Job Title: Head of Inpatient Care
Salary: Shooting Star Children’s Hospices Band 8a £56,584.51 - £62,848.98 per annum
Team: In-House Care Team
Reports to: Deputy Director of Care
Direct reports: Lead Nurse, Admission and Discharge Nurse, Trainee Advance Nurse Practitioner
Hours: 37.5hrs per week.
Location: Christopher's, GuildfordAdvanced
About Shooting Star Children’s Hospices
Shooting Star Children’s Hospices supports babies, children and young people with life-limiting conditions, and their families, across Surrey and London. We provide a range of specialist care services, both at our hospices and in the community, tailored to each family’s needs.
About the Role
We are seeking a dynamic and compassionate leader to join our care leadership team as Head of In-House Care. Reporting to the Deputy Director of Care, you will be responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of our in-house care services across both hospice sites.
This is a key role in ensuring the delivery of safe, responsive, and high-quality care to children and young people with complex health needs. You will lead a multidisciplinary team, champion clinical excellence, and foster a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration.
Key Responsibilities
* Lead and manage the in-house care teams, including nurses, healthcare assistants, and allied health professionals.
* Ensure care delivery meets regulatory standards and reflects best practice in paediatric palliative care.
* Work closely with the Deputy Director of Care and other Heads of Service to align care pathways and strategic priorities.
* Oversee staffing, budgets, and resource allocation to ensure efficient and effective service delivery.
* Promote a positive working environment that supports staff wellbeing, development, and retention.
* Act as a safeguarding lead within the in-house care setting.
* Represent Shooting Star Children’s Hospices in external forums and partnerships.
About You
* Registered Children’s Nurse.
* Significant leadership experience in a clinical setting, ideally within paediatrics, palliative care, or complex needs.
* Strong understanding of clinical governance, safeguarding, and regulatory compliance.
* Excellent interpersonal, leadership, and organisational skills.
* Passionate about delivering family-centred care and supporting children with life-limiting conditions.
Why Join Us?
* Be part of a highly respected award-winning charity making a profound difference to families.
* Work in a supportive, values-driven environment.
* Opportunities for professional development and leadership growth.
* Access to wellbeing support and generous employee benefits.
What we offer
In return you will receive a competitive salary along with a range of benefits, which include:
Pension scheme
* NHS Pension Scheme (for eligible employees) or our stakeholder pension scheme, with up to 7% employer contributions
Annual leave
* 27 days plus Bank Holidays rising with length of service
* 2 weeks paid sabbatical leave after 5, 10 and 15 years’ service
Contractual benefits
* Generous sick pay scheme
* Enhanced maternity, adoption, and paternity leave pay
* Flexible working arrangements
* Death in service benefits
* Reimbursed professional membership fees
* Eye care
* Employee referral scheme
* Blue Light discount card
Health and wellbeing
* Employee Assistance Programme
* Occupational Health
* Mindfulness sessions
* Cycle to work scheme
* Mental Health First Aiders
* Nutritionally balanced meals at Christopher’s (free for employees) and free fruit at our Hampton site
Safeguarding
An enhanced/standard disclosure will be required for this role. Our recruitment checks, induction and ongoing support and supervision reflect our commitment to safeguarding the families we support.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
Shooting Star Children’s Hospice is committed to inclusion and diversity in everything we do. We know that getting things right is critical for us to live our organisation’s values: Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Diversity and Excellence.
We are always trying to improve our way of working to be more inclusive and equal. Our vision is for Shooting Star Children’s Hospice to be a place where people of all backgrounds, groups and communities feel welcomed to work and volunteer.
Please contact lisa.dennis@shootingstar.org.uk if you have any questions about this role.
Download the full: Job Description
Closing on 25.08.2025