Assistant Service Manager

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South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust is one of the top performing organisations within the NHS. Our staff think this is a great place to work and we hope you will agree. We have recently been rated as 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following our most recent inspection.

We provide services across Warwickshire and beyond ranging from Hospitals in Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Royal Leamington Spa and Shipston-on Stour to Community Services across the whole county. This includes our Community Teams in North Warwickshire.

We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of productivity. Over 6000 people work for the Trust and many of them have been here a long time. People find they don't need to go elsewhere to find a fulfilling career in healthcare.

The first thing you will notice about us is how we take our values seriously. We believe that our values underpin everything we do. If you are interested in a role with us you need to make sure our values match your own.

Our values can be summed up in one sentence. We are 'Trusted to provide inclusive, safe, effective and compassionate care'. Throughout the recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you demonstrate these values and how they impact on your work. It doesn't matter what role you do, whether it is patient facing or not, we are all working in the same way with our values at the core.

Probationary Period

All new staff to the Trust will be subject to a standard 6 month probationary period, the details of which will duly follow in your contract of employment.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust is committed to creating and sustaining a positive and inclusive working environment for all our employees. Our aim is to ensure that employees are equally valued and respected and that our organisation is representative of all members of society. We define diversity as valuing everyone as an individual - we value our employees, job applicants, students, patients and visitors as people. This is reflected within our values of being Inclusive, Safe, Effective, Compassionate and Trusted.

Agile and Flexible Working

All our staff will have a work base. However the Trust operates as an Agile Working Team therefore staff may be working from home on a regular basis as required by the service. However, occasionally travel around Warwickshire and into your base will be required so access to your own transport would be helpful.

The Trust also welcome staff to work flexibly and we would welcome the conversation at interview regarding flexible working.

Staff Benefits

The Trust offer a wide range of additional benefits to staff. Anyone who joins us on a substantive basis can assess things such as the Lease Car Scheme, Electronics Scheme, Discounted Leisure and Travel, Cycle to work scheme amongst many others available.

Car Parking

The Trust have recently completed the construction of a multi-storey car park at our Warwick Hospital site which has allowed us to reduce waiting times for car parking passes.

To keep up to date on our latest recruitment activity follow us on twitter @swftrecruit or look us up on Facebook (Recruitment - South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust).

Job overview

We are offering an exciting opportunity for a junior leader to apply for Assistant Service Manager in the Emergency Division at South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust. The post will be of interest to those who wish to continue and expand a career in hospital management and would like to gain more experience in a busy service with a wide variety of challenges. The post will provide an extensive opportunity to build and develop skills required to move forward to a more senior role. The successful candidate will be joining a supportive, forward thinking team who value team work and a positive approach.

You will be expected to manage your own workload and assist with training and troubleshooting when required. The Assistant Service Manager will support the General Manager in the operational management of all aspects of the services and deputise in their absence.

We are looking for someone to support and take a lead on Medical Staffing and also support in a sub-specialty. You will need to have high level of organisational skills and be able to communicate with a wide range of health care professionals as well as patients and their relatives.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will support the General Manager in the operational management of the service / division.

Working for our organisation

Come and join a Trust rated Outstanding by the CQC. South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust have been rated as outstanding following our latest inspection by the CQC and we are recruiting new staff to come and help us improve even further.

We provide services across Warwickshire and beyond ranging from Hospitals in Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Royal Leamington Spa and Shipston-on Stour to Community Services across the county. We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of productivity.

Our values can be summed up in one sentence. We are 'Trusted to provide safe, effective and compassionate care'. Throughout the recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you demonstrate these values and how they impact on your work. It doesn't matter what role you do, whether it is patient facing or not, we are all working in the same way with our values at the core.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To assist the General Manager with Emergency Specialities performance management systems ensuring that Trust and Monitor standards are understood and adhered to and that performance reports are produced to enable compliance.

Support the governance arrangements within the services / division including audit, complaints, incidents, risk and health and safety.

To be responsible to the General Manager for financial performance relating to delegated budgets and operational performance of the services / division.

Represent the General Manager as required.

Values

The post-holder is expected to promote South Warwickshire NHS Trust's vision: to provide high quality, clinically and cost effective NHS healthcare services that meet the needs of our patients and the population that we serve.

The post-holder is expected to work in a way that observes the Code of Conduct for NHS Managers as well as following the Trust's world class care standards of behaviour.

Communications and Working Relationships

Operations Manager.

Directorate management team, including General Manager, Associate Medical Director and Matrons.

Clinical Service Leads for directorate and the service multi-professional teams.

Risk and Complaints Managers.

Medical secretaries, ward clerks and other administrative support teams within the service / directorate.

Patient Access Team.

Admissions team Outpatient appointment centre.

Information department.

Divisional Human Resources Manager, medical staffing managers and divisional recruitment team.

Divisional Finance Analyst, Directorate Accountant and department staff.

Clinical coding department.

Measurable Result Areas

Performance Management

Support the infrastructure which measures performance within the service / division (including RTT reports, waiting lists, outpatient new to follow up ratios and follow ups over threshold, diagnostic treatment status). Ensure data validation is completed to achieve required national and local RTT targets and milestones.

Work across the division to ensure that the emergency access standards are consistently met for all patients.

Support the investigation of patient complaints, analysing the issues and identifying any faults in procedures, processes or the treatment of patients and making appropriate recommendations to the General Manager and others to avoid future occurrences.

Work with the General Manager to monitor activity levels including outpatients, diagnostics and inpatients. Develop improvement plans to achieve performance against targets and other imperatives impacting on the Trust.

Ensure that all activity is accurately and fully coded thereby ensuring income is maximised and outpatient treatment status recorded for RTT measurement.

Participate in monitoring and maintaining compliance with relevant CQC standards.

Communication

Communicate clearly and effectively with staff to ensure they are kept up to date with divisional business plans and operational requirements.

Provide highly complex information regarding performance in a motivational manner which encourages collaborative working in order to deliver against targets.

Staff Management

To manage administration and support staff employed within service / division.

Manage timely and effective recruitment and retention of staff in conjunction with the Human Resources department.

Work with the General Manager to ensure appraisals are carried out for all staff and training needs identified including essential Trust training.

Work with the General Manager in managing absence across the specialties.

Participate in the management of leave requests affecting direct clinical care sessions.

Manage staff expectations particularly around changes to the service/division which may impact their job security.

Ensure optimal use of staffing resources and review workforce requirements as required.

Ensure staff are aware of and implement Trust policies and procedures and establish and implement local guidelines, policies and procedures as appropriate.

Ensure that the Trust's policies on conduct and performance are adhered to and communicated effectively to all staff.

Ensure that all staff are working to maintain a healthy and safe working environment.

Participate in disciplinary investigations within the division / service as required

Support medical staff colleagues on recruitment of temporary and permanent medical staff.

Operational Management

To contribute to decisions on prioritising admissions to ensure national targets are met and where problems are identified taking corrective action in discussion with clinical colleagues.

To consider reports by the information team, ensuring problems are identified and action taken where potential breaches of target are shown. This may involve immediate action or more long-term capacity planning.

Financial Budgetary Management

To manage delegated budgets effectively and within the resource constraints agreed during budget setting.

Support the use of service line reporting to support and inform financial management.

Quality/Governance Corporate and Clinical, Patient Feedback

Participate in monitoring and maintaining compliance with relevant CQC standards.

Contribute to the achievement of CQUINs relevant to the directorate.

Support the divisional risk and governance team to investigate, plan and implement response to incidences and complaints.

Advises on changes to Procedures following patient complaints, which may impact on other areas.

Promote the corporate and clinical governance frameworks within the directorate.

Represent the General Manager

To represent the General Manager as required.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Educated to degree level in relevant subject or equivalent level of experience
• Post graduate diploma or equivalent experience
• Evidence of continuing personal development

Experience

Essential criteria

• Staff management and leading a team
• Operational management experience

Desirable criteria

• Budget management - including monitoring expenditure and identifying savings

Skills

Essential criteria

• Understanding of national NHS policy and targets
• Good interpersonal, oral and written skills including chairing meetings and report writing
• Numerate with excellent analytical skills/ability
• Excellent problem solving skills
• Advanced IT skills with Microsoft office
• Ability to manage time/priorities

Desirable criteria

• Ability to negotiate with and influence staff at all levels

Personal Qualities

Essential criteria

• Well organised and practical approach to work
• Pays attention to detail
• Ability to work under pressure in a dynamic environment
• Flexible
• Ability to work on own
• Positive and motivated

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Sometimes we get a lot of applications for our roles. On those occasions we might close the job early. If you don't want to miss out we recommend submitting your application as early as possible.

The Trust use an Applicant Management System called TRAC which helps us manage the recruitment process. All communications regarding your application will come via TRAC (even if you applied via NHS Jobs).

Please check your TRAC account regularly and ensure your email is set up to accept messages so they don't go into your junk/spam folder.

We aim to shortlist all vacancies within 2 days of the vacancy closing, we will get back to all candidates ASAP.

Please ensure all sections of the application form are completed fully. Please particularly ensure that you provide full details of all referees including business email address, telephone contact details and postal address.

South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust is an equal opportunities employer who is committed to Equality and Diversity and does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the grounds of any protected characteristic as defined by the Equality Act 2010.

All South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust sites are smoke free. We feel it's a great way to help our patients, visitors and staff stay healthy.

The Trust is part of a 'Foundation Group' through a strategic alliance with Wye Valley NHS Trust, George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. This partnership is great for the sustainability of all four organisations and allows us to share learning and maximise opportunities to ensure the delivery of high quality health and care services for our local populations.

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Documents to download

• Job Description (PDF, 176.6KB)
• Person Specification (PDF, 152.6KB)