Stores and Deputy Dispensary Manager (Pharmacy Technician)

This job is brought to you by Jobs/Redefined, the UK's leading over-50s age inclusive jobs board.

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

Are you a qualified and experienced registered pharmacy technician looking for an exciting leadership challenge as part of a forward thinking and dynamic pharmacy team?

We are looking for an enlightened pharmacy technician to join the pharmacy team as a Stores Manager and Deputy Dispensary Manager to provide management support. This post would suit an ambitious and forward thinking registered pharmacy technician who would join the pharmacy team as an integral member of the Essex Partnership University Trust (EPUT).

If you are looking for a unique opportunity in a leadership and challenging post, this could be the role for you. You will work closely with the stores team and independently at times as well as with the Dispensary Manager and the dispensary team to ensure an efficient pharmacy service is provided at all times.

This post is ideal for a Pharmacy Technician with an interest in management and leadership who wants to make the next step in their development as a pharmacy professional or for an existing pharmacy leader who is looking for their next challenge.

Main duties of the job

Reporting directly to both the Dispensary Manager as well as the Operational Business Manager, your role will primarily be the management, day to day operation, supervision and line management of the pharmacy stores team, ensuring the high quality supply of stock medicines to meet specialist mental health and community health services needs is provided. You will also work closely with the Dispensary Manager, Procurement and Admin Leads as well as the wider pharmacy team to develop innovative working practices and improve pharmacy services.

The Trust has a strong commitment to learning and development; you will be supported with full training that is required for this role and we can offer support to develop your career within a friendly and supportive team of professionals.

You will be expected to chair and lead on team meetings as well as play an active role in the progression and development of the service we provide with our Pharmacy Support Workers.

You will also be expected to commit to supporting the dispensary team with day to day activities such as dispensing, checking and deputising for the Dispensary Manager in the event of planned and unplanned absences. The post includes participation in weekend, bank holiday and early rota.

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

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

You will co-ordinate the operational workload of the pharmacy stores and that of the dispensary in the dispensary manager's absence. You will participate in dispensing and accuracy checking of various types of prescriptions. Please see the Job Description and Person Specification for full details.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• BTEC/NVQ level 3 in pharmaceutical sciences or equivalent
• NVQ Workplace Assessor / Educational Supervisor (Or Equivalent) (or willing to work towards)
• Current registration with GPhC
• Accredited Checking Technician (Or willing to work towards)

Desirable criteria

• Medicines Management/Reconciliations or willingness to work towards

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Sound clinical understanding of both physical and mental health therapeutics, or willingness to work towards.
• Basic knowledge of all Microsoft programmes including Outlook & Teams
• Ability to appraise performance and identify training needs
• Knowledge and understanding of Pharmacy processes

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge and understanding of NHS Policies and Procedures
• Knowledge of Pharmacy Systems (EMIS Ascribe primarily)

Skills / Experience

Essential criteria

• Literate in IT/Computer Skills
• Good oral communication skills based on fluency on the English Language
• Relevant post-registration pharmacy experience, including Mental Health involvement.
• Experience of working as a member of a multidisciplinary team
• Experience of developing and implementing Standard Operating Procedures
• Experience of managing staff
• Good time management, organisation and prioritisation skills
• Good interpersonal skills
• Ability to use initiative to solve problems
• Good presentation skills
• Ability to work alone, with others and motivate self and team
• Good communication skills (written and oral)

Desirable criteria

• Experience of pharmaceutical procurement

Personal Qualities

Essential criteria

• Shares the Trust's Beliefs and models this in their attitude and behaviour
• Experience as working as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Demonstrates ability to meet set targets
• Ability to understand and empathise with people suffering from mental illness.
• Keen to develop their role and the skills and role of technicians and pharmacy support workers in mental health services
• Methodical in approach, with attention to detail, even when subject to interruptions

Desirable criteria

• Understands and demonstrates the Trust Values
• Driving Licence with access to a car to travel in and around Essex

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

• Job Description (PDF, 656.5KB)
• Person Specification (PDF, 464.4KB)
• 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)