Head Of Nursing - Complex Care

Head of Nursing – Complex Care

Unicare Complex Care Specialist Ltd

Service area: Surrey, Sussex, Berkshire and South London

Unicare is a CQC-registered, nurse-led provider with nine supported living services and community outreach. Our complex care division provides nurse-led and nurse-delegated care to adults and children in their own homes. Care includes tracheostomy, ventilation, enteral feeding, suctioning, oxygen therapy, seizure and rescue medication management, bowel care, and catheter and stoma care.

We are seeking a Head of Nursing to hold professional and clinical accountability for nursing and nurse-delegated practice across the complex care division. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, you will set clinical standards, oversee competence and delegation, and give an independent assessment of clinical risk, including when a package cannot be delivered safely.

This is a professional clinical leadership role. Operational management, staffing and rotas sit with the Head of Care.

What you will do

• Design and maintain the division’s clinical governance framework, including policies, clinical audits, package reviews, incident investigations and learning. Report findings and actions to the Chief Executive and Board.
• Maintain clinical assurance evidence for CQC, ICBs, commissioners and safeguarding partners, and represent Unicare during inspections and quality visits.
• Lead clinical incident reviews and serious incident investigations where required, including duty of candour and follow-through on corrective actions.
• Own the competency framework for delegated clinical tasks. Set standards for assessment, reassessment, supervision and withdrawal of competence, and maintain a live, auditable record.
• Ensure each delegated intervention is performed only by someone assessed and signed off as competent for that task and the person receiving care. Set the clinical content and pass standard for complex care training.
• Provide professional leadership and supervision for registered nurses delivering care under Unicare’s registration, including nurses engaged through contracts for services, within the terms of their engagement. Check registration, indemnity and relevant competence before they work on a package.
• Address professional practice concerns, including removing a nurse from a package and referring to the NMC where appropriate. Identify clinical governance risks arising from the workforce model and advise the Chief Executive.
• Assess complex care referrals and whether packages can be staffed and sustained safely. Set clinical readiness criteria before care begins, covering care plans, competence, equipment, emergency planning and family involvement.
• Assure clinical care plans, risk assessments and contingency plans, including end of life or advance care planning where relevant. Set standards for medicines management, recognising deterioration and responding to emergencies.
• Lead the clinical response and review when a package becomes unstable or fails.
• Assure compliance with applicable health and social care regulations, including Regulations 12 and 20, and the correct application of the Mental Capacity Act, consent, parental responsibility and Gillick competence where relevant.
• Provide senior clinical input to adult and children’s safeguarding enquiries, and brief the Chief Executive and Board on relevant clinical and regulatory changes.

The role covers complex care nursing and nurse-delegated practice, clinical governance, competence, referrals and the clinical content of training. Mental health nursing and Positive Behaviour Support sit with the Head of Mental Health Nursing. Where physical and mental health needs overlap, you will agree and document a joint clinical position.

This role calls for clinical credibility, sound professional judgement and the ability to uphold consistent standards across employed nurses and nurses engaged through contracts for services.