Job Description
Job title: Head of Clinical Services & Quality
Responsible to: Director of Clinical Services
Responsible for: Care Directorate
The Head of Clinical Services & Quality is a senior nursing leadership role with a strong operational focus. The post holder is the CQC Registered Manager and acts as Deputy to the Director of Clinical Services, providing day-to-day leadership, oversight and assurance across all clinical services.
The role holds line management responsibility for the Integrated Nursing Team, Therapies and Wellbeing Team, and Education and Governance Team, ensuring safe, effective and high-quality care delivery across hospice, community and outreach settings.
The post holder plays a critical role in service stabilisation, scaling and transformation, particularly during periods of system change. They will provide visible clinical leadership, ensure regulatory compliance, manage operational risk, and support delivery of a responsive, outcomes-driven model of care.
The post holder must be a Registered Nurse, participate in the senior on-call rota, and demonstrate strong operational, leadership and decision-making capability.
Job Summary
Haven House Childrens Hospice is seeking a highly experienced senior nurse leader to join our leadership team as Head of Clinical Services & Quality.
This is a key operational leadership role at a time of significant service development across North East London. The post holder will act as Deputy to the Director of Clinical Services and will be the organisations CQC Registered Manager, with responsibility for quality, safety and day-to-day clinical delivery.
The role
You will provide operational leadership across all clinical services, including hospice-based care, Hospice at Home and end-of-life services. You will line manage the Integrated Nursing Team, Therapies and Wellbeing Team, and Education and Governance Team, ensuring services are safe, responsive and well governed.
The role includes participation in the senior on-call rota and requires confident, timely decision-making in complex and sometimes high-pressure situations.
Main Responsibilities Include:
- Operational leadership of clinical services across hospice, home and community settings
- Acting as CQC Registered Manager and maintaining regulatory compliance
- Oversight of quality, safety, governance, incidents and safeguarding
- Workforce leadership, including supervision, appraisal and development
- Supporting service mobilisation, expansion and transformation
- Deputising for the Director of Clinical Services as required
About You
You must be:
- A Registered Nurse with current NMC registration
- An experienced senior clinical leader with strong operational skills
- Confident managing quality, risk and regulatory requirements
- An effective people manager and visible clinical leader
- Calm, organised and values-led
- Experience in childrens palliative care, hospice care or complex community services is desirable, but transferable senior leadership experience will be considered.
Benefits
As an employee you will be entitled to the following range of benefits:
- Flexible working
- Agenda for Change Band 8a terms and conditions including pension
- Free onsite parking
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Eye care voucher scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
- Interest free season ticket loan
- Blue Light Card discount scheme
Haven House is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. Employment is subject to receipt of satisfactory references and an enhanced DBS check.
Details
Date posted: 20 January 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 8a
Salary: £55,690 to £62,682 a year plus high cost area supplement
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number; B0186-26-0000
Job locations: The White House, Woodford Green, Essex, IG8 9LB
Key Responsibilities
Clinical Leadership and Operations
- Provide senior operational leadership across all clinical services, ensuring safe staffing, effective deployment and high standards of care
- Act as Deputy to the Director of Clinical Services, supporting strategic delivery and deputising as required
- Lead the day-to-day operational management of the Integrated Nursing Team, Therapies and Wellbeing Team, and Education and Governance Team
- Ensure services operate safely across hospice, home and community settings, including Hospice at Home and end-of-life services
- Support service mobilisation, expansion and transformation, ensuring workforce readiness, induction and supervision
- Participate in the senior on-call rota, providing clinical and operational decision-making out of hours
CQC Registered Manager Responsibilities
- Act as the CQC Registered Manager for Haven House clinical services
- Maintain continuous readiness for CQC inspection under the Single Assessment Framework
- Ensure compliance with all relevant regulations, standards and guidance
- Lead responses to CQC engagement, inspections and follow-up actions
- Provide assurance to Trustees and the Senior Leadership Team regarding regulatory compliance and risk
Quality, Safety and Governance
- Provide executive-level oversight of clinical governance, patient safety and quality improvement
- Ensure robust systems are in place for incident reporting, investigation, learning and improvement
- Oversee serious incident management, complaints handling and safeguarding processes
- Ensure learning from incidents, audits and feedback is embedded into practice
- Maintain oversight of clinical risk registers and escalation processes
- Work closely with the Education and Governance Team to ensure alignment between quality, training and practice
- Promote a culture of continuous improvement
Workforce Leadership and Line Management
- Line manage senior clinical leaders across nursing, therapies, wellbeing and governance
- Ensure effective appraisal, supervision, professional development and workforce wellbeing
- Support recruitment, retention and succession planning for clinical teams
- Foster a culture of accountability, learning, compassion and continuous improvement
- Address performance, conduct and capability issues in line with Haven House policies
Integrated Working and System Leadership
- Represent Haven House at system-level meetings with NHS, ICB, local authority and partner organisations
- Support integrated working across acute, community and hospice services
- Contribute to system planning, pathway development and service redesign
- Promote equitable access to hospice services across diverse communities
Professional Responsibilities
- Practice in accordance with the NMC Code of Conduct, Performance and Ethics
- Maintain professional registration and ongoing professional development
- Ensure confidentiality and information governance in line with legislation and Caldicott principles
- Attend safeguarding, clinical and management supervision as required
General Requirements
- To behave at all times in line with Haven House values and behaviours
- To attend staff meetings, training and supervision as required
- To uphold privacy, dignity and respect for children, families and colleagues
- To actively promote equality, diversity and inclusion
This job description is not a definitive or exhaustive list of responsibilities but identifies the key responsibilities and tasks of the post holder. The specific objectives of the post holder will be subject to review as part of the individual performance process.
About Haven House
Haven House is committed to Equal Opportunities in Employment and therefore it is our aim to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on grounds of gender, disability, religion, race, colour, sexual orientation, and nationality, ethnic or national origins or is placed at a disadvantage by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be justifiable.
Haven House is responsible under the existing equality and diversity legislation to ensure equality issues are promoted and you are expected to work with Haven House to fulfil these obligations, policies and codes of good practice.
Employees must take reasonable care and be aware of the responsibilities placed on them under the Health & Safety at Work Act (1974) and to ensure that agreed safety procedures are carried out to maintain a safe environment for employees, patients and visitors.
Haven House is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. Employment is subject to receipt of satisfactory references and an enhanced DBS check.
Essential
Skills and Abilities
- Strong operational leadership and decision-making skills
- Excellent communication and influencing skills
- Ability to manage risk and respond to crisis situations
- Strong people management and supervision skills
- Ability to work under pressure and manage competing priorities
- High level of organisational and planning skills
- Confidence working across organisational boundaries
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree or equivalent qualification in nursing or healthcare
Experience
Essential
- Senior clinical leadership experience in childrens or palliative care
- Experience of operational management of clinical services
- Experience as CQC Registered Manager or deputy
- Strong knowledge of CQC regulation and inspection frameworks
- Experience of leading multidisciplinary teams
- Experience of incident management, complaints and safeguarding
Desirable
- Experience of service transformation or scaling
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Visible, credible clinical leader
- Calm, resilient and solution-focused
- Values-led with strong professional integrity
- Commitment to safeguarding and equality
- Flexible and responsive to service need
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.
Employer details
Employer name: Haven House Childrens Hospice
Address: The White House, Woodford Green, Essex, IG8 9LB
Employer's website: https://www.havenhouse.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
