Clinical Lead - Nursing Home in Westwood

About Shottendane Nursing Home

Shottendane Nursing Home is a CQC-registered care provider located in Margate, Kent, forming part of the Discovery Care Group Holdings portfolio. We are committed to delivering high-quality, person‑centred nursing care to our residents in a safe, dignified, and compassionate environment. Our service is regulated under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and inspected by the Care Quality Commission against the five key lines of enquiry: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, and Well‑Led.

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Clinical Lead to join our dedicated team at Shottendane. This is a pivotal role within our nursing home, providing clinical oversight and leadership to ensure that the highest standards of nursing care are consistently maintained, evidenced, and improved.

The Role

The Clinical Lead will assume responsibility for the overall clinical governance and quality of nursing care delivered across the home. Working in close partnership with the Registered Manager, the post‑holder will champion best practice, provide mentorship and supervision to nursing and care staff, and ensure full compliance with all relevant statutory, regulatory, and professional standards. This is an operationally active leadership position requiring the Clinical Lead to maintain a clinical caseload while carrying out management responsibilities, acting as a professional role model and point of clinical reference at all times.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Clinical Governance and Quality Assurance: Lead and oversee all clinical practices within the home, ensuring compliance with CQC fundamental standards and the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. Conduct, supervise, and audit the completion of individualised care plans, risk assessments, and clinical documentation across all residents, including those subject to Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) authorisations. Implement, monitor, and evaluate clinical audit programmes and improvement plans in response to regulatory findings, complaints, or internal quality reviews. Ensure safe medicines management across the home in accordance with the NMC Standards for Medicines Management and the organisation's controlled drugs policy.
• Leadership and People Management: Provide direct line management, supervision, and performance oversight for nursing staff and senior care workers, supporting capability development and professional growth. Participate in recruitment, induction, and ongoing appraisal processes for clinical staff in conjunction with the HR and Operations function. Lead clinical team meetings, reflective practice sessions, and act as a resource for complex or sensitive clinical decision‑making.
• Resident Care and Safeguarding: Ensure that all care delivered is person‑centred, dignified, and responsive to the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of each resident in accordance with the Care Act 2014. Act as a safeguarding lead for clinical matters, ensuring that all concerns are identified, documented, and referred in accordance with local safeguarding adults procedures and the organisation's safeguarding policy. Facilitate collaborative working with GPs, community nursing teams, pharmacists, social workers, and other multidisciplinary professionals to promote holistic resident outcomes. Uphold the rights and autonomy of residents with fluctuating or diminished mental capacity, applying the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and supporting Best Interests decision‑making processes.
• Regulatory Compliance and Reporting: Prepare the clinical service for CQC inspections, including maintaining inspection‑ready evidence files, KLOE documentation, and provider information returns. Ensure timely and accurate completion of statutory notifications to the CQC where required, and liaise with the Registered Manager in all matters of regulatory significance. Monitor and report on clinical indicators including falls, pressure injuries, infections, hospital admissions, and weight loss, implementing improvement actions as appropriate.

Person Specification

Essential Requirements:

• Current, active registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a Registered Nurse — Adult (RN/RGN) or Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMN), without conditions or restrictions.
• Demonstrable post‑registration clinical experience in a nursing home, community nursing, or equivalent elderly/complex care setting.
• Proven experience in a senior nursing or clinical leadership role, including supervision and mentorship of junior nursing staff.
• Sound working knowledge of CQC regulatory requirements, safeguarding legislation, MCA 2005, DoLS, and the Care Act 2014.
• Strong clinical assessment skills, with the ability to recognise and respond appropriately to clinical deterioration and acute presentations.
• Demonstrable ability to lead, motivate, and communicate effectively with multidisciplinary teams and external professionals.

Desirable Requirements:

• Recognised qualification or certification in clinical leadership, care management, or a specialist clinical field (e.g. dementia care, palliative care, wound management).
• Experience of contributing to or leading CQC inspection readiness or mock inspection programmes.
• Familiarity with electronic care management systems such as Nourish or CareDocs.
• Knowledge of NICE guidelines applicable to nursing home populations.

What We Offer

Discovery Care Group Holdings is committed to investing in our people. We recognise that the quality of care we provide to our residents is inseparable from the quality of support we provide to our staff. In joining Shottendane Nursing Home as our Clinical Lead, you will receive:

• A competitive salary, reflective of your experience and the seniority of this role.
• Continued professional development opportunities, including funded training and access to clinical supervision.
• A supportive management structure with direct access to senior operational leadership.
• A stable, values‑driven working environment within an established care provider.
• Enhanced DBS check, funded by the organisation.
• Workplace pension in accordance with auto‑enrolment legislation.