Infection Prevention and Control Site Lead
The closing date is 24 May 2026.
The Infection Prevention and Control Team at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust are looking to recruit a talented and enthusiastic Infection Prevention and Control Site Lead as part of a job share.
This position offers the opportunity for the successful candidate to be a key member of the Infection Prevention and Control Team, interfacing between Care Groups across the Trust, providing expert advice and support and collaborating with internal and external partners.
We are seeking an experienced specialist who can jointly lead a team at the William Harvey Hospital and take on a Trust‑wide strategic lead role on key IPC issues, supported by the Deputy DIPC and DIPC.
Main duties of the job
The successful candidate will be a dynamic and experienced advanced practitioner with expert knowledge in infection prevention and control, who can support our people in complex decision‑making. They will need to be self‑motivated and have a flexible approach to work, acting as a role model across disciplines.
They will (jointly) manage the IPC Nurse Specialists at the William Harvey Hospital (as a job share) and provide clear leadership for infection prevention across the Trust, influencing and improving the quality of care delivered to our patients.
The post will be characterised by the four pillars of practice:
- Clinical Practice
- Evidence, Research and Development
- Communication and Relationship Skills
- Analytical Skills
- Planning and Organisational Skills
Job responsibilities
Clinical Practice
Work as a highly specialised member of the team, acting as an expert resource on infection prevention and control issues and providing evidence‑based advice to promote best practice.
Promote the reduction of healthcare‑associated infection across the Trust through education, surveillance, audit, policy development/review and innovation.
Serve as the (joint) site lead for ensuring that the Trust‑Wide Improvement Plan (TWIP) for the Infection Prevention and Control Programme is completed for the site and the wider IPC/Decontamination portfolio as agreed.
Be visible and accessible to all healthcare staff across all disciplines as an expert specialist resource, guiding clinical staff to assess, plan, implement and evaluate care for patients with regard to infection prevention and control.
Communication and Relationship Skills
Demonstrate a high level of communication and interpersonal skills, enabling negotiation and influence with all grades of multidisciplinary staff in complex situations involving sensitive issues across the organisation and beyond.
Demonstrate the ability to receive and provide highly complex, sensitive and sometimes contentious information to patients, relatives, carers, members of the public and staff, where there may be significant barriers to acceptance/understanding, requiring negotiating, persuasive and reassuring skills.
Diffuse potentially hostile and antagonistic situations with staff, patients and relatives, using highly developed negotiation and interpersonal skills.
Develop and make formal presentations to large groups in a manner that is effective and credible.
Analytical Skills
Assess and interpret highly complex and sometimes conflicting information based on individual patient/environmental conditions and laboratory reports, e.g. the management of outbreaks.
Make decisions regarding patient care (e.g. movement/transfer of patients with infections/communicable diseases, closure of wards, availability of isolation facilities) which involves assessing available resources.
Planning and Organisational Skills
Deputise for the Deputy Director of Infection Prevention and Control as required.
Plan and organise the complex workload of the site Infection Prevention and Control Team.
A full list of responsibilities is available within the Job Description.
Person Specification
Qualifications and training
- Registered General Nurse (or equivalent professional registrant)
- Diploma/Degree in Infection Prevention and Control
- Educed to or working towards a Master’s level degree, ideally related to infection prevention and control
- Teaching qualification (ENB 998 or equivalent)
Clinical skills and experience
- Experience of working as a qualified nurse in a variety of settings at a senior level, within an acute trust environment
- Minimum of 5 years’ experience as an Infection Control Nurse (at least 3 years’ experience post diploma/degree) in an acute NHS trust
- 3 years’ experience post diploma/degree in an acute NHS trust
- Able to demonstrate work within the field of Infection prevention and control or public health, at an 8a (or equivalent) and clearly identify governance and risks of the services
- Experience of dissemination of work through presentation/publication
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills – written and verbal
- Able to work alone effectively and as a member of a team and must be calm under pressure
- Must be able to prioritise workload in response to changing/competing demands
- Must be able to implement/manage change in a turbulent environment
- Must be able to demonstrate problem‑solving and analytical skills
- Must be persuasive and innovative, and able to motivate others
- Must be able to deal with conflict
- Must be able to act as a professional role model
- Must be IT literate including competency in keyboard skills, ability to use email and Word
- Must be able to drive and hold a current UK driving licence
- Must be able to travel around the Trust, as required
- Evidence of leading senior projects in healthcare (equivalent settings)
Governance
- Understanding of current issues in Infection Control i.e. NHS England targets for healthcare-associated infections
Personal/ professional attributes
- Highly developed specialist knowledge relating to Infection Prevention and Control and its application in the acute trust setting
- Highly developed specialist knowledge across a range of work procedures/practices relevant to the acute setting
- Conversant with national standards and initiatives and knowledgeable of other issues affecting healthcare
Other requirements
- To be aware of and adhere to the Trust’s Vision, Mission and Values
- Flexible and adaptable
- Open and honest
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and, as such, it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Salary
£66,582 to £77,368 a year pro rata per annum
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