Access Team Lead

Make a difference at the most important time of life

📍 Taunton & Yeovil
🏥 St Margaret’s Hospice Care
⏰ Full-time (with participation in on-call rota)

We’re looking for a senior nurse ready to play a pivotal leadership role at the heart of our hospice services. As Access Team Lead, you will provide clinical and operational leadership, managing our Advice Line and Central Referral Centre Administration teams. 

This is a role where you can make a meaningful impact – ensuring patients and families receive the right care, at the right time, in the right place.

You’ll also lead your team through a period of development, strengthening performance, and building a positive, accountable and supportive team culture.

What can you expect to be doing? 

You will lead and develop a high-performing Advice Line and Administration team, driving forward service transformation and innovation while maintaining responsive, compassionate care for patients and families.

A compassionate and resilient leader, you will balance high standards with a supportive, inclusive approach to team development.

Key aspects of the role include:

• Leading the triage and referral process, ensuring timely, safe and appropriate responses
• Providing expert clinical advice for complex palliative and end of life care needs
• Managing team performance, rotas, recruitment and development
• Using data and quality improvement methods to enhance service delivery and patient experience
• Working collaboratively with internal teams and other external health care services to ensure coordinated care

You will also play a key role in supporting service transformation and ensuring the new model is sustainable, effective, and responsive to demand.

What will you be good at?

We’re looking for an experienced clinician who combines strong leadership capability, experience managing teams at a senior level and palliative care expertise.

• Registered Nurse with current NMC registration
• Experience in palliative and end of life care
• Proven experience in leading teams and delivering service improvement, innovation, quality improvement, or project initiatives
• Strong clinical assessment, triage and decision-making skills
• Excellent communication skills, including managing complex and sensitive conversations
• Experience of leading teams through change, including coaching, managing performance and fostering a supportive, inclusive working environment.
• Ability to manage demand, prioritise and make autonomous decisions

Inclusive recruitment
We recognise that no candidate will meet every requirement. If your experience broadly aligns with the role and you’re motivated to make a difference, we encourage you to apply.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce.

If you require any adjustments during the recruitment process, please contact recruitment@st-margarets-hospice.org.uk

Why join us?

At St Margaret’s Hospice Care, you’ll be part of a compassionate, forward-thinking organisation where your work truly matters.

We offer:

• The opportunity to lead innovative service development
• A supportive, inclusive working culture focused on wellbeing
• Ongoing professional development and education opportunities
• The chance to make a real difference to patients and families at the most important time of their lives

Holiday entitlement

• 33 days including bank holidays, rising to 35 days after 1 year, and increasing with length of service (pro-rata if part-time)
• Recognise continuous service for clinical staff paid at band 5+ who join directly from the NHS or another hospice
• Ability to buy and sell annual leave

Pension scheme

• NHS pension continuation where applicable*
• 6% employer / 5% employee contribution for non-NHS staff

Additional Benefits

• Life assurance cover (2x salary)
• Health Cash Plans
• Employee Assistance Programme with 24/7 GP access, counselling, wellbeing support, and legal/financial advice
• Blue Light Discount Card
• Enhanced maternity leave*
• Excellent learning and development opportunities
• Free on-site parking in Yeovil and Taunton
• Opportunities to volunteer and support fundraising initiatives

*Eligibility criteria applies

Want to Apply or Find Out More?

If you’d like to learn more or have an informal conversation before applying, please contact Colleen Gagg, Community Services Lead, at Colleen.Gagg@st-margarets-hospice.org.uk

If you are passionate about leading high-quality palliative care services and want to be part of an organisation that puts people first, we would love to hear from you.

✅ Closing date: 23rd June

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship at this time. 

DBS Information

This role requires a criminal background check via the disclosure procedure.

The Disclosure and Barring Service offers a confidential checking service for transgender applicants. This route gives applicants the choice not to have any gender or name information disclosed on their DBS certificate and is available for all levels of DBS check.