Clinical Assessor (Band 7) - Hospice at Home


Company:	NHS Jobs
Salary:	£49,387 to £56,515 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Basingstoke, RG24 9NB
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	9 Oct 2026
Closing date:	29 Oct 2026

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Summary

Provide specialist autonomous assessment, triage, symptom management and coordination of care for patients with palliative and end-of-life needs and those important to them. Work alongside the Band 7 Operational Manager, contributing to day-to-day service decisions and maintaining the operational skills needed to provide agreed management cover during absence. Professional accountability to the Clinical Lead. Main Duties and Responsibilities Key working relationships Clinical Lead, Clinical Director, Operational Manager or Clinical Assessor, Hospice at Home nurses and healthcare assistants, medical team, hospice multidisciplinary services, quality and governance colleagues, primary care, community nursing, specialist palliative care and urgent care partners. Work with Rowans Hospice colleagues to share learning and align practice through agreed arrangements. Specialist clinical assessment and response Act as an autonomous specialist nurse, leading holistic assessment and triage of referrals and patients with complex palliative and end-of-life needs. Prioritise response according to urgency, clinical risk, service criteria and available resources. Undertake timely assessments in the home and other agreed settings, including hospital assessment where this forms part of an approved pathway. Assess physical symptoms, psychological, social and spiritual needs, family and carer needs and risks to safe care at home. Use history taking, physical assessment and clinical reasoning within competence to identify deterioration, potentially reversible problems and the need for medical or specialist review. Escalate emergencies and concerns through agreed pathways. Plan, deliver and evaluate symptom management and nursing interventions with patients, those important to them and the multidisciplinary team. Develop anticipatory plans, clear review arrangements and safety-netting advice. Support advance care planning, preferred place of care and ReSPECT discussions within competence. Undertake verification of expected death and other extended procedures only following relevant training, assessment and hospice authorisation. Coordination and clinical leadership Coordinate complex care and support timely discharge to the community, confirming that necessary care, medicines, equipment, information and follow-up arrangements are in place. Provide specialist advice and clinical support to the Hospice at Home team and partners. Lead or contribute to multidisciplinary discussions, case reviews and clinical supervision. Work with the Operational Manager to prioritise referrals, review the caseload and allocate work according to patient need, staff competence and capacity. Identify patients whose needs require another service or escalation. Contribute to clinical standards, audit, service evaluation and improvement. Collect accurate activity and outcome data and use patient and carer feedback to improve the service. Operational participation and absence cover Participate regularly in operational reviews, rota and capacity planning, team communication and governance activity so that management knowledge and skills are maintained alongside clinical practice. Provide delegated day-to-day operational leadership in the Operational Managers absence, including referral prioritisation, staff allocation, immediate rota adjustments, escalation of staffing concerns and coordination of the team. Support staff with immediate concerns and document significant decisions and actions for handover. Refer formal HR matters, budget decisions beyond delegated authority and unresolved clinical or operational risks to the Clinical Lead. During cover, agree with the Clinical Lead how the clinical assessment workload will be reprioritised or covered. Maintain safe clinical practice and escalate when both functions cannot be delivered within competence and contracted hours. Joint working and service resilience Work as a complementary Band 7 partnership with the other post holder, maintaining distinct primary responsibilities and a shared understanding of clinical priorities, staffing, risks and service pressures. Agree regular joint reviews, documented handovers and planned overlap within contracted hours. The Operational Manager retains substantive responsibility for team line management and operational delivery. The Clinical Assessor provides day-to-day operational cover during the managers absence under agreed delegated authority. Both post holders remain accountable for their own professional practice. Agree cover arrangements with the Clinical Lead before planned absence and at the earliest opportunity for unplanned absence. Record responsibilities, decisions requiring senior approval and escalation routes. Cover does not automatically transfer budget authority or formal employment decision-making powers. Balance clinical and operational work through an agreed work plan. Escalate competing demands, staffing gaps or work beyond competence or available hours to the Clinical Lead. These two part-time posts do not provide continuous management or clinical cover for all service hours. Communication and partnership working Communicate complex and sensitive information compassionately with patients and those important to them. Support informed choices, assess decision-making capacity within competence and follow hospice procedures where a patient cannot provide consent. Coordinate care with primary care, community nursing, specialist palliative care, hospital teams, urgent and out-of-hours services and other partners. Provide clear handovers, agreed responsibilities and escalation plans to support safe transitions and timely discharge home. Maintain professional boundaries, respect confidentiality and individual cultural, spiritual and personal preferences, and promote constructive communication and challenge within the team. Medicines management and prescribing Promote safe administration, storage, monitoring and use of medicines and equipment, including controlled drugs, in accordance with hospice policies and individual competence. Recognise, report and escalate medication concerns and adverse effects. Undertake independent prescribing only when appropriately qualified, registered, authorised by the hospice and working within individual competence and the agreed formulary and prescribing policy. Maintain prescribing supervision and continuing professional development. Where not qualified as an independent prescriber, work with authorised prescribers to secure timely symptom management. Participate in an agreed development plan towards non-medical prescribing where appropriate, subject to organisational approval and support. Education and professional development Maintain current clinical competence through direct practice, supervision, reflection and continuing professional development. Undertake mandatory training and maintain professional registration. Teach, coach and support nurses, healthcare assistants, students and relevant partners. Contribute to competency assessment within own competence and promote reflective practice and staff wellbeing. Participate in appraisal and agree a development plan covering the clinical and operational skills needed for the partnership and absence cover. Governance and general responsibilities Work in accordance with the NMC Code, St Michaels Hospice policies and agreed clinical pathways. Maintain timely, accurate records and use electronic systems only with appropriate authorisation. Recognise and promptly report safeguarding concerns involving adults or children. Follow agreed escalation procedures for deteriorating patients, incidents, complaints and risks; contribute to investigation, learning and improvement. Comply with information governance, infection prevention, health and safety and lone-working requirements. Promote equality, inclusion and the hospices values, and use charitable resources responsibly. Undertake other reasonable duties consistent with the role, Band 7 level, competence and contracted hours. The job description will be reviewed in consultation with the post holder as the service develops. General Responsibilities Work to maintain the values, vision and aims of St. Michaels Hospice. Additional Duties In discussion with the line manager to undertake work, as and when required, in support of St. Michaels Hospice as an organisation. Public Relations To represent St. Michaels Hospice in the community and public domain, including social media, appropriately. Undertake all statutory and mandatory training, as required. To be conversant with and adhere to all St. Michaels Hospice Policies and Procedures. Be responsible for upholding and promoting St. Michaels Hospice safeguarding policies, ensuring the safety and well-being of all individuals, and promptly reporting any concerns or incidents in accordance with established procedures. This is an outline job description and may be subject to change, according to the needs of the service, in consultation with the post holder. Take responsibility for own personal safety and of others whilst at work. You will take appropriate action or report any concerns to address any health and safety issues that you or members of your team may be aware of. This job description is an outline of the role and responsibilities. From time to time, due to the needs of the service, we may ask you to flexibly undertake other duties that are consistent with your role and banding, including project work, internal job rotation and absence cover.

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