Here at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust we’re committed to recruiting and supporting a diverse workforce and we welcome applications from all parts of the community. We are committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences and abilities whilst employing people to our organisation who meet our Trust values of ambition, respect and compassion. With the opening of our new hospital, Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, it’s the coming together of expertise from every corner of our organisation and a show of our commitment to provide better healthcare and create more jobs and so much more. We at the Trust actively encourage Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) and disabled applicants, as well as members of the armed forces community and value the positive impact that difference has on our teams. We are committed to equality and diversity within our workforce.
Job overview
Improving Together is the shared improvement system for Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust and The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust. We’re building a strong, visible culture of continuous improvement across our trusts, community services and corporate teams, and we’re looking for an enthusiastic Improvement Coach to help make that happen.
In this role, you’ll work closely with frontline teams, managers and improvement leaders to support day-to-day improvement work, run workshops, coach staff in core improvement skills and help services use tools such as A3 thinking, 6S, standard work and visual management. You’ll play a key part in delivering our NHS IMPACT improvement system by supporting projects, preparing materials, using data for improvement and helping teams test and embed changes that enhance patient and staff experience.
This is a practical, people-focused, on-site role where you’ll help organise improvement events, develop capability through training and coaching and contribute to project documentation, benefits, and communications that build engagement with the Improvement System. We’re looking for someone proactive, collaborative and passionate about helping staff make meaningful improvements. If you enjoy problem-solving, thrive in busy environments and want to support positive change across the Trust, we’d love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
As an Improvement Coach, you will support the delivery of the Trust’s Improvement System across Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust and The Dudley Group Foundation Trust. Your role will focus on helping front line teams embed continuous improvement into everyday practice by providing hands‑on coaching, training and operational support.
Day to day, you will work closely with clinical and corporate colleagues to plan and deliver improvement activities, support local improvement projects, guide the use of tools such as A3 thinking, root cause analysis and standard work. You will assist with organising and facilitating workshops, improvement events and training sessions, using clear visual materials and documentation.
You will also act as a role model for improvement behaviours, support the communication and engagement plans linked to the Improvement System, and contribute to strengthening a culture of learning, safety, and operational excellence across the Trust.
Working for our organisation
Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust (SWBT) serves Birmingham and the Black Country – one of the country’s most culturally diverse areas. It’s a friendly and welcoming place – a place where you can belong, and a place where you can grow.
We care for our patients, we care about our population, and we care about our people.
Our values – Ambition, Respect and Compassion – are at the heart of who we are. They guide us every step of the way; how we work with each other, and how we look after our patients and their families; how we respect and value the rich diversity of our team and our community.
Our Trust has always aspired to be more than a hospital, more than a healthcare provider. Our purpose is to “Improve the Life Chances and Health Outcomes of our Population.” It is what inspires, drives, and unites us every day. It’s what makes us unique.
We want working at SWBT to feel like more than just a job. We want our Trust to be a place where you can feel you belong. A place where you feel happy, safe, and rewarded. A place where you can develop your career in whatever way you choose. When we say we’re ‘with you all the way’ we want you to know that we mean it. Visit the SWBT website to find out more about our ambitions and people plans.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for details on the main duties and responsibilities.
Person specification
Personal Qualities
* Able to teach, coach and engage staff in basic entry level Improvement skills, at all levels, confidently.
* Clinical or operational experience in the NHS
Communication and relationship building
* A confident, pleasant approach, capable of developing and maintaining good working relationships with colleagues, senior leaders, budget holders and other managers, working as part of multidisciplinary teams.
* Knowledge of compassionate and inclusive leadership
The four partner Trusts of the Black Country Provider Collaborative (Dudley Group NHS FT, Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust, and Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust) are actively working in partnership to deliver a collective vision focused on providing better, faster and safer care to the population of the Black Country and beyond.
To support this vision, we are (where appropriate and safe to do so) actively looking at new models of care which:
* Better protect elective / planned care service delivery across the system by organising on a 'hot and cold' arrangement
* Consider the optimal use of resources through consolidation and specialisation, and
* Seek to reduce unwarranted variance, level up / standardise care through a 'Networked Service Solution' approach across the four sites
Against this context, although this post is hosted by Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust, there may be an expectation to work flexibly across the four partner Trusts to better meet patient and service needs.
As a major employer in the Black Country and West Birmingham region we are committed to supporting all employees to achieve a healthy work life balance. We want the Black Country and West Birmingham region to be the best place to work and as such will consider all requests to work flexibly taking into account personal and individual circumstances alongside the needs of the service. We encourage all prospective applicants to discuss their individual circumstances with the Recruiting Manager as part of the on‑boarding process.
Healthcare services have a significant impact on the environment. We are committed to embedding sustainable practices. We expect all colleagues to support the delivery of our Green Strategic Plan and to drive positive changes in their department by joining our Green Impact programme.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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.
Application numbers
Please note – if this vacancy receives a high number of applications, it will close before the stated closing date. Please ensure that you have completed and submitted your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.
Name Sophia Gaddu
Job title Improvement Systems Lead
Email address sophia.gaddu@nhs.net
Telephone number 07929856217
Additional information
Peter Lowe – Group Director of Improvement
Email peter.lowe2@nhs.net
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