Lead Cancer Nurse

Job summary

The Lead Cancer Nurse plays a pivotal role in improving the outcomes and experience of people affected by cancer. This senior post provides strategic and clinical leadership and professional oversight for specialist cancer nursing and AHP teams across the organisation. The post holder is expected to function at a senior level within our team of cancer professionals, proactively leading and providing solutions to resolve complex issues, in accordance with professional standards, agreed Trust objectives, targets, quality standards and resource constraints.

This is an indicative Band 8 C post.

Main duties, tasks & skills required

The holder of this Trust-wide post will drive the development and delivery of high-quality, patient-centred cancer services, in line with national and local cancer strategies. They will also champion service improvement, workforce development, clinical governance, and patient experience, and work collaboratively within the Trust and with external partners to drive high quality cancer care.

The post holder is expected to provide inspirational, compassionate leadership to a large, complex and geographically diverse team across acute and community sites in Somerset. The postholder is also expected to be a visible leader to cancer nurses and AHPs, facilitating excellent standards of cancer care, ensuring a high quality and efficient approach to service delivery, including remaining calm, controlled and solution focused in times of difficulty.

The individual will lead and listen by example, actively promoting our values and the leadership behaviours that underpin them, to support an organisational climate where colleagues can thrive in the delivery of excellent patient care.

The individual will lead on the continued delivery of the highest possible patient reported experience of care for those affected by cancer, as demonstrated in the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey through the implementation of local action plans.

About us

At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:

• Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
• NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
• Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
• A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential

Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.

We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.

Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.

The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.

Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.

Job description

The holder of this Trust-wide post will drive the development and delivery of high-quality, patient-centred cancer services, in line with national and local cancer strategies. They will also champion service improvement, workforce development, clinical governance, and patient experience, and work collaboratively within the Trust and with external partners to drive high quality cancer care.

Please see the attached job description and person specification for more details or contact Victoria Keilthy, Service Director for Clinical Support and Cancer Services.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse with current NMC registration
• Educated to degree level in a relevant subject
• Postgraduate diploma or MSc in Nursing, or equivalent experience
• Evidence of ongoing professional development

Desirable

• Cancer specific qualification
• Quality improvement or audit training
• Root cause analysis training

Experience

Essential

• Leading and developing teams
• Understanding of the environment in which the Trust operates, its role in serving the public, and the national agenda for the NHS
• Experience of working in a senior nursing role in cancer services
• Experience of working in multidisciplinary teams
• Operational and clinical management in a complex healthcare setting
• Change management including patient pathway redesign
• Clinical governance, clinical risk management, audit and peer review processes

Additional Criteria

Essential

• High personal impact, with the ability to influence through personal credibility rather than managerial authority
• Ability to inspire, motivate and lead staff across a large and diverse organisation and build teams that consistently deliver to high standards
• Ability to think critically and strategically, and develop innovative and practical solutions to complex problems
• A flexible and collaborative approach to working with internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to plan own workload and deliver across a wide agenda with competing priorities

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 Professional Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

For help with your application, contact:

Victoria Keilthy

Victoria.Keilthy@sometsetft.nhs.uk

07739788027