Head of Care

Location:

Rugby or Hybrid/ Home with ability to travel to meet the charity’s needs Reports to :
Chief Operating Officer (COO) Salary : £55,000 FTE (£33,000 pro rata for 0.6 FTE, 22.5 hours per week) Contract Type:
Part-time 0.6 FTE, Permanent Closing Date: 14 th August 2026 at 5pm

HCPT is a UK-based Catholic charity that provides life-changing pilgrimage experiences to Lourdes for children and adults with disabilities, complex medical needs, and social challenges of all faiths, and none. Every Easter and Summer, HCPT brings together thousands of volunteers, medical professionals, and chaplains to support pilgrims in a joyful, inclusive, and faith-filled environment. Our work is rooted in Christian values, community, and the belief that every person is uniquely gifted and loved.

HCPT is seeking a motivated, dynamic and strategic Head of Care/ Lead Nurse to support all of the care elements of our pilgrimage programmes to Lourdes, ensuring they are delivered safely, consistently and to the highest standard

We are looking for a committed healthcare professional who is a registered nurse, with significant management experience, sound clinical judgement, and the ability to work across the country with a dispersed network of volunteer nurses who support our mission, providing them with the guidance, oversight and assurance frameworks they need to care for our beneficiaries with confidence.

The postholder will be an integral part of HCPT’s team, shaping how we identify, manage and learn from the challenges inherent in delivering end-to-end care across a complex pilgrimage. As we move through our organisational change and transformation process, the Head of Care will strengthen our quality and clinical governance arrangements, reassuring that we deliver the highest possible standards of care and contributing to the ambition of HCPT to ensure we can deliver THE BEST pilgrimage experience we can offer, as defined and measured by our beneficiaries and volunteers.

This is a critically important role in volunteer-led organisation, and the successful postholder will need to balance safety and quality with the practical realities of a volunteer workforce - exercising flexibility including evening and weekend work to meet the business needs of the charity, given that our volunteer leaders have professional commitments during the day. This also includes an expectation of the role to be available to spend 2 weeks in Lourdes at Easter to lead our care function operationally, where calm, confident decision making in a live operational environment is essential.

• Act as HCPT’s senior professional nurse lead, setting the strategic direction for care and clinical practice across the organisation.
• Translate HCPT’s mission and strategic objectives into robust clinical and care strategies.
• Provide expert clinical advice to the CEO, Trustees and senior leaders, influencing organisational decision-making.
• Represent HCPT externally in professional, regulatory, or partnership forums where required.
• Exercise independent judgement in complex, high-risk clinical and safeguarding situations.
• Work in partnership with HCPT’s Chief Operating Officer who has oversight of safeguarding and care compliance.

• Lead the recruitment, selection, credentialing, and deployment of volunteer nurses, ensuring an appropriate skill mix and leadership structure.
• Ensure all nurses meet professional requirements (NMC registration, revalidation support, DBS, training).
• Provide professional leadership, supervision, and mentorship aligned with senior nurse responsibilities.
• Establish systems for appraisal, reflective practice, escalation, and performance management where required.
• Build a sustainable and engaged volunteer nursing workforce through strategic planning and support.

• Design and lead a clinical governance and quality assurance framework, consistent with Band 8a expectations.
• Use audit, data, feedback, incidents, and learning reviews to drive continuous improvement.
• Lead the review, development, and…