Operational Service Manager

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Liverpool Women's delivers the highest standards of care for women, babies and their families. Each year we deliver over 8,300 babies, carry out over 10,000 gynaecological procedures, and care for over 1,000 poorly and preterm newborns, making us the specialist provider of health services for women, babies and their families in Europe.

We have some of the leading experts in their field, and, after featuring on One Born Every Minute, Miracle Babies and Special Baby Unit, our teams are famous across the world for their professionalism, skill and compassion.

Liverpool Women's Hospital clinical services are currently being reviewed by NHS Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group, following work done by our clinicians in presenting a powerful case for change in the Future Generations Strategy.

A useful information booklet is available about the proposed changes which can be downloaded from the Healthy Liverpool website facebook.com/healthylvpool. This booklet clearly states that 'there is absolutely no threat to the services themselves - this is about making what we have even better and protecting services for the future'.

Liverpool Women's has an excellent reputation and is a centre of excellence. It is an exciting environment to work in and a great place to develop your career for many years to come.

We invite you to review why Liverpool Women's Hospital is a great place to work: https://vimeo.com/556197652

We reserve the right to close any vacancies from further applications when we have received sufficient applications from which to make a shortlist. Please ensure you apply without delay if you wish to be considered for this role.

Job overview

The Operational Service Manager will support the Divisional Manager by providing operational management and business development of designated clinical speciality services within the Division.

The post holder will provide timely, efficient and effective operational management support to the Divisional Manager and the speciality leads to ensure that services are responsive and provided to the highest clinical and performance standards.

The post holder will also support developing and implementing projects and business cases to improve cost, service delivery and patient experience to the key speciality areas and will ensure continuous improvement of performance and quality targets.

Main duties of the job

The primary purpose of this role is to support the Divisional Manager, clinical leads, and support teams within the defined service area of Family Health. This position is primarily responsible for ensuring the division's day-to-day efficiencies, operational management and project management support to the transformation workstreams within the division.

Working for our organisation

Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust delivers the highest standards of care for women, babies and families. Each year we deliver over 7,000 babies, carry out over 49,000 gynaecological inpatient and outpatient procedures, care for over 1,000 poorly & preterm new-borns, perform around 1,000 IVF cycles and have over 4,000 genetic appointments taking place. We believe that this, along with a strong dedication to research & innovation makes us the specialist health provider of choice in Europe for women, babies and families.

We have some of the leading experts in their field, which has been showcased on national TV and news, making our teams famous across the world for professionalism, skill & compassion.

The Trust is constantly innovating and evolving its services to provide the most cutting edge and modern care possible. As well as developing services on our current site we have long-term aspirations for the future. We have recently launched a number of new strategies which provide a detailed long-term plan for our services.

Check out why Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust is a great place to work using the links below:

Video: https://vimeo.com/556197652

Online brochure: https://www.liverpoolwomens.nhs.uk/media/4121/recruitment-pack-great-pla...

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities

Business and Operational Planning and Delivery

In support of the Divisional Manager and in conjunction with the clinical leads and support teams within the defined service area:

• Support the day-to-day efficient and effective operational management of the defined specialities, reporting to the Divisional Manager all matters affecting the delivery of core services.
• Work with the speciality leads, lead nurses and operational teams to respond to operational issues on a day-to-day basis and ensure issues are swiftly resolved.
• Implement and monitor systems and processes to ensure the delivery of all speciality activity and finance targets against plan.
• Build relationships and develop good communication systems across a range of service areas internally and externally to the Trust, ensuring safe and effective care delivery to patients.
• Develop initiatives and manage the implementation of projects to continuously improve specialist services and improve facilities and working practices to meet service delivery plans.
• Develop and implement plans with speciality leads and the Divisional Manager to ensure capacity meets demand, and patient experience is paramount.
• Ensure that administration support for the speciality is delivered efficiently and effectively, reporting issues to the Divisional Manager and implementing steps to improve administration support as necessary.
• Research and analyse service data to support the service planning process, looking at epidemiological data, benchmarking information, historical trend, speciality-specific national standards and clinical targets.
• Lead the development and implementation of local standard operating procedures.
• Review and develop services, including data collection for drafting business plans and developing policies and/or procedures.

Performance Management

• Analyse complex performance management information for the defined specialities, escalating any targets or indicators which the specialities are at risk of not meeting and develop plans to mitigate issues.
• Collate, interpret and report highly complex performance information to a wide audience, ensuring that speciality teams are informed and can contribute to performance improvement.
• Responsible for ensuring the effective monitoring of the patient pathway takes place, and all appointments are within parameters, informing the Divisional Manager of any delays to the patient pathway and developing actions to resolve these.
• Provide the Divisional Manager with up-to-date information on waiting list numbers and waiting times.
• Support the Divisional Manager by writing reports and presentations on key performance issues.
• Ensure high productivity and utilisation of clinical lists, undertake capacity and demand exercises, and work with the speciality lead and Divisional Manager to resolve any issues.
• Work collaboratively with service leads on local projects to improve patient performance targets.

Finance Management / Business Planning

• Budget holder for administration budgets
• Support the Divisional Manager with the monitoring of finance performance data for the specialities, reporting any financial risks and suggesting measures to mitigate those risks.
• Help to ensure that clinical and operational teams within the specialties understand and work within the Trust's financial framework, including Standard Financial Instructions (SFI).
• Work with the speciality lead and operational teams to ensure capital assets are recorded and maintained, advising the Directorate Manager in advance of equipment that needs replacing and escalating missing capital assets.
• Identify cost pressure, service development and cost improvement plans at speciality level and develop plans to deliver against financial targets including writing business cases for income/expenditure below £250k.
• Assist the Divisional Manager in the development and implementation of Service Level Agreements, including working with external providers and commissioners to ensure cost efficient and effective services.
• Ensure all requisitions and invoices are completed in a timely way.

Human Resource Management

• Support the Divisional Manager and speciality lead by ensuring that workforce performance issues such as attendance, appraisal, mandatory training and staff engagement are escalated and actions are in place to address issues.
• Line management of administrative and support staff as necessary ensuring that all direct reports are supported, appraised and developed. Inform the Divisional Manager of staff performance issues and performance / organisational development plans.
• Be responsible for the recruitment, contractual changes and retention of administration staff and assist the Divisional Manager and speciality leads in the recruitment of medical and non-medical staff.
• Develop good working relationships with Medical Staffing and rota masters, ensuring that all medical staffing, recruitment and rota issues are communicated and actioned in an appropriate and timely way.
• Provide visible leadership to staff within the speciality service areas, motivating, enthusing and empowering staff to deliver the best for patients and staff.
• Support cultural change within the speciality services by modelling the Trust core values, listening and acting on patient and staff feedback.
• Act as an ambassador for the Division and the Trust at all times.

Risk and Governance

• Be responsible for implementing and maintaining an active department risk register and ensure actions are completed and reported.
• Report all incidents and risks through the Trust's reporting system.
• Support the effective management of local governance systems.
• Manage and resolve patient complaints at the first point of call where appropriate, signposting to PALS and escalating to the matron or lead nurse.
• Participate in the investigation of speciality relating incidents and develop action plans in conjunction with clinical, nursing and managerial leads.

To undertake any other duties which is deemed appropriate to the band when requested by Senior Staff.

Person specification

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience of management of clinical services and working with medical staff
• Contributing to improvements in service standard and patient experience
• Monitoring compliance with local and national performance and quality targets
• Experience of developing innovative and lasting solutions to operational and performance issues
• Experience of budget and human resources management
• Experience of managing administrative and support staff

Desirable criteria

• Experience of finance and cost improvement programmes.
• Experience of waiting list and activity monitoring against contract

Skills

Essential criteria

• Up to date knowledge of speciality service areas including current issues in service delivery and patient pathways
• Understanding of current issues health service management including business planning process
• Effective verbal, written communication to clinical staff, patients and carers and work colleagues
• Ability to analyse and interpret complex and varied information and develop action plans
• Ability to motivate staff and demonstrate effective and positive leadership

Desirable criteria

• Excellent management skills and ability to manage conflict

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• High level knowledge of patient and hospital administration systems
• Understanding of local and national targets
• Have an understanding of confidentiality and data protection

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of national and local initiatives

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Educated to degree level or equivalent experience
• Educated to masters level in a relevant subject or equivalent experience

Desirable criteria

• Recognised leadership and/or management qualification

Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust has a responsibility and is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and for ensuring that they are protected from harm. Every employee of the Trust has a responsibility and is duty bound always to act in the best interest of a child or adult about whom we may have concerns.

Trust policy requires the cost of DBS applications be recovered via salary. The amount of £21.50(standard) or £41.50(enhanced) can be deducted from salary, in manageable monthly instalments for up to 3 months following commencement in post.

The Trust is committed to creating a well-managed,flexible working environment that supports staff & promotes welfare & development. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity;we value the contribution of individual talent, skills, knowledge and experience and aim for a workforce demography representative of the local community.We operate Zero Tolerance to aggression, violence, bullying and harassment.We will make reasonable adjustments to ensure our recruitment & selection process is accessible to all.Flexible Working applications will be considered.

If you are disabled and have special support needs in applying for a job, attending for an interview or in undertaking any tests as part of a selection process, please contact the Trust's recruitment team on 0151 7064666 and someone from that team will ensure that the recruiting manager is aware of your particular needs.

Please Note:new entrants to the NHS will normally commence on the first paypoint of the relevant band.

LWH has a responsibility & is committed to safeguarding & promoting the welfare of children, young people & vulnerable adults & for ensuring that they are protected from harm. Every employee of the Trust has a responsibility & is duty bound always to act in the best interest of a child or adult about whom we may have concerns.

Liverpool Women's Hospital is committed to having a workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. To this end, we particularly welcome applicants from racially minoritised backgrounds, who have a disability, or are members of the Armed Forces, Reservists or Veterans.

For agenda for change banded roles; salary payments will reflect the 2023/24 pay scales. The 2024/25 pay scales will be paid in October 2024 including any backpay due. Therefore should the successful applicant start in post prior to October, the salary will initially reflect the 2023/24 pay scales.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

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

• Operational Service Manager (PDF, 248.6KB)
• Recruitment Pack (PDF, 9.7MB)