Deputy Director of Nursing

Shape the future of hospice care in West Essex

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and inspirational senior nurse leader to join our hospice at a pivotal point in our organisational journey. Having successfully concluded a period of organisational restructuring and cost improvement, the hospice is on a strong financial footing and focused on developing sustainable, high-quality services that meet the evolving needs of our community.

Working alongside the Director of Patient Care and Quality, you will help shape and deliver our clinical strategy, ensuring services remain responsive, innovative and focused on achieving outstanding outcomes for patients and families.

As Deputy Director of Nursing, you will provide visible professional nursing leadership across the organisation, championing high standards of care, patient safety and clinical excellence. You will lead the development of nursing practice, workforce capability and professional standards, promoting evidence-based care and fostering a culture of continuous learning, accountability and improvement.

You will play a key role in clinical governance, workforce planning and service development, ensuring nursing care is delivered in line with professional standards, regulatory requirements and best practice. Working closely with clinical leaders, you will support the ongoing enhancement of specialist palliative and end of life care across all services.

The Deputy Director of Nursing is a highly visible senior nurse leader who combines strategic leadership, expert clinical practice, professional nursing leadership and operational oversight to ensure the delivery of outstanding palliative and end of life care.

As one of the most senior nurses within the organisation, the post holder will champion excellence in nursing practice, professional standards, education, workforce development and patient experience across all hospice services.

The Deputy Director of Nursing will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of hospice care through the development of innovative models of practice, workforce transformation, clinical education and quality improvement initiatives.

The post holder will be an experienced palliative and end of life care practitioner, holding independent prescribing qualifications and maintaining a level of direct clinical practice to ensure credibility, visibility and connection with patients, families and staff.

Working in partnership with the Director of Patient Care and Quality, the Deputy Director of Nursing will provide strategic and operational leadership across clinical services whilst acting as a professional role model, mentor and ambassador for nursing excellence both within the organisation and across the wider health and social care system.

St Clare Hospice is a charity providing specialist palliative care to improve the lives of people affected by a life-limiting illness in West Essex and the borders of eastern Hertfordshire. Our care helps patients, their families, and carers, to make the most of every moment together, no matter how long they have left to live. We support them both at home and in the Hospice.

Clinical Leadership and Professional Role Modelling

Act as the clinical and professional nursing lead for the organisation, championing excellence in hospice and palliative nursing care.

Provide direct line management, professional supervision, and performance oversight of Senior Clinical Nurse Specialists, ensuring high standards of specialistnursing practice, service delivery, and professional development.

Hold full line management accountability for the Community Hospice Services team, including Community CNSs and associated roles, with responsibility for workforce management, performance, capability, and professional conduct.

Ensure effective leadership, governance, and integration of the Community Hospice Services, including clarity of roles, accountability, and multidisciplinary working across organisational and system boundaries.

Provide highly visible leadership across inpatient, community, and specialist services.

Model compassionate, evidence-based, person-centred care in all clinical interactions.

Act as a professional role model aligned with the NMC Code, hospice values, and national best practice.

Deliver hands on nursing care commensurate with seniority.

Advanced Clinical Practice and Expert Professional Leadership

Maintain advanced clinical expertise in palliative and end of life care.

Undertake direct clinical activity appropriate to role seniority, including assessment,planning and management of patients with complex palliative care needs.

Practice as an Independent Non-Medical Prescriber.

Act as a source of expert clinical advice for nursing, medical and multidisciplinarycolleagues.

Lead the development of advanced clinical practice pathways across hospice

Services.

Support and supervise nurse prescribers and advanced practitioners.

Contribute to complex case review,…