kent. The Fringe Zone weighting is 5% of the basic salary, with a minimum payment of 1,346 and a maximum of 2,270 per annum, pro rata for part-time staff.

Working for Us:

Joining #TeamNELFT means you'll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We're CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London and Essex, providing community and mental healthcare services to adults and children.

The Trust has award-winning equality and diversity initiatives, alongside staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest significantly in your development because when you feel valued and supported, we can deliver the highest quality care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been recognised in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for five consecutive years, and hold a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Through our staff networks and training opportunities, we strive to foster a just and compassionate culture at NELFT.