Ward Manager

Sue Ryder is here to make sure everyone approaching the end of their life or living with grief can access the support they need. There is no one size fits all when it comes to how we cope and the help we need, but with our support, no one has to face dying or grief alone.

We are there when it matters.

About us

Sue Ryder South East Region offers a range of hospice and community nursing services in Berkshire West and South Oxfordshire, including Reading, Newbury, Wokingham, Wallingford and Henley, and many more local communities in between.

We support people aged 18 and over who are living with life-limiting conditions such as cancer, heart failure and lung disease by combining specialist medical care for managing pain and other symptoms with other emotional, practical and spiritual support.

We are able to provide incredible care at our Duchess of Kent Hospice inpatient unit, and our CNS team are on hand to visit people and provide care for people in their own home.

About the Role

We are seeking a compassionate, motivated professional to lead and develop our In-Patient Unit. The ideal candidate will have strong palliative care experience, excellent communication skills, and the ability to inspire teams and drive evidence-based practice.

Working closely with the Head of Clinical Services, you will assess referrals with health and social care partners and ensure patients (and families where appropriate) are fully involved in care planning.

You will manage staffing and rota planning, provide out-of-hours clinical support, and maintain effective communication across departments and external agencies, including healthcare professionals and junior doctors.

A strong understanding of safeguarding and relevant legislation is essential, with the ability to apply policy and evaluate its impact on care delivery. Occasional travel to our other sites is required.


About you

You should be a Registered Nurse (RGN or RNA) with significant specialist palliative care experience and preferably hold a post-registration qualification (or working towards) in Palliative Care. You will have experience of caring for individuals with specialist palliative care needs, managing teams and experience in staff development, education and clinical effectiveness.

FTC or interim candidates will also be considered for this role while we are recruiting in to the permanent post

Essential Minimum Criteria:

• NMC registered Nurse (RGN or RNA) and experience managing clinical operations Skilled in developing accessible policies and adjustments
• Effective leadership and inclusive communication
• Commitment to quality, safety, and dignity

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience leading CQC inspections or audit preparation
• Formal leadership or coaching qualification




Benefits :

• Enhanced pay for unsociable hours
• Company pension scheme
• Continuation of NHS pension (terms and conditions apply)
• 27 days holiday – rising to 33 with length of service plus bank holidays
• NHS annual leave honoured (terms and conditions apply)
• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay
• Enhanced sick pay
• Electric Vehicle Scheme
• Healthcare Cash plan, to claim back costs of routine healthcare
• Death in Service benefit
• Staff discount of 10% on new goods online at shop.sueryder.org
• Structured induction programme and learning and development opportunities.


For more of our employee benefits please visit our website:
www.sueryder.org/jobs/careers-in-palliative-care/benefits-of-working-for-sue-ryder/

Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion

At Sue Ryder, we recognise that a diverse workforce allows us to provide the best care and support. We are committed to encouraging equity, diversity and inclusion among our workforce, and eliminating unlawful discrimination.

We welcome applications from people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, LGBTQ+ individuals, those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, and those living with disabilities.

As a Disability Confident Committed employer, we’re proud to support the ‘Offer an Interview’ scheme. This means we will offer an interview to all disabled applicants who best meet the minimum essential criteria for the role.

We use inclusive recruitment practices including sharing interview themes or questions in advance, offering remote interviews where needed, and other accessibility support.

If you require support to compete an application or participate fully in the interview process, please email recruitment@sueryder.org.


Once in post you’ll have access to staff and volunteer networks for LGBTQ+ colleagues, ethnic diversity and equity, people with disabilities, and women and non-binary individuals, plus an Inclusion Passport to record and carry your workplace adjustments.

For more information on our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion work, please visit: www.sueryder.org/jobs/equity-diversity-inclusion

Join us in creating a culture where everyone feels respected, valued, and able to thrive.