Job overview
Fatigue among the health and social care sector is seldomly acknowledged as a risk to workforce wellbeing and patient safety, whereas other safety-critical industries have established systematic approaches to fatigue risk management. This pilot seeks to co-create and test a comprehensive organisational approach to fatigue risk management in the absence of a regulatory NHS framework. The Project Manager's role is to build upon an evolving internal programme led by the Head of Human Factors (Patient Safety, UHBW), with direct support from a Project Co-ordinator and multidisciplinary leads at both Trusts, to develop and implement the pilot focused on identifying, assessing and managing the risks associated with occupational fatigue across six sites of the Bristol NHS Group (central Bristol, Southmead and Weston).
This 12-month fixed term post is funded by NHS Charities Together and NHS England. The postholder will be required to work Monday to Friday, which may occasionally include evenings, nights, and weekends.
This is vacancy is open to internal candidates at NBT and UHBW. One-hour interviews will take place in-person in Bristol. The date, times, venue and title of presentation are yet to be confirmed. Please direct enquiries to Claire Haley, Workplace Wellbeing Manager: claire.haley@uhbw.nhs.uk or Laura Pickup, Head of Human Factors: laura.pickup@uhbw.nhs.uk
Main duties of the job
The role of Project Manager is to build upon an evolving internal programme to develop and implement a pilot project focused on improving colleague health and wellbeing by identifying, assessing and managing the risks associated with occupational fatigue across six pilot sites (central Bristol, Southmead and Weston). Directed by the Head of Human Factors (Patient Safety), with assistance of a Project Co-ordinator and multidisciplinary leads, this post will support colleague wellbeing and improve the safety of care provided to patients.
Working for our organisation
University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, bringing together a combined workforce of over 13,000 staff and over 100 different clinical services across 10 different sites, serving a core population of more than 500,000 people across South West England. UHBW has been rated by the CQC as ‘Good’ overall and our staff are proud to deliver excellent care to the people of Bristol, Weston and beyond. As a forward- thinking multi-award winning Trust and a digital exemplar committed to improving patient care, our world-leading research and innovations are having a positive local and global impact. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone’s throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer. UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
* In collaboration with the Head of Human Factors and working group, oversee whole lifecycle project management of the Fatigue Risk Management pilot project ensuring equity across the Bristol NHS Group.
* Direct and line-manage a Project Coordinator, establishing clear objectives and promoting open communication through regular one-on-one meetings to offer guidance, provide constructive feedback, acknowledge achievements, and identify any development needs.
* Assist local managers to identify unit-level risks related to colleague fatigue and formulate a flexible risk management approach to mitigation approaches.
* Educate individuals and teams about the importance of recognising and managing the risks associated with occupational fatigue and its impact on the health and wellbeing of colleagues.
* Understand and formulate local risk assessments and opportunities to identify and manage teams and individuals who are more prone to occupational fatigue.
* Promote a 'just culture' that emphasises the reporting and management of fatigue incident investigations, acknowledging the role of fatigue as a collective responsibility of colleagues, managers, and organisation.
* Work with safety leads to establish procedures that facilitate learning from errors, incidents, situations, or events in which fatigue could adversely affect colleague wellbeing, work performance, and/or the safety of colleagues and patients.
* Offer guidance and signposting to resources to support workplace wellbeing and strategies to mitigate the risk of fatigue in both personal and professional contexts.
* Support the identification and interrogation of fatigue data to both proactively and retrospectively assist in identifying or associating scheduling practices that mitigate fatigue and positively influence colleague wellbeing, work performance, and patient safety.
* Engage proactively in the Fatigue Risk Management Working Group and other requisite forums, acting as a focal point of contact for the fatigue risk management pilot project.
* Keep up to date with best practice around continuous improvement and project management, and its use in healthcare settings.
* Assume accountability for organising, tracking and monitoring financial and physical resources to execute the pilot in partnership with the Head of Human Factors and Trust charities; collaborating with key stakeholders throughout the Bristol NHS Group, which includes workplace wellbeing and patient safety leads.
* Participate in all mandatory training as required, i.e. fire safety, information governance.
* Identify and discuss professional performance and training or development requirements with the line manager and participate in the agreed-upon internal or external training or events.
* Co-ordinate the delivery of the rollout plans for the pilot across the six pilot hospital sites.
* Ensure a consistent protocol is followed and reviewed for the implementation and evaluation of an early (developing) fatigue risk management approach across all pilot sites.
* Conduct a facilities inventory to assess current support, infrastructure and equipment accessible to colleagues within a designated unit, for the purpose of facilitating breaks, rest periods and napping.
* Conduct a preliminary benchmarking phase to identify specific challenges faced by colleagues concerning fatigue, as well as the leadership's perception of the current culture and attitudes towards fatigue management. This process will involve interviews and surveys.
* Build the capability of colleagues, through training and/or coaching to facilitate the implementation of initiatives related to work design and colleague wellbeing, aimed at mitigating the risks identified.
* Facilitate incident investigations and organisational systemic processes, such as data analysis, governance, and artifacts including policies and standard operating procedures (SOPs), to enhance work conducted at divisional level to fulfil the predictive, proactive, and reactive characteristics of a broader system that can oversee actions formulated to alleviate identified risks at the sites.
* Employ scientific evidence and understanding of fatigue to bolster a risk management approach to address local fatigue risk factors recognised by pilot managers.
* Provide insights into the factors affecting workforce fatigue, as well as the organisational and team culture related to the reporting, response and governance of occupational fatigue.
* Actively engage in development and execution of internal and external evaluation activities.
* Identify organisational interventions that facilitate rest and recovery, specifically education, work schedules, breaks, and napping, to optimise wellbeing, work performance, and safety of both colleagues and patients.
* Create mechanisms, processes or opportunities to recognise and oversee individuals and/or teams, situations or events that are more prone to experiencing occupational fatigue.
* Apply human factors and quality improvement methodologies to a proposed systemic approach, detailing various interventions at multiple levels within a healthcare organisation to facilitate an understanding of how these interventions can be integrated to address key hazards and mitigate the risk of occupational fatigue, thereby enhancing colleague wellbeing, safety, and improving organisational performance.
* Develop and deliver a robust communication and engagement plan in conjunction with the Communications team.
* Report into Bristol NHS Group governance and reporting infrastructures including the generation of accurate reporting in line with Patient Safety and Wellbeing reporting cycles.
* Lead and manage the benchmarking, co-design, development, implementation and review of all related policies and strategic objectives associated with occupational fatigue to offer creative solutions that bring about transformational organisational change.
* Facilitate decision-making across all tiers of the organisation regarding the formulation of work and shift schedules, as well as the possible risk of fatigue.
* Use excellent IT, communication and presentation skills, through all mediums, and adapt the communication style to ensure it resonates with the respective stakeholder group.
* Deliver complex messages in an understandable format to a variety of occupational groups and be able to respond to questions posed.
* Maintain the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive and personal data and information.
* At the end of the pilot, conduct a formal evaluation, including a wrap-up meeting, to determine whether all objectives and success criteria have been achieved to inform future rollouts or project stages.
Person specification
Aptitudes
Essential criteria
* Proven ability to provide visible and effective leadership, promoting a positive patient safety and workplace wellbeing culture and ensuring shared responsibility for fatigue management
* Able to build and maintain constructive relationships with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders
* Personal commitment, energy and drive to deliver on the job description requirements
* Exceptional engagement, communication, interpersonal, influencing organisational skills
* Excellent written communication and presentation skills
* Creative and innovative
* Agility, flexibility, change orientated, resilient
* High level of professionalism
Qualifications and Training
Essential criteria
* Educated to master’s level in a supporting subject or equivalent level of significant experience, developed through similar specialist roles
* Qualifications/ training in fatigue risk management or equivalent level of significant experience
* Evidence of continuing professional development
Desirable criteria
* Relevant qualifications in project management (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2), human factors/ergonomics
Skills and Abilities
Essential criteria
* Proven experience in project management, including developing and maintaining comprehensive project plans and evaluation
* Ability to manage project lifecycles, report progress to stakeholders, and work collaboratively with multiple partners
* Strong time management, organisation, and problem-solving skills
* Familiarity with risk management principles and the ability to create and implement risk management plans
* Is skilled at overcoming barriers to engagement/collaboration when potentially complex, sensitive or contentious information/data/perceptions are involved
* Well-developed organisation skills to ensure all activities are developed, delivered, reviewed adjusted and implemented
* Excellent ability to prioritise a full workload, balance conflicting demands and to work to agreed deadlines
* Excellent IT skills, and fully proficient in the use of Microsoft applications and database management
* Highly effective planning and organisation skills, able to coordinate and prioritise a range of activities to deliver the appropriate outcomes including delivery of training and wide spectrum of OD interventions
* Can apply analytical skills to assess different programme intervention options and use expertise/ professional judgement to identify appropriate
* Excellent communication skills, use of creative software, capable of engaging effectively across all levels of an organisation, from frontline staff to senior management
* Ability to train and guide supervisors and line managers on recognising fatigue signs and managing fatigued individuals
Desirable criteria
* Highly skilled at influencing, motivating and negotiating with a broad range of stakeholders, including senior level
Knowledge and Experience
Essential criteria
* In-depth understanding of the science of sleep and fatigue, why shift work amplifies risks, and how to recognise early warning signs
* Knowledge of relevant health and safety legislation and regulations pertaining to working time and fatigue
* Expertise in designing safe job and shift patterns and managing rostering in line with fatigue risk standards
* Ability to conduct fatigue risk assessments, identify hazards, and select and implement appropriate control measures
* Understanding of data protection and information governance requirements
* Comprehensive understanding of the annual strategic workplace wellbeing plan at both Trusts
* Experience of contributing to, and leading, workforce training and awareness raising activities, including the development, production, design and delivery of training courses and materials relevant to managing fatigue risks
* Experience of line management
* Significant experience of successfully operating in a politically sensitive environment with diverse stakeholder groups
* Experience of drafting briefing papers and correspondence at senior management team level.
* Detailed knowledge of maintaining confidentiality and implementing data protection legislation requirements including information governance
* Knowledge and experience of data and information analysis, collation, summation, and ability to apply this in the appropriate manner, including supporting the direction and understanding of others, adapting to the capability and understanding of the audience
Desirable criteria
* Knowledge of legal and regulatory requirements for fatigue risk management within different industries
* Experience and knowledge of risk assessment and adverse incident investigation in a healthcare context
* Experience in analysing fatigue data and trends to identify risks and recommend mitigations
We hope that you will decide to join us and become part of this exciting journey, helping us to shape our future together.
· As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.
· The Trust is committed to investing in and caring for all our staff. We will support you in maintaining and improving your health and wellbeing, as well as your career development through management and training support - developing exceptional people for exceptional careers.
· UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
· To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 all applicants must be able to speak fluent English to an appropriate standard which will be assessed at Interview.
· If you require sponsorship for a visa to work in the UK, to avoid disappointment, please check to ensure you are eligible under the UKVI points based system.
· The Trust uses electronic new starter forms on Trac to collect personal details. Information collected is securely stored and used to set up the employee record on the ESR HR system.
· By applying for this post, you are agreeing to University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.
· Please be aware of scams – unless specified above, we will only communicate with you via @recruit.trac.jobs or nhs.net e-mails and we will never ask you for any payments.
IMPORTANT:
Please note that if you apply for a position with this Trust, you may be contacted via Trac or via email. This includes invites for job interviews. We therefore recommend that you regularly check your Trac account and email accounts. We may also contact you by texting the mobile number, if provided, on the application form.
Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close this vacancy before the advertised closing date. Therefore, please apply for this post as soon as you can, if you are interested and you meet the requirements of the Person Specification
Only those candidates who clearly demonstrate how they meet the person specification will be shortlisted for this job.
As a guide interviews should usually take place within 3 weeks of the closing date.
When providing employment reference details, please provide correct work-related email addresses so references can be sought promptly when we are looking to progress your application. Your referee must all be known to you in a line manager or professional lead capacity.