Job summary
At Southern Hospice Group and Chestnut Tree House (CTH), we believe every child with a life-limiting condition deserves outstanding, compassionate care, wherever they are.

Following on from successful proof-of-concept, Southern Hospice Group (SHG) has been awarded the contract to establish a 24/7 consultant led childrens palliative and end of life care service for Sussex.

We are now recruiting to grow our team of clinical nurse specialists in Paediatric Palliative Care to support the mobilisation and delivery of the COAST (Childrens Outreach & Symptom Team) Service.

Working with our Nurse Consultant and Lead Consultant, this is a fantastic opportunity to be part of the clinical team that shapes and delivers a fully integrated 24/7 paediatric palliative care service across Sussex, working across home, hospice, community and hospital settings to improve continuity of care, reduce avoidable hospital admissions, and ensure families can access expert support whenever they need it.

You will use your specialist clinical skills, experience, knowledge and expertise to provide excellent care to babies, children and young people and their families/carers across Sussex. You will provide high quality symptom and palliative care, working closely with Chestnut Tree House (Childrens Hospice) and community teams to provide a seamless comprehensive service.

Main duties of the job

• Providing specialist paediatric palliative and end-of-life care across hospice, home, hospital and community settings
• Supporting complex symptom management, clinical decision-making and non-medical prescribing
• Supporting children and families through sensitive conversations, advance care planning and ReSPECT discussions
• Working in partnership with CTH in house and community team and the wider MDT to ensure that the care delivered is of the highest standard
• Acting as a specialist nursing resource for symptom and palliative care, monitoring and evaluating the effects of prescribed treatments, adjusting medication within agreed protocols in conjunction with the medical team

About us
Southern Hospice Group is the UKs largest local Hospice Group, comprising two adults hospices and one Childrens Hospice. We are committed to providing exceptional and compassionate care to adults, children and their families across Sussex. Bringing our teams and resources together as one organisation means we can focus on new and plans for our people and patients and provide even greater opportunities for our workforce.

Chestnut Tree House is the childrens hospice for Sussex and Southeast Hampshire, providing specialist palliative care for children and young people with life-limiting conditions.

St Barnabas House provides specialist palliative care to adults in the Worthing, Adur, Arun and Henfield areas through a range of services, including in-patient care and community living well services.

Martlets provides essential care to adults affected by terminal illness in Brighton and Hove and surrounding areas. Our expert teams provide the very best care and support, helping patients and their loved ones to live life to the full during the precious time they have together.

We warmly welcome applications from all sections of our community. We also invite applications from suitably experienced people from all industry sectors who can demonstrate the skills, ability and enthusiasm to work with a people-centric organisation like ours.

Date posted: 09 July 2026
Pay scheme: Other
Salary: £48,751 to £54,661 a year
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working
Reference number: B0265-26-0022
Job locations: Chestnut Tree House, Dover Lane, Arundel, West Sussex, BN18 9BX, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

• Providing professional and clinical leadership in the provision of symptom and palliative care across care settings for BCYP under the care of COAST palliative care team.
• To work in partnership with CTH In house and Community teams and the wider MDT, demonstrating excellent communication to ensure high quality seamless care for Children and Young people.
• Acting as an expert clinical resource for symptom and palliative care for BCYPs, their families and health care professionals across care settings. These settings will include hospice, hospital, home, school and GPs.
• Providing support to BCYPs and their families where required through community visits to hospital, home or hospice along with relevant healthcare professionals.
• Maintaining an awareness of the diverse nature of the COAST catchment area in order to provide child/family centred care.
• Demonstrating a high degree of professional autonomy, using clinical judgement to provide advice, always referring to the nurse consultant or medical consultants as required.
• Actively involved with the on-going development of the COAST service, in particular the symptom management service and contributing to development through research, audit and quality improvement.
• Providing clinical support and continuity of care to babies, children and young people with symptom and palliative care needs.
• Taking joint responsibility with the consultant for the development of individual and generic symptom management plans in liaison with the CTH contracted GPs and external nursing / medical providers.
• Supporting and educating families with symptom and palliative care needs in conjunction with the Consultant in Palliative Medicine, the Symptom Management Team and other members of the multi-disciplinary team (MDT).
• Jointly monitoring and evaluating the effects of prescribed treatment, adjusting medication within agreed protocols and in conjunction with the medical team.
• Facilitating the completion of Advance Care Plans including resuscitation plans (when competent), symptom management plans and ambulance directives liaising with all appropriate stakeholders.
• Working in partnership with all members of the MDT, encouraging and promoting effective team working from all disciplines within CTH.
• Work in collaboration with the in-house and community teams, taking the lead as needed, to facilitate hospital discharges for end of life, compassionate extubation, step down care and symptom management to ensure a smooth transition and excellent liaison. Undertake family and professional meetings at referring hospitals as needed.
• Coordinating transition to adult services when appropriate in conjunction with the transition coordinator.
• Providing educational and supportive strategies to meet the needs of the BCYPs with complex symptoms.
• Follow all hospice safeguarding policies and procedures ensuring escalation of safeguarding concerns in a timely manner.
• Acting as a knowledgeable resource for specialist advice and facilitating practice, knowledge and skill in relation to the specific needs of patients and families receiving palliative care and provide appropriate bereavement support.
• Attending relevant outpatient clinics and MDT meetings.
• Contributing to the clinics run by the team at the hospices with the Consultant in Paediatric Palliative Care.
• Ensuring written communication and correspondence is to a high standard and shared with relevant professionals on contacts with CYPs.
• Participate in the community on call provision with progression to the symptom management on call rota (separate arrangement) when fully competent.

Person Specification
Experience
Essential

• Specialist experience in neonatal/paediatric palliative care
• Proven experience of teaching
• Significant experience of palliative care, end of life care, symptom management, peri-natal/neonatal or community care
• Proven leadership and management experience
• Demonstrable experience in audit, quality improvement
• Proven experience of effective multi-professional working

Qualifications
Essential

• Registered Nurse (Child)
• First level degree in related topic
• Post graduate qualification in palliative care, childrens community nursing, neonatal or relevant subject
• Evidence of master's level learning
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Physical Assessment course
• Nurse prescriber or willingness to work towards within 12 months of appointment
• Advanced communication course or similar

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications 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, apply through our website.

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 on the UK Visas and Immigration website (apply through our website).

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see the NHS Careers website (apply through our website).

Employer details
Employer name: Southern Hospice Group
Address: Chestnut Tree House, Dover Lane, Arundel, West Sussex, BN18 9BX, United Kingdom
Employer's website: Apply through our website

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact:
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Leanne Asling
Hroperations@southernhospicegroup.org.uk
01903706317

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