Job summary
We are looking for two skilled and compassionate nurses to join our experienced and supportive Hospice at Home team, could it be you? Both roles will care for patients and families across our North Lancashire and South Lakes communities, with one post based from the Hospice in Lancaster and the other from our Windermere base. These roles matter.

At St John's Hospice, we place patients and those closest to them at the heart of everything we do, and our Hospice at Home service provides specialist palliative and end of life care in the comfort and familiarity of a person's own home. If you are passionate about making a meaningful difference during some of life's most challenging moments, we would love to hear from you.

This is a rewarding role where clinical expertise, compassion and dignity underpin the care and support we provide. You will deliver skilled, person-centred nursing care to patients with complex palliative and end of life care needs.

Hospice at Home serves the whole of North Lancashire, South Lakeland, Cumbria and includes parts of North Yorkshire, and visits may be anywhere in this catchment area. It is essential you hold a full UK manual driving licence and access to a vehicle during working hours.

Main duties of the job
JOB PURPOSE

• To provide skilled nursing care for patients with palliative and end of life care needs and their family in a community setting.
• To raise clinical standards and promote a learning environment for other health care providers. Be responsible for planning, assessing, implementing and evaluating patient care.
• Works effectively with community professionals, support services and members of the primary health care and palliative care teams.
• To support and direct Registered Nurses, Assistant Practitioners and Healthcare Assistants in implementing individualised plans of care.
• To lead and coordinate shifts, managing the team of Registered Nurses, Assistant Practitioners, Healthcare Assistants and volunteers, ensuring future shifts are adequately covered with staff according to the changing needs of the service.
• Support and contribute to an environment of continuous quality improvement.
• Work flexibly to meet service demands, which will include unsocial hours, weekends, bank holidays as part of the nursing rota, as well as rotating to other appropriate patient care areas within the organization as required.

The ideal candidate would have previously worked in a community setting; however, we would welcome applications from experienced individuals without community service.

About us
St John's Hospice is a well established and respected local charity, offering free palliative care to patients with life shortening conditions both in our Inpatient Ward Unit and within the community, through our Hospice at Home service.

The St Johns Hospice at Home team is a dedicated group of Nurses and Health Care Assistants, who are skilled and experienced in caring for people in the last few weeks of life. They provide this care in patients homes from Grasmere to Garstang and from Sedbergh to Morecambe including remote areas.

Our Hospice at Home service is led by an experienced and supportive Management Team. Our patients are at the heart of everything we do, and you would play a key role in a person's wish to stay, and be cared for within their own home, providing crucial care for them and their loved ones.

The Hospice at Home team work closely with District Nursing teams and GPs, making sure palliative patients have the extra attention and specialist care they need. Our service works alongside them, not instead of them.

St John's Hospice is rated as CQC Good.

Details
Date posted: 28 August 2026
Pay scheme: Other
Salary: £40,560 to £41,808 a year
based on 37.5 hrs/week, dependent on pension scheme
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: B0502-26-0007
Job locations: Slyne Road, Lancaster, LA2 6ST, United Kingdom; Oldfield Court, Windermere, Cumbria, LA23 2HJ, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
MAIN DUTIES

• Participate in the assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of evidence-based nursing care for patients and their families
• Provide support, information and advice to patients, families and professional colleagues
• Develop knowledge and expertise in symptom management
• Supervise the work of junior members of the team, student nurses and volunteers

Clinical

• Work with the multidisciplinary team involved in the total holistic care of patients and families integrating nursing care with their physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs.
• Assess the individuals needs of the patient and families and be professionally accountable whilst complying with policies, procedures and current legislation
• Demonstrate personal clinical competence and expertise in palliative care
• Participate in progress reviews of nursing care and team work at regular intervals
• Provide competent care in venepuncture, cannulation, verification of expected death, male catheterisation and intravenous care where competence has been proven and verified.
• Ensure up to date, accurate patient healthcare records at all times, which are completed with the patient and familys support and knowledge
• Maintaining the strict confidentiality of all information acquired especially with regard to patients and staff.
• To be a co-operative and supportive member of the team, ensuring that all members are aware of any issues in the post holders workload, which may affect other members of the team.
• To manage all volunteers utilised in the area and to develop effective working relationships providing regular feedback on their performance.
• Adhere to all standard operating procedures for St Johns Hospice Services.

Communication

• Participate in professional discussions as appropriate and act as a patient advocate if required.
• Update members of the MDT regarding patient situations as required, ensuring care is patient-centered.
• Promote a multidisciplinary approach to patient care by contributing and communicating effectively with the team.
• Participate in internal and external Multidisciplinary Team meetings.
• Use communication and interpersonal skills to communicate difficult or sensitive information to patient, families, carers and staff.
• Ensure patients and families are aware of treatment plans and aims whilst being cared for at home.
• Attend and participate in service and team meetings

Management

• Manage and maintain a safe clinical environment utilising allocated resources safely and effectively.
• Ensure competency in the use and function of equipment and report any malfunctions immediately, ensuring patient safety at all times.
• Lead and co-ordinate shifts managing the team of Registered Nurses, Assistant Practitioners and Healthcare Assistants ensuring patients and their families receive the highest standard of care
• Be aware of and adhere to the Hospice policies and procedures and act at all times with the NMC standards, Code of Conduct and guidelines
• Report any issues to your line manager at the earliest opportunity
• Contribute to practice development and specific clinical governance projects.
• Line manage a cohort of Healthcare Assistants.

Education and development

• Develop and maintain relevant knowledge and skills and be responsible for own continuing professional development.
• Participate in the appraisal system and agree a personal development plan with the line manager in line with the Hospice strategy, personal needs and requirements of the post. This will include mandatory training needs which must be completed & will be achieved through a variety of processes including regular 1-2-1s with Line Managers or senior colleagues, annual appraisal and development reviews.
• Provide mentor support to new staff, students and volunteers
• Attend Hospice education sessions relevant to the post-holders educational needs.
• Contribute to the co-ordination and development of teaching and learning activities within Community Services and to the paid education program.
• Co-operating fully in the introduction of any new technology and new methods as appropriate.
• To promote at all times the Hospice philosophy and uphold St Johns core values.
• Use opportunities to extend clinical and professional knowledge.
• Accept accountability for own clinical practice and maintain and continue professional development
• Promote a questioning and analytical approach to health care delivery.

Audit

• To contribute to the development and implementation of evidence-based practice
• Support audits undertaken within Community Services.
• Respond to initial complaints from patient/family and report to senior staff
• Report any near misses, accidents or incidents as per Hospice policy

Other

• To be an ambassador for St Johns Hospice as a charity engaging in public speaking and fundraising initiatives as required.
• To be aware of the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018 and follow codes of practice to ensure safeguarding of confidential information
• To undertake other duties appropriate to the role as agreed with the Director of Nursing and Quality
• To be willing to embrace development opportunities as they arise.

STANDARD/ENHANCED DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENT
Enhanced DBS disclosure + Adult Barring Check required for this post. The cost of this check is currently £54.30 and this will be deducted from the successful applicants first salary payment.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES TO ST. JOHNS HOSPICE
Please refer to the uploaded Job description for full details of the points below
1. Confidentiality
2. Health and Safety
3. External Interests
4. Statutory Training
5. Flexibility
6. Safeguarding
7. Disclosure and Barring
8. Equality and Inclusion
9. Volunteers

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• RGN.
• Full UK Driving Licence.
• Mentorship or similar qualification, or willingness to undertake.

Desirable

• Diploma in Health Studies.
• Qualifications in teaching and assessing, oncology, palliative care.
• Evidence of continued professional development.

Experience
Essential

• At least 2 years post registration experience in acute / community setting.
• Palliative Care experience.

Desirable

• Multidisciplinary working.

Knowledge and Skills
Essential

• Evidence of good written and oral communication skills.
• Confident in basic IT skills, including Microsoft Office

Desirable

• Clinical Audit.
• Management experience.
• Confident in electronic patient records.

Values and personal attributes
Essential

• Commitment to provide high standards of patient care.
• Self-motivated, commitment to principle of life-long learning.
• Able to work independently and in a team.
• Professional attitude and behaviour.
• Demonstrate values and ethos of the Hospice.

Other
Essential

• Access to a vehicle during working hours (business insurance cover required).

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 (opens in a new window).

Employer details
Employer name: St John's Hospice
Address: Slyne Road, Lancaster, LA2 6ST, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.sjhospice.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Head of Hospice at Home, Annie Haygarth, jobs@sjhospice.org.uk, 01524382538

St John's Hospice is an equal opportunities employer.