Head of Patient Experience

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Our award winning trusts recognise that our colleagues are our most valuable resource, we are proud of the excellent levels of service our Trust provides to our service users and the dedication and conscientiousness of our colleagues. With over 10,000 colleagues working for our trusts in a very wide range of services, we aim to provide a supportive, inclusive environment in which our colleagues can thrive.

Job overview

Are you an experienced leader who shares our goal to ensure that the patient and carer voice is at the centre of all we do? We are looking to welcome an exceptional leader to join our patient experience and engagement team as Head of Patient Experience.

We can offer you the opportunity to succeed in leading a team providing an exceptional service, whilst developing your own professional career and expanding your leadership potential.

As Head of Patient Experience, you'll provide leadership and development for the patient experience team which includes both the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) and formal complaints team. You'll continue to raise the profile of PALS and formal complaints and empower the whole team to understand, resolve and provide feedback appropriately.

The teams work from 2 bases, Yeovil District Hospital and Musgrove Park Hospital. We support flexible working with a hybrid model of work, but there is a need to work across both sites to provide leadership presence to the teams.

Main duties of the job

Reporting directly to the Director of Patient Experience and Engagement, you'll oversee a broad portfolio spanning development and implementation of processes, liaising with stakeholders and regulators, and working with other key teams to support quality improvement related to patient experience.

You'll also have the opportunity to deputise for the Director on occasions, providing exposure to board/senior meetings and development for aspiring Directors.

This is arguably the most exciting time to join Somerset Foundation Trust. Following our merge in April 2023 we are the only NHS trust in mainland England to deliver integrated acute, community, mental health and learning disabilities services. This provides a unique opportunity to enhance the offer we provide to our patients, carers and the public of Somerset and actively drive service improvement to continue to meet national standards.

We are looking for a solutions focussed, experienced leader who is passionate about service delivery in this challenging but all-important service.

Working for our organisation

As an organisation, Somerset NHS Foundation Trust offers employees a wide range of benefits including flexible working, NHS pension scheme, generous annual leave allowance and a commitment to career development.

You will be eligible for our Blue Light Card and a wide range of NHS exclusive shopping & leisure discounts.

We are proud of our skilled, diverse workforce and as an inclusive employer we welcome applications from all backgrounds.

Working in Somerset enables you to enjoy the idyllic countryside, areas of outstanding beauty and stunning coastlines whilst still only being a stone's throw away from bustling city centres like Bristol, Bath and Exeter and only two hours away from London.

There are excellent educational facilities in the area and, when compared to other regions, house prices are reasonable.

Somerset offers the countryside and the cosmopolitan - there is truly something for everyone!

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for more information about position.

Person specification

Essential

Essential criteria

• Postgraduate level training or equivalent experience in service development, operational management, project management and patient experience improvement
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of the key principles of Patient Experience, Involvement and Quality Improvement including national guidance and local context.
• Knowledge of acute, community and mental health service types in the health sector
• Experience of leading a service providing strategic advice and support to senior managers
• Experience of supporting staff and developing staff members and active performance management

Desirable criteria

• Experience of leading and managing skill mix teams

Equity, diversity, and inclusion is a priority for us. As a trust we welcome and encourage applications irrespective of age, disability, sex, gender identity and gender expression, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or personal circumstances. We do our best to ensure our recruitment process is accessible and inclusive. If you have a disability and require an adjustment at any point during the recruitment process, please let us know.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

• Head of Patient Experience April 2024 (PDF, 480.1KB)
• Value of the NHS Pension Scheme (PDF, 97.5KB)