Heart of Kent Hospice

Who we are

Heart of Kent Hospice opened its doors in 1991 thanks to people from this community who were resolute in their determination to make expert, compassionate care available for terminally ill people. We are a charity, dependent on our local community to keep the Hospice doors open and the lights on.

Heart of Kent exists today thanks to the people of this community who understood the need for a Hospice and cared enough to give to the original ‘Wishing Well Appeal’. They enabled the Hospice to be built and to open its doors in 1991.

The Hospice was officially opened by HRH Diana, Princess of Wales in 1992.

A small band of local people were instrumental in driving the project forward and making the Hospice happen. We all have them to thank for their extraordinary vision and dedication.

We also pay tribute our founding Patron, the late Marianna, Lady Monckton of Brenchley. We are forever grateful for her energy, kindness and wise counsel which spanned more than three decades.   

Our culture and values

Our values:

Our core values are: Compassion, Integrity, Respect and Teamwork. They guide our decision-making and how we conduct ourselves in our work.  They help to ensure our patients and their families receive the very best care, every single day of the year. 

Our vision is that:

Everyone living with a terminal illness in our community will achieve the best quality of life.

Our purpose is:

To enable people with a terminal illness in our community to live with comfort, independence and dignity to the end of their lives, and to support those closest to them.

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

Our purpose

To enable people with a terminal illness in our community to live in the comfort, with independence and dignity to the end of their lives, and to support rise closest to them.

Mindset

We are curious about improving care.

I care

We understand that caring each other, those we support and our purpose is essential to our success. We foster strong, trusting relationships in all our interactions.

We care about how we communicate and prioritise our work, and we treat everyone with respect.

• I seek to understand the needs of others
   
• I communicate clearly and openly
   
• I share my team and resources
   
• I listen to others’ ideas

I learn

So that we can continuously improve our care, we actively look for opportunities to develop, our skills and knowledge. We take time to learn from others and understand different ways of thinking. We recognise that learning will shape the long-term delivery of our care.

• I create opportunities to develop knowledge and skills
   
• I find ways to learn from others
   
• I seek out positive and developmental feedback from others
   
• I champion evidence-based learning

I own

We deliver on our promises at an individual, team and organisational level. We take pride in what we achieve and we lead by example, empowering one another to take ownerships. We proactively share knowledge and embrace self-reflection.

• I confirm my commitments
   
• I deliver on my commitments, on time, to the quality promised
   
• I help the team to deliver
   
• I identify learnings from successes and failures

I improve
 

We believe that we can continuously improve the contribution we make. We welcome new ideas and approaches and recognise that change is not always easy or comfortable. We encourage feedback so that we can improve. We actively look for solutions to problems.

• I embrace changes
   
• I analyse information to identify and solve problems
   
• I give positive and developmental feedback to others
   
• I share learning sand ideas with others