Band 8b- Clinical Programme Lead, Care Home Dementia Support Service


Location
Watford, England
Salary
£68,852 - £79,638 pa inc HCA
Profession
Programme manager
Grade
Band 8
Deadline
03 Nov 2026
Contract Type
2 years (fixed term/secondment duration, two years from start date)
Posted Date
21 Oct 2026
Medical Protection — the side of locally employed doctors from £83

Job requirements

Essential

15 listed

Requirements the employer expects applicants to meet.

  • Knowledge

    Knowledge and experience of neighbourhood working in the delivery of care.

  • Knowledge

    Specialist Knowledge of dementia, delirium, frailty, personalised care and recognition of deterioration.

  • Knowledge

    Understanding of care home practice, neighbourhood working- acute, primary care mental health, community, social care and voluntary sector interfaces

  • Knowledge

    Knowledge of relevant dementia priorities, clinical governance, safeguarding, consent, mental capacity and information governance requirements.

  • Knowledge

    Understanding of programme management, workforce planning, financial control, performance measurement and service evaluation

  • Knowledge

    Knowledge of NHS 10year plan

  • Experience

    Substantial relevant clinical experience and senior leadership experience in services supporting people with dementia or complex older people’s needs

  • Experience

    Delivery of complex programmes or service change across organisational boundaries, with evidence of implementation and measurable improvement.

  • Experience

    Experience managing staff, resource, risk and competing priorities, developing pathways and governance arrangements

  • Experience

    Partnership working with social care, community services, acute services and VCFSE and care homes, engaging residents, families and carers.

  • Experience

    Experience translating safety incidents, safeguarding concerns, audit or feedback into improvements

  • Experience

    Demonstration of ability to manage complex situations.

  • Education and qualifications

    Degree level qualification in a relevant healthcare profession or equivalent recognised professional qualification

  • Education and qualifications

    Current registration with the relevant statutory regulatory body.

  • Education and qualifications

    Relevant Master’s – level qualification or demonstratable equivalent specialist knowledge and experience in clinical leadership, service development and programme delivery

Desirable

10 listed

Additional qualities the employer would prefer.

  • Knowledge

    Knowledge and understanding of clinical audit/effective research methods.

  • Knowledge

    Knowledge/experience of quality improvement methodologies

  • Knowledge

    Experience of working with care homes

  • Knowledge

    Detailed knowledge of local HCP and ICB priorities, care home provision

  • Experience

    Experience of working in different care settings

  • Experience

    Experience of safeguarding adults

  • Experience

    Experience of developing and providing training/education to staff.

  • Education and qualifications

    NHS Leadership or a programme management qualification.

  • Education and qualifications

    specialist study in dementia, older people’s care or related field.

  • Education and qualifications

    Teaching or quality improvement qualification

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.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder will work 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday, with working arrangements agreed in line with service requirements.

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

WhatsApp job alerts

Get instant WhatsApp alerts for Band 8 Programme manager roles in Watford

Create your Job Clerk account first. We'll collect your alert preferences during onboarding and help you turn on WhatsApp notifications for matching healthcare roles.

Sign up for WhatsApp alerts

Applying for this NHS job

This advert is for Band 8b- Clinical Programme Lead, Care Home Dementia Support Service with West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in Watford, England. It is listed as a Band 8 Programme manager role. The advertised salary is £68,852 - £79,638 pa inc HCA. The contract type is 2 years (fixed term/secondment duration, two years from start date). The application deadline is 03 Nov 2026.

Before you apply, compare the job description with the person specification and mirror the employer's essential criteria in your supporting information. Use the vacancy title, employer, location, salary, contract type, closing date and posted date (21 Oct 2026) to decide whether this role fits your current NHSjob search. If the employer can close applications early, prepare the application before the stated deadline rather than waiting for the final day.

For more context, review related Job Clerk pages for the same profession, band or location where they exist, then use the application-support guides to tailor your statement and prepare for interview.