Job overview

Please note: at this stage, the role is open only to colleagues currently employed within Kent and Medway NHS Trusts, the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) and Medway Community Healthcare.

Be part of a service that is redefining how health and social care work together. Home First, a pioneering partnership between Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust and Kent County Council, is at the forefront of the NHS vision for delivering more care closer to home.

We support people to return home from hospital safely and confidently, helping them regain independence in the place they know best: their own home. From the day of discharge, our dedicated team of Home First Support Workers, Assessors and Team Leads provide early intervention, personalised support and seamless coordination with health, social care and voluntary sector partners.

We take time to understand each person's unique situation, strengths and goals, creating tailored plans that may include care support, specialist equipment or connections to community organisations such as Age UK. By focusing on what matters most to individuals, we help people recover faster, reduce reliance on hospital-based care and achieve greater independence.

If you're passionate about person-centred care, collaborative working and being part of the future direction of the NHS, Home First offers a rewarding opportunity to make a real difference every day. Join us and help transform lives through integrated, community-based care.

Main duties of the job

Please note, this vacancy does not meet the criteria for skilled worker sponsorship. Therefore, we are unable to accept applications from candidates that cannot provide documentary evidence of right to work in the United Kingdom.

As part of the Home First discharge model, the Discharge to Assess (D2A) team helps people move safely from hospital to the most appropriate setting.

You'll oversee the delivery of a high-quality administrative service that directly supports patient flow and better outcomes for people across Kent. You'll lead and motivate a dedicated administration team, ensuring work is coordinated effectively and service standards remain high.

No two days are the same. You'll be responsible for line managing staff, conducting appraisals, supporting attendance and performance, developing and improving administrative processes, allocating workloads, analysing and collating data, and managing complex spreadsheets. You'll also work closely with health and social care professionals, provider services and system partners.

We're looking for a proactive, organised and people-focused leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment. If you're an excellent communicator, enjoy problem-solving, and are passionate about making a difference behind the scenes of patient care.

This hybrid role is based at Maidstone or Tunbridge Wells Hospital, with opportunities to work from home.

Additional Working Pattern: Monday - Friday 7.5 hours per day

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

As a community Trust, many of our roles require individuals to be able to drive to perform their duties. Where driving is a requirement of the role, you will be asked to confirm that you hold a full UK driving licence or a full driving licence issued by an EU country (not exchanged from a non-EU country) to proceed with your application. We are committed to supporting candidates with disabilities into employment. If you are unable to drive due to a disability, please contact the Recruitment Team via kentchft.recruitment@nhs.net, quoting the vacancy reference number, so we can support you further.

The job description and person specification gives you all the information you need about this role. Please look carefully at the criteria in the person specification and tell us what you have done that shows you meet this in your application. If you need an application form in an alternative format please let our recruitment team know. All information you supply on your application should, to the best of your knowledge, be true and accurate.

Still have questions? The recruiting manager would love to hear from you, their contact details can be found in the job advert.

We can get a lot of applications for some roles so to be in with the best chance of being shortlisted please make sure you apply as soon as possible. A vacancy may close early if there is a lot of interest in the job.

At KCHFT we strongly encourage colleagues in clinical and non-clinical roles who have direct or social contact with patients to be fully vaccinated. In this way we will be doing all we can to ensure your safety and that of your colleagues and the patients we serve.

Find out more about the community difference here.

Good luck! We can’t wait to meet you and welcome you to #teamKCHFT, #cometocommunity.

Person specification:

Knowledge and skills

Essential

• You will need to have a customer focussed approach
• Provide patients, clients and their families with the best possible experience
• You will need to be able to be able to use IT systems and databases.
• You will have excellent attention to details, accuracy and organisational skills. You will know when you are within your own limits and when to escalate

Desirable

• Having an awareness of developments within the NHS would be an advantage

Qualifications, training and experience

Essential

• You will have either: Level 4 qualification (e.g. certificate of higher education, higher national certificate, NVQ level 4) Or you will be able to demonstrate the equivalent level of experience.
• In addition you will also have Functional Skills at Level 2 (Literacy and numeracy/ GCSE grade A-C/ 4-9 or equivalent in English and Maths)
• You’ll need to have recent experience of team working and versatility to take on a variety of tasks.
• A full, valid UK driving licence or a full driving licence issued by an EU country