Job Description

We're launching a new Healthy Ageing Frailty/ SDEC model centred at Newton Abbot Community Hospital, providing rapid assessment and same-day management for adults living with frailty. As an Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) you'll practice autonomously across the four pillars of advanced practice--clinical, leadership/management, education, and research--to deliver safe, person-centred care, develop the pathway, and support the wider MDT. Candidates will have, or be working towards, a Master's in Advanced Clinical Practice (or recognised portfolio route) and operate with high levels of clinical decision-making within a defined governance framework.

Advanced clinical assessment & decision-making:

Take comprehensive histories, perform holistic physical/mental examinations, request/interpret investigations, formulate and evaluate management plans with appropriate senior support and clear scope of practice.

SDEC/HOP delivery:

Provide timely same-day assessment and intervention to avoid unnecessary admission, coordinating seamless transitions with Virtual Ward, community teams and primary care.

Leadership across the pathway:

Provide visible clinical leadership in daily huddles and MDTs; act as a specialist resource for colleagues; contribute to safe patient flow and pathway refinement.

Education & supervision:

Teach and coach across the MDT; support students/trainees; contribute to competency and capability frameworks linked to frailty urgent care.

Quality, research & improvement:

Lead/participate in audit, evaluation and evidence translation to embed best practice; contribute outputs through SPA time (anticipated 80:20 clinical: SPA model, flexed to service need).



You'll join Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, an integrated care organisation delivering acute, community and adult social care. The Healthy Ageing team works across settings with a strong improvement culture, supportive supervision and multi-professional learning. We value compassionate leadership, personalised care ("What matters to you"), and shared decision-making--backed by robust clinical governance and staff development.



Why Work With Us

Clinical practice (pillar 1):

Assess, diagnose, plan, implement and evaluate interventions for people living with frailty presenting to SDEC/ambulatory pathways; undertake appropriate procedures within competence; request and act on diagnostics (e.g., labs, ECGs, imaging) in line with local policy and regulation; produce high-quality documentation and handovers.

Professional leadership & management (pillar 2):

Provide expert advice across professions; support service governance, risk management and safety; contribute to service planning and pathway design across organisational boundaries; role-model compassionate, inclusive leadership.

Education, training & development (pillar 3):

Deliver formal/informal teaching; supervise, mentor and assess learners; help build ACP/advanced skills capability within the workforce; maintain and evidence own CPD and portfolio of practice.

Research, audit & innovation (pillar 4):

Lead or contribute to audit/service evaluation; use evidence-based practice to update guidelines and care standards; disseminate learning through teaching, QI forums and (where appropriate) academic outputs.

Autonomous practice & governance:

Work with high professional autonomy within agreed scope, escalating appropriately; apply safeguarding, Mental Capacity Act and consent principles; support equitable access and reasonable adjustments; uphold Trust policies and information governance.

SPA / off-the-job time:

Use SPA to progress education, leadership and research objectives linked to pathway outcomes; flex sessions in response to operational pressures, evidencing outputs.