Job overview

Are you passionate about improving the lives of people living with dementia and transforming the care they receive? This is an exciting opportunity to lead the development of an innovative Care Home Dementia Support Service across South and West Hertfordshire, delivered in partnership by West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and the Alzheimer’s Society.

Initially supporting a small group of care homes, the service will expand across the wider area, bringing together health, social care and voluntary sector partners to deliver more proactive, personalised and joined-up care for residents living with severe dementia.

Combining specialist clinical leadership with programme management, you will lead the mobilisation and ongoing development of the service, empowering care home teams through education, coaching and clinical support. You will drive early recognition of deterioration, timely intervention and personalised care planning, helping residents remain well, maintain their dignity and avoid unnecessary hospital admissions wherever possible.

We are looking for an inspiring, compassionate and motivated leader who can build strong relationships across organisational boundaries, turn innovative ideas into meaningful improvements and bring people together around a shared vision. You will lead workforce development, operational delivery, governance and evaluation, while supporting the Band 7 Clinical Practitioner to deliver high-quality, person-centred care.

Reporting to the Associate Director of Nursing for Medicine, you will work closely with the Alzheimer’s Society, care home teams and partners across the health and care system to shape a service that makes a genuine difference to residents, their families and those who care for them.

If you are passionate about dementia care, thrive on collaboration and want to help shape a developing service with the potential to transform experiences and outcomes across our communities, we would love you to join us.

Main duties of the job

You will lead the mobilisation, implementation and ongoing development of the Care Home Dementia Support Service across South and West Hertfordshire, working in partnership with West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, the Alzheimer’s Society and wider health and care partners.

Key responsibilities include:

Leading the delivery and development of the service, ensuring objectives, resources and budgets are effectively managed.
Building strong partnerships across care homes, primary care, community, mental health, social care and voluntary sector organisations.
Providing clinical leadership, education and support to care home teams, promoting best practice and personalised dementia care.
Managing and developing staff, including the Band 7 Clinical Practitioner, fostering a culture of learning and continuous improvement.
Driving quality, governance and service evaluation, using data and feedback to demonstrate impact and improve outcomes.
Representing the service at Trust and system-level meetings, influencing decision-making and managing key stakeholder relationships.
Supporting innovative, sustainable approaches that enhance resident experience and reduce avoidable hospital admissions.

We are looking for an experienced and compassionate leader with strong clinical credibility, programme management skills and the ability to influence across organisational boundaries. You will be a confident communicator, skilled in building relationships, leading change and delivering improvements.

Above all, you will be committed to improving outcomes for people living with dementia, championing dignity, independence and person-centred care for residents and their families.

Working for our organisation