Head of Intermediate Care

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About Us

EPUT provides community health, mental health and learning disability services to support more than 3.2 million people living across Bedfordshire, Essex and Suffolk. Also:

• We are among the largest employers in the in the East of England region, with more than 10,000 staff working across more than 200 sites.
• We run the COVID-19 vaccination programme across mid and south Essex and Suffolk and north east Essex.

EPUT was formed on 1 April 2017 following the merger of North Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (NEP) and South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (SEPT). A new leadership team was established at the Trust in 2020.
Our vision and values

Our Vision

"To be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care".

Our Purpose

"We care for people every day. What we do together, matters".

Our Values

• We Care
• We Learn
• We Empower

Our strategic objectives

• We will deliver safe, high quality integrated care services.
• We will enable each other to be the best that we can.
• We will work together with our partners to make our services better.
• We will help our communities to thrive.

Our services

• Mental Health Services
• Community Health Services
• Learning Disabilities Services
• Social Care

Find out more about the services we offer in our service directory.

Job overview

This is an exciting opportunity to join the senior leadership team in south east Essex where you will be responsible for the delivery of our Intermediate Care community health services.

The Head of Intermediate Care will provide senior operational leadership to Intermediate Care community health services in south east Essex. The Head of Intermediate Care will use extensive clinical knowledge and experience to promote excellence in clinical practice in order to deliver a high quality personalised service which is dynamic, proactive and responsive to health needs.

The post holder will oversee development and delivery of the direction, performance and success of the services they are responsible for. They will be expected to develop close partnership working with all relevant internal and external stakeholders, developing integrated pathways across community physical and mental health services to support patients at place. The Head of Intermediate Care will be expected to support the transformation of services across the Mid and South Essex Community Collaborative, which will include ongoing development of pathways and management of flow and capacity for community beds across mid and south Essex, including representation of our services at a system level. The role will also be expected to work closely with the Acute Trust to lead the development of admission avoidance and discharge pathways.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be responsible for:

• Effective senior operational leadership
• Clinical delivery and performance management
• Provision of expert knowledge with regard to professional and clinical standards
• Workforce planning
• Contribution to the development of the Care Unit Strategy

Working for our organisation

EPUT are looking for motivated staff who shares our Trust values of Care, Learn and Empower. In return, EPUT can offer you a range of benefits and development including;

• Season Ticket Loans
• NHS discounts for staff
• Excellent Training facilities and opportunities
• Buying and Selling annual leave scheme
• The opportunity to work bank shifts and expand knowledge and experience in other areas
• Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work
• Day One Flexible Employer

The Trust supports and actively encourages flexible working for all employees. We offer many options and you are encouraged to ask the recruiting manager what is possible for this role. If appointed, you will have the opportunity to apply for a flexible working request from the first day of your employment

Join our Staff bank

What is Staff Bank?

Our EPUT NHS staff bank is an entity managed by the trust that hires clinical and non-clinical healthcare professionals to take on shifts at our trust hospitals and community settings. Here at EPUT we maintain our own bank of specialist staff to ensure that we are able offer safe and effective care at all times.

All our permanent staff are automatically enrolled onto the staff bank however this does not mean you have to work any additional shifts, but the option is there for you if you wish.

If you are joining our Trust in a fixed term role, please indicate on your New Starter Paperwork that you wish to join our staff bank.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder will:

• Develop services in line with best practice, national standards and local innovation, leading local implementation of relevant national policies and local transformation agendas.
• Identify opportunities for service redesign and innovation that improves patient experience, performance and quality services.
• Lead the implementation of service developments as agreed.
• Contribute to and lead key aspects of the development of business plans in accordance with Care Unit and Trust strategy, ensuring services are fit for purpose and meeting performance and quality specifications.
• Support the transformation of services across the Mid and South Essex Community Collaborative, including undertaking a lead role for identified transformation work streams.
• Map services across the Mid and South Essex Community Collaborative and take a lead role in the transformation of services that addresses variation in access, experience and outcomes.
• Work with contract teams to ensure that service specifications are reviewed and up to date, supporting the development of single service specifications across mid and south Essex for identified work streams.
• Participate in the chairing of the Mid and South Essex Community Collaborative flow huddles as identified Intermediate Care lead of the day for EPUT, NELFT and Provide CIC, with responsibility for community OPEL actions.
• Participate in the Mid and South Essex System Tactical Meeting as representative for the Community Collaborative.
• In collaboration with senior clinical colleagues, develop and review nursing and AHP workforce plans for the Care Unit including an annual review of nursing and AHP skill mix.
• Implement systems and controls for the effective recruitment, selection and retention of staff within the area of responsibility.
• Undertake management and investigation of complex incidents within the Care Unit, liaising with the Deputy Director of Quality and Safety and providing updates and assurance through to the Patient Safety Group and Quality of Care meetings.
• Manage complaints in line with agreed processes and where required to resolve complex complaints, meet with complainants to address their concerns to ensure local resolution is achieved wherever possible.
• Ensure the safeguarding agenda across services is implemented with effective systems throughout the service including effective liaison with other agencies as required.
• In collaboration with the senior management team, support the Care Unit's approach to improving compliance with standards, CQC registration and other regulatory requirements.
• Work with the senior management team to ensure the delivery of the Care Unit and Corporate Objectives.
• Provide highly skilled leadership in supporting staff to develop and deliver an effective and safe service.
• To lead on Clinical Governance and Health & Safety issues for Intermediate Care services.
• To participate in compiling Risk Registers and actively seeking and implementing risk reduction strategies across services.
• As part of the Care Unit management team, manage the delegated budgets and ensure financial targets for the teams are met.
• Act as an authorised signatory for determined areas.
• Comply with financial processes, standing financial instructions and deadlines.
• Ensure relevant financial information is presented to staff and meetings, as appropriate.
• Develop effective working relationships with external stakeholders.
• Deputise for the Associate Director in strategic and locality led initiatives/meetings as required.
• Lead service development initiatives.
• Ensure that robust mechanisms are in place to enable patient and stakeholder feedback and that such feedback is actively utilised in service planning and re-design and that patients are able to recognise how they have influenced service improvements.
• Undertake analysis and interpretation of service data and to monitor activity against agreed baselines and investigate variances.
• Ensure that services are based on assessed patient need, recognising and respecting diversity of need, responsive to patient feedback and commissioning requirements.
• Ensure good working relationships with acute Trusts, commissioners, local authorities and external agencies, in the development of specific Intermediate Care related business plans and/or projects.
• Work collaboratively with other Community Services leadership teams to ensure services develop in tandem and support community nursing services.
• Use professional judgement and expertise to support team members in devising care or treatment plans for patients with complex needs ensuring that all possible implications are identified and considered.
• Develop services which are effective to either facilitate early hospital discharge from hospital, or prevent admission to hospital or care homes.
• In partnership with key stakeholders, contribute to the development of Strategic Plans, leading the implementation of agreed service changes/developments.
• Develop mechanisms for ensuring feedback from patients on Intermediate Care services is used to inform and improve services.
• Engage and consult with front line staff regarding service developments, to ensure that service provision is regularly reviewed in light of best practice and experience of delivering care.
• Contribute to the development of contracts and Service Level Agreements, ensuring all services have up to date operational policies in place.
• Contribute to, and lead key aspects of long-term financial and resource planning.
• Contribute to the emergency planning process and work collaboratively to deploy staff in order to respond to seasonal issues such as winter pressures, pandemic flu and major incidents.
• Work autonomously to interpret strategies, policies and guidance to apply them to practice and service delivery.
• Maintain own professional registration and practice requirements.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• First degree or equivalent in relevant Nursing course
• Registered Nurse with current NMC registration
• Professional clinical knowledge acquired through appropriate Nursing degree, supplemented by specialist training to masters or equivalent level and/or management qualification or equivalent experience.

Desirable criteria

• Advanced Practice qualification
• Management/leadership qualification

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Advanced knowledge of community service provision
• Proven clinical and leadership track record within a Nursing service
• Good working knowledge of all areas of clinical and non-clinical governance, including quality, audit and risk management

Skills/Experience

Essential criteria

• Clinical experience within Intermediate Care services
• Experience of managing a clinical service and delivering key access targets
• Experience of successfully managing change
• Evidence of system-wide working

Please note - staff who are formally at risk within the organisation will be given priority in securing alternative employment. Should it come to light that a post being advertised by the Trust is considered 'suitable alternative employment' to an individual who is at risk, the recruiting manager will be advised and the post will be withdrawn from NHS Jobs.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

Important Professional References

Make sure that as a part of your application you have professional references with business contract information covering your last three year employment history. We are unable to accept personal or character references.

As a newly appointed employee you are responsible for incurring the cost of your initial DBS check relevant to your post, the amount will be deducted from your first salary with the Trust.

Applications for Job Share are positively welcomed.

Equal Opportunities Employer

Our Trust is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We particularly welcome applications from people with experience of using mental health services. We also hold the Disability two tick symbol and have made the pledge to commit to employing more people with learning disabilities, we encourage people with a disability to apply. If you require this application form in another format i.e. Braille or audio tape etc, please contact the Recruitment Department on 01375 364513 or email epunft.recruitment.adverts@nhs.net and we can arrange for this to be dispatched to you.

The Trust has the right to expire vacancies prior to the closing date if they so wish. The Trust makes every attempt to contact all applicants and we strongly advise that you check the email account which is registered with NHS Jobs regularly, we would advise however due to the high number of applications we receive that if you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expect all staff to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to robust safer recruitment processes.

Covid Vaccination

Although Covid vaccinations are no longer a mandatory requirement within the NHS we continue to encourage and support the vaccination uptake as this remains the best line of defence against Covid19. The safety of our staff and patients is a top priority for us at EPUT.

If you would like to book a Covid vaccination or would like more information please contact us by emailing epunft.cv19hr@nhs.net.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Documents to download

• Head of Intermediate Care JD (PDF, 744.5KB)
• Head of Intermediate Care PS (PDF, 344.6KB)
• Why Join The NHS Pension Scheme (PDF, 91.3KB)
• EPUT Pledge - Step into Health (PDF, 211.0KB)
• Candidate Privacy Policy (PDF, 336.6KB)
• Right to Work Information (PDF, 293.6KB)
• Employer Recognition Scheme - Gold Award (PDF, 27.7KB)
• Trust Vision and Values (PDF, 168.9KB)
• Values of the NHS Pension (PDF, 151.3KB)
• EPUT Staff Benefits (PDF, 89.3KB)