Shooting Star Children’s Hospices are special places: a home from home for families who find themselves in truly unimaginable circumstances. 

The charity's story began as two separate children’s hospice charities. CHASE was founded in 1994, and The Shooting Star Trust was founded in 1995. In April 2011, the two charities merged to become Shooting Star Chase, with the two hospices — Christopher’s in Guildford, and Shooting Star House in Hampton — able to provide more care, for more children and families in London and Surrey. In February 2019, the charity updated its name to Shooting Star Children’s Hospices, to provide greater clarity about what it does. 

Today, Shooting Star Children's Hospice is a leading children’s hospice charity supporting over 700 children and their families, throughout Surrey and across 15 boroughs of London, 365 days a year. Its care service is regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Christopher's currently has a rating of Outstanding, the highest possible overall rating, which was awarded this year.

A new Chief Executive joined the charity in late 2021, and a new, ambitious mission and strategy launches later this year, with a strong and engaged Board ready to oversee its delivery in the years ahead.

The Board of Trustees provides support and guidance to the organisation, helping it to determine its strategy and ensuring that its work is carried out to the highest standard. Specific responsibilities of Trustees are to:

• Understand Shooting Star Children’s Hospices aims and objectives as set out in its governing document, and ensure that it operates in accordance with them
• Take reasonable steps to ensure Shooting Star Children’s Hospices operates within the law, particularly with regard to the Charities and Companies Acts
• Represent the Board’s agreed position when speaking publicly on behalf of Shooting Star Children’s Hospices
• Contribute towards an annual review of the Board’s performance
• Help to identify, recruit and induct new Board members, the Chair and the Chief Executive, if vacancies arise
• Support the Chief Executive, Director of Care, and other staff in carrying out their work when requested to do so

Beyond this, all Trustees should contribute to appropriate governance by making certain that the Board:

• Establishes Shooting Star Children’s Hospices’ strategic direction and goals
• Contributes to the development of Shooting Star Children’s Hospices’ strategy and business plans
• Understands and acts upon financial and other monitoring information presented to it, questioning such information when appropriate
• Defines the boundaries of SMT authority and delegates the implementation of its decisions to the senior staff
• Ensures that Shooting Star Children’s Hospices delivers on its accountabilities, both those demanded by law and those of hospice good practice
• Monitors key performance indicators on a regular basis and holds the Chief Executive accountable for outcomes
• Monitors the risks inherent in Shooting Star Children’s Hospices’ operations through regular review of the organisation’s risk register
• Ensures that the Chair reviews the Chief Executive’s performance and development annually

In addition to quarterly Board meetings, the Care Trustees will also join the Care Advisory Committee and the Quality Governance and Risk Committee. The charity is also open to hearing from those who are interested in joining one of these Committees but not yet joining the overall Board as a full Trustee. One of the successful candidates will also become the Board’s safeguarding lead.

Shooting Star Children's Hospices is seeking individuals with clinical expertise to advise on the growth and development of its care services. You’ll bring vision and commitment to the charity’s important work.

Candidates will bring significant current or recent clinical experience, whether from a delivery or commissioning perspective. This could have been gained as a nurse, Allied Health Professional (AHP), or doctor working in primary or secondary care. An understanding of paediatric or palliative care is welcome but not essential, as is knowledge of safeguarding practices. While applicants don’t need prior experience in the charity sector, they should have a broad appreciation of the issues it faces.

The successful candidates will be passionate about and share in Shooting Star's deep-seated commitment to improving the lives of children and their families.

You can find out more about the current members of the Board here.

For an informal chat about the role, please contact erica.quaile@shootingstar.org.uk, who will arrange this. All applications must be made through Nurole.

This role is unremunerated, but reasonable, pre-agreed travel expenses will be reimbursed. The time commitment includes quarterly Board and Committee meetings plus an away day. Board meetings take place in person, either in Guildford or Hampton, and usually occur on Mondays from 6.30pm to 8pm. Committee meetings are held virtually, on Zoom, and normally last under two hours. The appointment is for a four-year term, which can be renewed once at the discretion of the Board.

Appointments will be offered subject to standard checks including satisfactory references and a DBS check.

UK - London and South East

Shooting Star Children’s Hospices is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and volunteers. Applications are actively encouraged from individuals from diverse backgrounds. All applications will be considered solely on merit.

Disabled applicants are invited to contact Nurole in confidence at any point during the recruitment process, to discuss any support or reasonable adjustments that may be required.