Neonatal Senior Sister - Hospital to Home Team Lead

Job overview

Join our team and play a leading role in shaping and delivering an exceptional community neonatal service. We are seeking a committed professional to lead the development of the local MDT community pathway, supporting early identification, safe discharge planning and effective cross‑site working. You will oversee the creation and maintenance of community policies, SOPs, escalation frameworks and treatment guidance, ensuring alignment with national outreach standards and evidence‑based practice.

You will drive service improvement through innovative projects and by evaluating pathway performance using audit and outcome data. A core part of the role involves facilitating the safe discharge of neonates and providing early support to families in their homes. You will work closely with the multidisciplinary team and liaise with Social Services when concerns arise.

You will continue to develop your clinical skills, represent the Neonatal Unit at case conferences and deliver resuscitation training for parents. You will also lead the RSV immunisation programme. As a senior practitioner, you will supervise students and junior staff, maintaining the highest standards of care in line with the NMC Code and Trust policies. You will assess, plan, implement and evaluate care for infants in the community, always advocating for babies and their families.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will shape an integrated vision for the development of neonatal outreach care, ensuring the service delivers safe, compassionate, and holistic support for babies and their families at home. They will lead innovative, family‑integrated care practices and promote a culture of excellence across all outreach and hospital‑at‑home activities.

Central to the role is maintaining strong and effective communication with all stakeholders, including families, the neonatal unit, community teams, and wider partner services. The post holder will ensure that all outreach practice follows evidence‑based standards and aligns with neonatal unit governance protocols and relevant network guidance.

They will act as a key link between the service and allied health professionals, as well as other multidisciplinary colleagues within the community. Responsibilities include documenting all relevant clinical information in patient records, ensuring robust handovers, and maintaining communication with GPs and any other professionals involved in the infant’s ongoing care. The post holder will also support optimal data quality and collaborate closely with regional or network outreach leads to ensure accurate reporting and service continuity.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Other Clinical Responsibilities:

Act as an effective role model and demonstrate effective organisational and leadership skills

Listen appropriately and take into account any sensitive issues and communicate these to the appropriate persons/agencies ensuring that children are protected and that disclosures are acted upon appropriately commence referrals, early health assessment as required

Feedback the views and needs of the infant/family to the Community Sister as necessary to enable appropriate interventions to be implemented

Participate in planning and implementation of quality initiatives and targets, in conjunction with the Operational Lead/ Head of Nursing

To be conversant with Child Protection policies and procedures and ability to recognise those at risk

Actively promote and implement research and evidence-based practice

Maintain accurate, legible, and timely records.

Other Managerial Responsibilities:

Be aware of and adhere to the Supervisory Responsibilities guidelines as per the Trusts Standards for Practice and Care

Ensure safe use of equipment, ascertaining that both self and staff are competent to operate the equipment and that the equipment is in safe working order

Be proficient in the use of information technology

Ensure nursing staff under your supervision have a clear understanding of their duties and responsibilities, and of the standards of performance and conduct expected of them

Lead on the management of babies that include home oxygen, immunisation clinics or other area identified by Operational Lead

Ensure that complaints and incidents are dealt with proactively in conjunction with Divisional Governance Team

Initiate and lead on and projects and instigate improvements in nursing care and / or management of the ward/Department

Contribute to the recruitment and selection process. Taking a lead in the retention of nursing staff on the Unit and in the outreach team.

Liaise and provide information to report into neonatal network management teams and share practice/guidance with Integrated Care Boards (ICBs); Local Maternity and Neonatal System structures (LMNS’s) and Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnerships (MNVPs).

Oversee referral outreach support required for discharge

Coordinate MDT discussions with neonatology, social services, safeguarding or other services required

Lead operational planning for outreach services

Provide line management to pathway staff, including appraisals, performance review and supervision.

Lead recruitment, induction and ongoing competency development for outreach services

Support training needs analysis and promote continuous improvement in practice across team

Please see attached Personal Specification and Job description for further information.