Deputy Clinical Director – Children and Neonates
The Deputy Clinical Director will work with the Clinical Director to lead and be accountable for ensuring that services are patient‑focused, effective and meet national and local key performance indicators and standards. The post holder will provide visible leadership to all staff within the directorate, support the Clinical Director in delivering the strategic plan for the Division, and manage the clinical, operational and financial performance of the services.
Key Responsibilities
* Manage the workforce within the Clinical Directorate, ensuring operational effectiveness of clinical services.
* Ensure service delivery and quality standards set out in national guidance and local contracts.
* Conduct capacity management through triangulation of complex data, targets for length of stay and patient throughput, and effective utilisation of facilities.
* Deliver contract activities and patient access standards, including waiting times, 4‑hour emergency department wait, and cancer standards.
* Meet financial performance targets, delivering required income and expenditure plans, identifying cost‑improvement plans and achieving EBITDA targets.
* Embed governance within the services; ensure staff understand their responsibility for service quality and patient safety, and monitor patient safety and clinical outcomes.
* Deliver complex messages to staff and other stakeholders where understanding may be limited.
* Use facilities (beds, theatres, outpatients and diagnostic assets) flexibly to achieve contractual activity within the resource plan.
* Manage services to meet CQC domains of Safety, Caring, Responsiveness, Effectiveness and Well‑Led.
* Provide leadership in the delivery of action plans from ODN and GIRFT reviews.
Workforce Management
* Deploy staff efficiently to ensure legal, cost‑effective use of resources and high‑quality service delivery.
* Convey difficult news to staff and support employee relations matters, including managing distressing situations.
* Lead the integration of NHS, academic and research activities, supporting the Trust and partners under the principles of an Academic Health Science Centre.
* Contribute to workforce plans by reviewing, interpreting and analysing complex data.
* Ensure high‑quality training for all staff and safeguard the working environment for staff in training.
* Utilise the skills and talents of staff to deliver the best possible clinical service.
* Operate robust systems for annual appraisals of all staff and align objectives to clinical, performance and business requirements.
* Encourage teamwork, addressing colleagues in difficulty and trouble.
* Manage the job‑planning process and review all job plans annually to reflect service needs.
* Promote and embed Trust values, ensuring staff act in accordance with them.
* Communicate the Trust vision and strategic objectives to all staff and align team and individual objectives to broader Division and Trust objectives.
* Create opportunities to enhance staff engagement and empowerment in operational running of the Directorate.
* Establish and utilise induction programmes and exit interview processes.
* Ensure effective communication processes so staff are fully aware and engaged in main issues facing the services.
* Manage the performance, competence and conduct of staff within the services.
Clinical Governance
* Coordinate audits with the audit lead and department, compiling an annual audit report.
* Implement clinical effectiveness programmes collaboratively with colleagues outside the directorate.
* Implement effective risk‑management processes within the services.
* Promote a learning culture, ensuring all staff are adequately developed and trained, and that Consultant staff meet CPD and CME requirements.
* Ensure services are provided in line with Improving Outcomes guidance.
Business Planning and Service Development
* Prepare the annual business plan for the Clinical Directorate with the Divisional Director and Operations Director.
* Adopt an inclusive, patient‑focused approach to service development.
* Identify opportunities for service improvement and optimisation of facility utilisation.
* Collaborate with clinical and non‑clinical colleagues across the Trust to ensure efficient and effective delivery of services.
* Develop proposals for collaboration with General Practitioners and service users to facilitate service improvement and flexibility.
* Ensure all proposed developments are considered within the NHS Operating Framework and agreed with senior leadership to avoid negative financial or operational impact.
* Encourage cross‑speciality working to achieve the most effective and inclusive approach to the Trust’s aims and objectives.
* Create policies and procedures for the service.
* Write business cases that support service redesign, cost‑improvement programmes and TME proposals.
* Ensure services comply with Trust governance standards, legal and statutory requirements, working‑time regulations, health & safety, standing orders and standing financial instructions.
* Be an active member of the Operations Management Executive and hold a delegated budget for key services, as directed by the clinical director.
* Promote a positive profile of the Trust’s services both internally and externally.
* Contribute towards the development of the Directorate and Divisional Clinical Strategy.
* Lead service improvement programmes within the Clinical Directorate.
* Develop a strategy for transition of children to adult services in partnership with the Trust and Clinical Director.
* Address health inequalities within the paediatric population.
* Collaborate with external partners such as CHA and ODN to drive service transformation in national or regional initiatives (e.g. Hospital at Home, Neighbourhood Hub) benefiting the children population.
* Provide leadership in working groups for the transition of neonatal services to the Perinatal Directorate.
Requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people and must, as required, submit to Disclosure and Barring Service checks under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020.
Qualifications
* A practicing clinical professional.
* Knowledge of NHS infrastructure and recent reforms.
* Experience working within the NHS in an acute hospital environment.
* Experience managing clinical services.
* View management as an open, involving, participative process.
* Proven ability to work in partnership with managers and other clinicians.
* Ability to hold clinical colleagues to account.
* Capacity to analyse problems logically and structuredly, generating innovative solutions.
* Articulate and skilled in presenting ideas to others.
* Understanding of quality assurance activity.
* Appropriate UK professional registration.
Desirable Criteria
* Experience of QI methodology.
* Experience within a devolved management structure.
* Good interpersonal and engagement skills.
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