Director of Care & Quality ellenor

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Join us as our next Director of Care & Quality and use your skills and experience to inspire, transform, and strengthen our services to deliver exceptional, compassionate care for children, adults, and their families.

• Location: Gravesend, Kent, DA11 7HQ

Who we are We are ellenor , a hospice charity, providing vital support to patients and families facing life-limiting illnesses in North Kent and Bexley.

At ellenor, we embrace life, offering support from the moment of diagnosis and beyond.

Our specialised services extend to both adults and children across Dartford, Gravesham, Swanley and Bexley.

For adults, we offer a range of essential services, including an Inpatient Ward and Community Services, made up of and Care Home Support. We also provide wellbeing and therapeutic services, designed to address people's physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs.

For children and young adults, we provide specialised hospice care within the community, including end-of-life care, clinical nursing and oncology support in their own home, as well as respite and wellbeing services.

Our full range of services is available for children, young people and their families living in Gravesend, Dartford and Swanley. We also provide children's respite and wellbeing services within Bexley.

We support a core population of 335,000 people across North Kent and Bexley. As the population continues to grow, the demand for our services is set to increase significantly, yet we remain dedicated to providing essential care and support when it matters most.

About the role This is a pivotal leadership position at the heart of the executive leadership team, offering the opportunity to shape services at a time of transformation. The role carries responsibility for setting and embedding a clear clinical strategy, ensuring staff and teams have a framework to work towards, and building confidence across all levels of care delivery.

The role calls for compassionate and visible leadership to bring stability, direction and reassurance. By mentoring operational managers, the post holder will help staff grow in confidence and feel empowered in their decision-making, whilst ensuring staff are well supported to focus on core responsibilities.

A key aspect of the role will be strengthening data systems, driving quality improvement, and ensuring services are more efficient, effective and sustainable. The hospice currently holds an excellent CQC rating, but there are areas for clinical improvement, making this a role with both strategic and hands-on impact.

Alongside clinical governance, the post holder will also play a vital part in external partnerships, including NHS commissioners, ICBs, and local hospices, ensuring care services are not only outstanding but also financially and operationally resilient for the future.

Who we are looking for We are seeking an experienced senior clinician who can bring stability, clarity, and vision to our care services. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in healthcare management, ideally as a Director of Care or equivalent, with a track record of leading transformation and mentoring teams.

Whilst a specific palliative care background is not essential, experience in end-of-life care, oncology, or complex healthcare services is highly desirable. Above all, this person must be a confident and credible presence, able to command respect from staff and provide the clear direction they need to thrive.

Extensive knowledge of healthcare regulation, safeguarding, and the requirements of the Registered Manager role is vital, alongside the ability to work effectively with ICBs and external partners.

Excellent communication skills are essential. You will be someone who can build strong, trusting relationships within the Care

Directorate and across the executive leadership team, whilst also representing the hospice externally with confidence.

This role requires resilience, vision, and a strong personality, with the ability to shape the future of our adult and children's services, drive innovation, and inspire our teams to deliver the very best in care.

For further information about the role or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultant at Peridot Partners:

If you would like to know more about this role please contact Rachel Davies

Welcome from the Chair of the Board of Trustees, ellenor Dear Applicant,

Thank you for your interest in the Director of Care and Quality role at ellenor. We are at a pivotal moment in our journey, and we are seeking a clinical leader who shares our deep commitment to compassionate care and community engagement. ellenor is more than a hospice - it is a lifeline for families across North Kent and Bexley facing the most challenging times of their lives. We are proud to offer specialist palliative and end-of-life care to children and adults. Our services include pain and symptom relief, respite, bereavement support, and emotional and spiritual care. These are built on the belief that everyone deserves a good death - one that is peaceful, dignified, and aligned with their wishes.

We are proud of our inclusive approach, actively working with diverse communities and faith groups to ensure our care is culturally sensitive and accessible. Our strategic plan, Stronger Together, reflects our commitment to collaboration - with the NHS, local authorities, and grassroots organisations - to meet growing demand and allow people to die in their preferred place.

As Director of Care and Quality, you will be accountable to the CEO and responsible for delivering our clinical strategy. You will lead a diverse, dedicated team of clinicians, allied healthcare professionals, counsellors and therapists.

We would look to the new Director of Care and Quality to further develop the services that ellenor provides and utilise the new premises to its maximum capacity for those in our care and our local community.

We are looking for someone who can provide visible, compassionate leadership - someone who understands the importance of empowering staff and volunteers, and who can build strong relationships with external partners and our local community.

This is a role for someone with heart, vision, drive and resilience. ellenor is a place where clinical leadership truly makes a difference, not just to the organisation, but to every individual and family we support.

If you are ready to lead with purpose and compassion, we would be honoured to have you join us.

Warm regards,

Mac Cheema
Chair of the Board of Trustees, ellenor

ellenor is committed to being a Disability Confident Employer. Working towards Investors in Diversity

We believe that everyone, regardless of disability, has a valuable contribution to make to our workforce. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process to ensure that disabled people have the same opportunities as everyone else.

Our accessibility provisions include:

• Step-free access to the building and ramps, automatic doors, lifts and accessible toilets
• Accessibility dogs welcome.
• Paper and materials can be printed in different formats
• A sign language interpreter can be accessed for interviews.
• Working patterns and locations can be adjusted.

Applicants with a disability are invited to contact us in confidence at any point during the recruitment process to discuss steps that could be taken to overcome operational difficulties presented by the role, or if any adjustments or support are required regarding the recruitment process.

For further information about the role or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultant at Peridot Partners:

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To formally apply, please submit a CV and supporting statement (ideally maximum 2 sides of A4 each) that clearly outlines your suitability for the role against the criteria provided in the person specification, including your interest and motivationin applying for this position.

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For further information about the role or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultant at Peridot Partners:

As a sector-leading executive search consultancy, we know the importance of creating recruitment processes that are fair, inclusive, and free from bias. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a process that values differences.

If you require any job information in an alternative format (e.g. large print), please contact Rachel Davies. Please also let us know if you would like to submit your application in an alternative format.

Recruitment selection processes are based on evidence of competence stated in the person specification and in relation to our values.
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