Job summarySpecialist Palliative Care Clinical Nurse SpecialistBase: Whitnash Lodge, Warwick. South Warwickshire CommunityPermanent 37.5 hours 7 day working 9.00 - 17.00 (weekend working cross county on a rota).
This is a rare opportunity to join an established Specialist Palliative Care Team in South Warwickshire Community. The team is supported by a Consultant and is part of the wider Specialist Palliative Care Team across Warwickshire. The role is based at Whitnash Lodge, Leamington and works closely with the local hospices, SWFT Community Nurses, Warwick Hospital and local GP's.
Main duties of the jobThe post holder will be a Palliative Care expert practitioner based within the community who will take a key role in strengthening the nursing contribution to patients and service users within the speciality across the organisation.
In partnership with the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) the post holder will develop, implement and evaluate a seamless Specialist Palliative Care Service. The role is vital in delivering the highest standards of clinical care and supporting efficiency to drive improvements in health outcomes.
Using advanced nursing practice; takes personal responsibility for shared management of a caseload of patients referred for Specialist Palliative Care and support.
The post holder will demonstrate highly developed and specialist knowledge and expertise and will be responsible for contributing to the ongoing development of innovative practice, research and standards of care.
The post holder will develop strategies to ensure practice development and education for other professionals caring for patients with Specialist Palliative Care needs.
About usCome and join a Trust rated Outstanding by the CQC. South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust have been rated as outstanding following our latest inspection by the CQC and we are recruiting new staff to come and help us improve even further.We provide services across Warwickshire and beyond ranging from Hospitals in Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Royal Leamington Spa and Shipston-on Stour to Community Services across the county. We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of productivity.Our values can be summed up in one sentence. We are 'Trusted to provide safe, effective and compassionate care'. Throughout the recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you demonstrate these values and how they impact on your work. It doesn't matter what role you do, whether it is patient facing or not, we are all working in the same way with our values at the core.DetailsDate posted: 15 July 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 7
Salary: £49,387 to £56,515 a year
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time
Reference number: 203-CS1213
Job locations: Whitnash Lodge, Leamington Spa Hospital, Warwick, CV34 6SR, United Kingdom
Job descriptionJob responsibilitiesExpertise & Excellence in Clinical PracticeDeliver evidence-based personalised and compassionate care which places quality at the heart of Specialist Palliative Care practice. Care will be responsive to individual needs and reflect current local protocols and national guidelines.
Act as the key accessible professional for the MDT proactively managing a clinical caseload for at least 70% of the role. This will necessitate high levels of autonomy and advocacy, using analytical and judgemental skills in undertaking differential diagnosis to ensure the delivery of appropriate care.
Work as an autonomous practitioner providing an expert level of care, developing own and others knowledge within Specialist Palliative Care.
Manage a caseload of patients and prioritise workload to meet patient and service need.
Use and apply technical knowledge of the Specialist Palliative Care to define, oversee and personalise care pathways for individuals through holistic needs assessment, planning and evaluation of care and all care interventions.
Effectively manages pathways of care, adapting to patients emerging needs by ensuring a planned and co-ordinated approach to care, supporting enhanced recovery and reducing inappropriate admissions to improve patient experience and safety.
Receive and act upon referrals directly from health care professionals and makes referrals to other team members and specialist departments as necessary to ensure optimal quality of care.
Act as a patient advocate to facilitate the process of shared decision making in respect to health, choice of treatment and care. Use interpersonal and communication skills where there may be significant barriers in order to build confidence. Ensure that patients individual needs are expressed and valued and individual care plans are understood.
Advise on the complex disease and symptom management for Specialist Palliative Care patients in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Evaluate response to interventions and advise on the adaptation of management.
Work autonomously in the development and delivery of nurse led or parallel clinics in line with National guidance and local service need.
Act as a resource providing clinical expertise, specialist advice and support across service boundaries to ensure optimum liaison and co-ordination of care.
Undertake clinical competencies relevant to this specialist service to demonstrate expertise in extended nursing roles.
Actively integrates theory and practice.
Contribute to weekend on call service for Specialist Palliative Care Team.
Management & LeadershipAct as a role model demonstrating high standards of holistic care and provide expert clinical leadership to others across the organisation.
Supervise the patient caseloads of more junior members of the nursing team assuming overall responsibility where applicable.
Lead and line manage junior members of the team of specialist nurses including responsibility for annual appraisal where applicable.
Embed public and patient involvement within the sphere of practice.
Determine measurable outcomes for the service and demonstrate continuous evaluation of practice making changes where necessary.
Contribute to lead on elements of the clinical governance agenda.
Participate in operational and strategic planning for the development and delivery of Specialist Palliative Care Services. Implement service improvements and efficiencies.
Attend Trust senior nurse meetings and contribute to the agenda and the strategic nursing vision.
Represent the Trust by contributing to and participating in meetings locally, regional and nationally relating to the speciality.
Lead or contribute to annual service review and write annual report to reflect service activity and development.
CommunicationTake personal responsibility for ensuring effective communication between all service providers.
Act as a role model for excellent advanced communication skills and expertise. Demonstrate advanced empathetic interpersonal and communication skills. This will involve frequently imparting significant news or supporting patients and carers during and following such consultations.
Effectively and sensitively communicate highly complex and sensitive information to emotionally distressed patients and family/carers at key points along the care pathway on a frequent basis.
As a core member of the MDT provide professional advice.
Refer to other health professionals and outside agencies to ensure optimum care and ongoing support for individual patients/carers, and to ensure the seamless transition from primary to secondary care appropriate to patients individual needs and circumstance.
Maintain links with local and national organisations, which support the care of patients within this speciality.
EducationIdentify and use advanced educational strategies to deliver complex information to patients and carers.
Influence the development of other professionals by leading or contributing to Trust wide specialist education and training.
Deliver formal and informal teaching initiatives as part of the Trusts education strategy as agreed with the appropriate senior nurse to ensure practice development, staff empowerment and improved care for patients.
Act as a mentor/clinical supervisor as appropriate.
Take personal responsibility for life-long learning and personal development through clinical supervision and appraisal. Actively engages with learning and development opportunities needed to work as an advanced practitioner and take appropriate action to ensure these needs are met.
Contribute to promoting educational links with local providers of higher education and deliver lectures on a range of courses.
Quality, Audit, Innovation & ResearchDevelop written patient information and use existing appropriate resources to inform users, according to individually assessed need.
Work within the NMC code of professional conduct.
Influence and develop policy and clinical guidelines to support the specialist service.
Collaborate with other MDT members to develop and update multi-professional Trust operational policies and guidelines.
Maintain patient records and ensure an effective documentation system to reflect the activity and delivery of specialist nursing care.
Promote the service and clinical excellence by publishing and presenting innovations, audit and research locally and nationally.
Use creative reasoning, experience and vision to advance care.
Develop new skills in response to emerging knowledge and techniques.
Instigate and manage change within a complex environment.
Maintain membership and attendance at national and local forums to network and debate issues to inform the specialist nursing role and service delivery.
Collate and record quantitative and qualitative data to provide evidence of productivity, outcomes and quality through audit and research.
Identify and conduct clinical audit in own specialist area.
Participate in clinical research relevant to practice area.
Develop links and system to seek the views of patient and carers to ensure service development is in line with user need.
Person SpecificationQualificationsEssential- Registered General Nurse, NMC registered
- First level degree in related subject
- Evidence of Masters level learning or willing to work towards
- Post basic qualification in palliative care
- Mentors & assessors qualification
- Evidence of successful completion of relevant clinical courses e.g. advanced assessment skills, independent prescribing
- Evidence of continued professional development
- Recognised teaching qualification (ENB 998, C&G 730 or equivalent) or experience
Desirable- Advanced communication skills training
- Leadership or management course
ExperienceEssential- Relevant and up to date post registration experience at band 6 or above within palliative care
- Experience of student supervision and teaching
- Proven leadership skills
- Experience of working autonomously within palliative care
- Experience of delivering patient advocacy
- Experience of research, audit and evidence-based care
- Experience of delivering change management
Desirable- Managing projects
- Managing a budget
SkillsEssential- Advanced clinical, managerial and leadership skills in palliative care
- Proven listening and counselling skills with the ability to manage complex situations and appropriately deliver sensitive and difficult outcomes
- Ability to clinically lead and influence others Up to date knowledge of current clinical and professional issues Excellent verbal, written, interpersonal and communication skills
- Managing a caseload
- Able to use skills of history taking and physical assessment to direct patient care
- Proven listening and counselling skills with the ability to manage complex situations and appropriately deliver sensitive and difficult outcomes
- Ability to clinically lead and influence others Up to date knowledge of current clinical and professional issues
- Excellent verbal, written, interpersonal and communication skills
Personal QualitiesEssential- Creative thinker
- Diplomatic
OtherDesirable- Flexible and positive approach to work
Disclosure and Barring Service CheckThis 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.
Certificate of SponsorshipApplications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK RegistrationApplicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer detailsEmployer name: South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Whitnash Lodge, Leamington Spa Hospital, Warwick, CV34 6SR, United Kingdom
Employer's website: Apply through our website
Employer contact detailsFor questions about the job, contact: Lead Nurse for Specialist Palliative Care, Paula Alsop, paula.alsop@swft.nhs.uk, 07557520494
