Lead outstanding palliative and end-of-life care while shaping the future of clinical services across Staffordshire as Director of Care at Katharine House Hospice.
Who we are
Katharine House Hospice provides free specialist palliative and end-of-life care to people across Stafford and the surrounding communities, supporting patients and families to live as fully as possible when facing life-limiting illness.
Widely respected for the quality, compassion and dignity of its care, the hospice plays a vital role within the local health and care system, delivering services in the hospice, in people’s homes and across the community.
We are seeking an exceptional Director of Care to join our Executive Team at an exciting time of development. Reporting to the Chief Executive, you will lead a broad clinical portfolio spanning inpatient care, Hospice at Home, community palliative care, therapies, family support, lymphoedema, wellbeing services and our 24/7 palliative care advice line. As CQC Registered Manager, you will also provide executive leadership for clinical governance, quality, safety and regulatory assurance across the organisation.
As we deliver our ambitious Care Strategy, redevelop our Inpatient Unit and develop new models of care, including our Virtual Ward programme, this is an opportunity to shape the future of hospice and community-based palliative care across Staffordshire.
About the role
As Director of Care, you will lead a care portfolio of approximately £4 million, providing strategic and operational leadership across all clinical services while ensuring safe, compassionate and person-centred care.
Working closely with the Chief Executive, Medical Director and Executive Team, you will help shape the future of our services, leading key priorities including the continued development of our Virtual Ward, strengthening the resilience of our 24/7 advice line, the redevelopment of our Inpatient Unit and the delivery of innovative community-based models of care.
You will develop and inspire multidisciplinary teams, build leadership capability and foster a culture of continuous improvement, while representing Katharine House Hospice across the wider health and care system. Working with NHS partners, commissioners and neighbouring hospices, you will help strengthen partnerships and influence the future of palliative care across the region.
As an Executive Team member, you will represent Katharine House Hospice across the wider health and care system, building strong relationships with commissioners, NHS partners and neighbouring hospices to help influence and shape the future of palliative care across the region.
Who we are looking for
We are seeking an experienced, compassionate and collaborative healthcare leader who combines strategic thinking with strong operational leadership and a commitment to delivering outstanding patient care.
You may already work within a hospice or specialist palliative care setting, or bring transferable experience from the NHS or another regulated healthcare environment. Whatever your background, you will have the clinical credibility, governance judgement and leadership experience to lead complex multidisciplinary services with confidence.
You will have a track record of leading through change, developing high-performing teams and building positive, inclusive cultures where people can thrive. Comfortable with accountability and regulatory responsibility, you will build trusted relationships across organisational boundaries and work collaboratively with partners to improve services and patient outcomes.
Above all, you will share the hospice’s commitment to compassionate care, community partnership, and bring a genuine commitment to the organisation’s mission and values.
To view the role description and person specification, please go to the ‘How to Apply’ tab above, fill in your details and download the candidate pack.
For further information or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultants at Peridot Partners:
Lucy Mavers | lucy@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07947 935068
Rachel Davies | rachel@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07961 208037
Welcome from the Chief Executive
Dear candidate,
Thank you for your interest in joining Katharine House Hospice as our new Director of Care.
I recently had the privilege of becoming Chief Executive after serving as the Hospice’s Director of Care. That experience has given me a close understanding of our services, our people and the deep affection in which Katharine House is held by the communities we serve. It has also given me a clear view of our potential and the leadership we need for the next stage of our development.
Since 1989, Katharine House has provided specialist palliative and end-of-life care to people across Stafford and the surrounding communities. Our services are delivered in the Hospice, in people’s homes and across the community, supported by approximately 250 colleagues and 300 volunteers.
Alongside our care services, we operate significant fundraising, retail and lottery activities. These form an essential part of our organisation and help make it possible for our care to remain free to patients and families.
We have much to be proud of. Our people are compassionate, committed and deeply connected to our purpose. We have strong community support, an engaged Board of Trustees and valued relationships across the local health and care system. Our services are well regarded, our culture is patient-centred and learning-focused, and we have continued to develop despite the pressures facing the wider hospice and charitable sectors.
We are equally clear that standing still is not an option.
Demand, funding, regulation, technology and the wider health and care system are changing. We must continue to demonstrate our impact, use our resources responsibly, modernise our systems and develop services that are clinically excellent, operationally resilient and financially sustainable.
We want to preserve the humanity, compassion and community connection that make Katharine House special, while having the courage to challenge established ways of working when change is needed.
The Director of Care will inherit a broad and well-regarded portfolio with strong foundations and committed teams. As our CQC Registered Manager and a member of the Executive Team, they will lead services across inpatient care, community palliative care, Hospice at Home, outpatient and wellbeing services, lymphoedema, family support, counselling, therapies and our 24/7 palliative care advice line.
This is not a role in which the Director should become the operational answer to every problem. We need someone who can develop confident senior leaders, establish clear standards and shared accountability, strengthen multidisciplinary working and lead thoughtful service modernisation.
The successful candidate will also play an important role in the continued development of our digital maturity, clinical governance, quality improvement and relationships across the health and care system. They will help lead the next stage of our Inpatient Unit redevelopment, which will create ten private en-suite bedrooms, with our planned return to the redeveloped unit during winter 2026.
We are looking for someone with integrity, sound judgement, emotional intelligence and the confidence to lead through others. They must be able to combine compassion with accountability, ambition with humility and pace with thoughtful decision-making.
In addition, you will be expected to contribute beyond your own portfolio to the strategy, culture, performance and long-term sustainability of the whole Hospice.
As Chief Executive, I want to build an Executive Team characterised by trust, openness and collective responsibility. I will provide clarity, share issues early, support colleagues publicly and challenge constructively in private. In return, I expect our Directors to take ownership, speak honestly, work across organisational boundaries and remain relentlessly focused on the people and communities we exist to serve.
This is a demanding role, but it offers rare breadth, proximity to impact and the opportunity to shape the future of a deeply valued organisation.
If you are excited by that responsibility and believe your leadership could help Katharine House thrive, I would be delighted to hear from you.
Dave Fletcher
Chief Executive
Katharine House Hospice
About Katharine House Hospice
Founded in 1989, Katharine House Hospice provides specialist palliative and end-of-life care to people across Stafford and the surrounding communities, supporting patients and families to live as fully as possible when facing life-limiting illness. Care is delivered within the Hospice, in people’s homes and across the community, ensuring individuals can access expert support in the setting that best meets their needs.
Today, Katharine House Hospice is a complex organisation with a dedicated workforce of approximately 250 staff and 300 volunteers. Together, they deliver a wide range of specialist services, including inpatient care, Community Palliative Care Nurse Specialists, Hospice at Home, outpatient and wellbeing services, lymphoedema, family and carer support, counselling, therapies and a 24/7 palliative care advice line.
Alongside our clinical services, Katharine House Hospice is supported by substantial fundraising, retail and lottery operations, all of which play a vital role in enabling our work. The Katharine House group has an annual income of more than £9 million, with nearly £4 million required each year to provide our specialist care services. Like hospices across the UK, we rely on the continued generosity of our local community, whose support ensures our care remains free of charge for everyone who needs it.
Katharine House Hospice is widely respected for the quality, compassion and dignity of the care it provides and continues to play a vital role within the local health and care system. Through strong partnerships with the NHS, neighbouring hospices and our local communities, we remain committed to developing our services, responding to changing needs and ensuring the long-term sustainability of our organisation.
Learn more about us
- Our website
- Our audited financial statements
- Our Care Strategy 2025–2029
- Our 2025/26 Quality Account
- Our organisational structure
Accessibility information
Katharine House Hospice is committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. We welcome applications from people with a wide range of backgrounds and will make reasonable adjustments at any stage of the process to ensure candidates are not disadvantaged. Candidates are encouraged to discuss any access requirements with Peridot Partners, and all requests will be handled sensitively and confidentially.
We understand that different members of the community have different access needs and have made some modifications to the way we do business to accommodate people from diverse communities and abilities. We offer the following amenities
- Step-free access to the building, all key meeting rooms and bathrooms, and an accessible workstation
- Accessibility dogs are welcome
- Interviews can be held in meeting rooms that support hearing loops
- Papers and materials can be presented in different formats
- Working patterns and locations can be adjusted
To arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultants at Peridot Partners:
Lucy Mavers | lucy@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07947 935068
Rachel Davies | rachel@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07961 208037
Thank you for your interest in this role. Please download the Role Description and Person Specification.
To formally apply, please submit a CV and supporting statement (ideally maximum 2 sides of A4 each) that clearly outlines your suitability for the role against the criteria provided in the person specification, including your interest and motivation in applying for this position.
Please include your home address, contact email and mobile.
Please ensure that your application is emailed to response@peridotpartners.co.uk, inserting “Application: Katharine House Hospice—Director of Care” into the subject field. You will receive an acknowledgement of receipt within 2-3 days. If you do not receive an acknowledgement, please contact our admin team.
For further information about the role or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultants at Peridot Partners:
Lucy Mavers | lucy@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07947 935068
Rachel Davies | rachel@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07961 208037
As a sector-leading executive search consultancy, we know the importance of creating recruitment processes that are fair, inclusive and free from bias. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a process that values differences.
If you require any job information in an alternative format (e.g. large print), please contact the lead consultant. Please also let us know if you would like to submit your application in an alternative format.
Applicants with disabilities are welcome to contact us in confidence at any stage of the recruitment process to discuss any reasonable adjustments or support that may be required to ensure fair and equal participation.
Recruitment selection processes are based on evidence of competence stated in the person specification and in relation to our values.
Timetable
Closing date: 9 a.m. Friday 21st August 2026
Candidates informed of outcome: Thursday 27th August 2026
First stage interviews (virtual): Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th September 2026
Second stage interviews (in person): Monday 21st September 2026
Equal Opportunities Monitoring
Peridot and Katharine House Hospice are committed to promoting equality and diversity. To help us raise awareness and support a culture that is diverse and recognises and develops the potential of all, we need to appreciate the profile of candidates who apply for positions. We will send you an equality monitoring survey at the point of receiving your application and at the time of placement. This ensures that our processes remain inclusive and equitable throughout, and provides us with important data to help us showcase our impact.
The information will be treated confidentially and anonymously and will help us to support our commitment to fair recruitment practice. All information provided will be held in the strictest confidence and will not be shared with anyone, in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 launched on 25 May 2018.
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