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Operational Planning and Performance lead
NHS AfC: Band 7
Main area Operational Planning and Performance Grade NHS AfC: Band 7 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 311-H863-25
Site Pennine Care Trust Headquarters Town Ashton Under Lyne Salary £47,810 - £54,710 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 25/11/2025 23:59
If you are Kind, Fair, Ingenious and Determined then we want you to come and join our #PennineCarePeople
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our Operational Planning and Performance Team. This newly established team will provide guidance and support to our Network leadership teams to inform operational decision making, improvement plans and business planning, ensuring processes are aligned to corporate objectives, processes and systems, statutory and regulatory standards and specific commissioning requirements.
Working with senior leadership team(s) the post holder will ensure performance improvement is firmly embedded into the organisation’s culture and support networks leaders to ensure performance targets are met. This will include working with the leadership teams and with peers to support the design of specific performance improvement plans and embedding/working to the Trusts performance assurance framework (PAF).
The role will involve significant leadership, co-ordination, information analysis, time management and negotiation skills, in addition to the ability to produce clear, concise and well-articulated written responses.
The post holder will also support a culture of continuous improvement within services, ensuring quality improvement methodologies are embedded in line with our organisation’s improvement framework.
The role will also require agile and creative solutions as part of implementing the overarching planning and performance management frameworks and in supporting business development and service improvement within services.
Main duties of the job
* Act as a key conduit with the wider trust leadership team including business partners and relevant departmental leads to ensure that the network/care hub have the appropriate information to support business planning and delivery of performance standards
* To support the annual business planning process within services, ensuring alignment to the Trust plan and framework.
* Support operational managers to monitor business plan delivery producing updates in line with the trust business planning framework and timescales
* Provide business plan monitoring reports in line with the Performance Assessment Framework.
* Monitor performance trends and proactively highlight deteriorating metrics to network leadership teams. Provide support to teams to identify actions to deliver improvement via action plans with clear trajectories for improvement.
* Support effective governance and assurance processes within the networks services, in line with the performance and accountability framework
* Co-ordinate responses to data health assessments recommendations within care hub, developing improvement plans and ensuring identified actions are completed and updates provided to the central team in line with agreed timelines.
Working for our organisation
We are proud to provide high quality mental health and learning disability services, both inpatient and in the community across five boroughs of Greater Manchester - Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport and Tameside and Glossop.
Our vision is for a happier and more hopeful life for everyone in our communities and our staff work hard to deliver the very best care for the people who use our services. We’re really proud of our #PennineCarePeopleand do everything we can to make sure we’re a great place to work.
All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership are encouraged to apply for this post. We would also encourage applications from individuals with a lived experience of mental illness, either individually or as a carer.
If you come and work for us we will offer a range of benefits and opportunities, including:
* Generous annual leave entitlement for Agenda for Change and Medical and Dental staff.
* Flexible working opportunities to support your work/life balance
* Access to Continued Professional Development
* Involvement in improvement and research activities
* Health and Wellbeing activities and access to an excellent staff wellbeing service
* Access to staff discounts across retail, leisure and travel
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To provide business planning and performance improvement support to services. This will include:
* Collation of data from key Trust systems to allow operational position, barriers and opportunities to be understood.
* Where required data source does not exist, work closely with digital colleagues to develop this
* Handling sometimes sensitive and contentious information and presenting it to various forums including team meetings, cross-cutting planning groups and Trust management groups;
* Preparation of documents for presentation to project steering groups and Trust strategic delivery and governance committees.
* Monitor performance trends and proactively highlight deteriorating metrics to network leadership teams. Provide support to teams to identify actions to deliver improvement via action plans with clear trajectories for improvement.
* Act as a key conduit with the wider trust leadership team including business partners and relevant departmental leads to ensure that the network/care hub have the appropriate information to support business planning and delivery of performance standards
* To support the annual business planning process within services, ensuring alignment to the Trust plan and framework. This will include;
* interpretation, coordination and dissemination of sometimes-complex information and the organisation, planning and facilitation of business planning events. This will include analysing documents, reports and associated information and advising on a range of options for service improvement for consideration by the network leadership teams
* To support the production of the network / care hub business plan using trust agreed templates and guidance.
* Support operational managers to monitor business plan delivery producing updates in line with the trust business planning framework and timescales and performance assessment framework/oversight and support. Provide business plan monitoring reports in line with the Performance Assessment Framework
* Provide support to operational managers/business manager to develop investment proposals / business cases as required in line with trust governance processes.
* Work with operational managers, HR and wider colleagues to support the development of the care hub/network workforce plan.
* In conjunction with strategic performance assurance colleagues, support the operational managers to review network/care hub performance reports and support production of narrative in line with trust guidelines, responding to key lines of enquiry.
* Working with service managers/operational teams and with strategic performance and information colleagues to support development of performance trajectories and forecasts, translating into action.
* To contribute to the development of robust and deliverable operational plan trajectories.
* To provide comprehensive project management to projects/work groups and other associated sub-groups, including attending meetings, developing business/work plans and ensuring appropriate performance management mechanisms are implemented. This will involve developing clear plans for implementation and will require a significant degree of autonomy and an ability to think creatively, problem-solve and deliver outcomes to ensure effective and efficient delivery of the Trust’s aims and objectives.
* Supporting delivery of service development activity identified within business plans. This service development may include process mapping, redesign, use of improvement methodology and the development of business cases/proposals for internal and external audiences.
* Production of relevant planning documentation, such as Project Initiation Documents & Business Cases, in association with the relevant SRO/manager through to a successful conclusion. This will involve liaison and collaboration with a wide range of support services, including the Strategic Delivery Hub, finance, HR, estates, quality, governance, communications etc., in order to gather and assimilate all relevant information into the proposals
Working closely with the strategic performance assurance team facilitate performance assessment, assurance and reporting across the care hubs including:
* Performance assessment and analysis including escalation of Service performance issues both within the care hub and as part of the Trusts management and assurance processes.
* Implement and support monitoring of the care hub integrated performance reports coordinating narrative and providing updates to the central team for inclusion in the Trust level Integrated Performance Report.
* Lead Performance Diagnostic audits with services using research and analysis skills to provide root cause analysis and inform areas for performance improvement
* Development of performance trajectories and forecasts and utilise benchmarking intelligence to support business planning and performance management with the care hubs.
* Co-ordinate responses to data health assessments recommendations within care hub, developing improvement plans and ensuring identified actions are completed and updates provided to the central team in line with agreed timelines.
* Attendance at key meetings both internally and externally to represent the care hub in relation to operational planning, performance and service improvement.
* To support effective governance and assurance processes within the networks services, in line with the performance and accountability framework.
* To design and implement changes that improve our level of assurance internally and externally, ensuring quality assurance and sign off processes are carried out and working with strategic performance and information colleagues to ensure outputs are accurate and fit for purpose.
* To be an effective communicator, and drive cultural change in the organisation in its approach to business planning, performance and service improvement and supporting new ways of working.
* To develop positive working relationships with key stakeholders within and outside the Trust, to support the development of cohesive planning, performance management and service development.
* To provide support and advice on business planning, performance management and service improvement processes, tools and techniques to staff and managers and to support the on‑going development of colleagues, peers and specifically more junior staff within the team.
* Line management of team members, including monitoring and implementation of all relevant employment policies
please refer to the full job description and person specification
Person specification
Education/qualifications
* Masters Level qualification or Degree level qualification with significant equivalent experience
Experience
* Significant experience of working in Business planning and/or Performance management
* Significant experience of report writing and the production of business documents.
* Experience of managing stakeholder relationships both within and across organisational boundaries
* Significant experience of working on service improvement / development projects
* Experience of working in a Public Sector organisation such as the NHS, Social Services or a Local Authority
Knowledge
* Knowledge of Business Planning, Service development, Performance Management, project management tools and techniques.
* Knowledge of relevant national policy drivers and regional/local commissioning priorities
* Knowledge of quality improvement, OD and Change management methodologies
Skills and Abilities
* Ability to critically analyse complex and difficult situations and apply problem-solving skills.
* Ability to manage a complex workload with conflicting demands on time and resources
* Ability to produce work of a high standard to tight deadlines.
* Ability to work with a significant degree of autonomy, seeking external reference points and guidance as appropriate, and also as part of a team
* Excellent interpersonal, communication and relationship building skills
* Well-developed enquiry, diagnostic and interpretation skills
* Ability to analyse and assimilate a wide range of complex information and formulate it into appropriate presentational formats.
🌍 Sponsorship Information - We are an approved sponsoring organisation. Applications will be considered from applicants requiring sponsorship alongside all other applications. Please be aware, not all roles are eligible for sponsorship.You can review the list of eligible role and requirements on the government website.
📬 After You Apply Once your application is submitted, you’ll receive updates via email. Shortlisting is based on how well you meet the criteria outlined in the person specification. Only shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview, and invitations will be sent by email.
✅ If You're Offered the Role If successful, the hiring manager will contact you directly with a verbal offer. They will then notify the Recruitment Team and submit the necessary paperwork. You’ll receive a formal conditional offer via email
🔍 Pre-Employment Checks To confirm your suitability for the role, we will carry out pre-employment checks in line withNHS Employment Check Standards. These include:
* Identity verification
* Right to work check
* Disclosure and barring service (DBS)/Criminal record check (dependent on role)
* Professional registration and/or qualification check
* Occupational health assessment
* Employment history and reference validation
All applicants external to Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust will be required to provide their HMRC employment history to cover the most recent three years employment. This information will used to validate employment history andreferences.
If you require sponsorship, we will assess your eligibility based on current government guidance. If the role is not eligible and you cannot demonstrate your right to work, your conditional offer may be withdrawn.
🚀 Once Checks Are Complete -
The Recruitment Team will coordinate with you and the hiring manager to confirm a start date. You’ll be booked onto a Trust Welcome Session and receive your Pennine Care NHS Terms and Conditions.
We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), and we strive to ensure our workforce reflects the communities we serve. We actively encourage applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds to help us grow, innovate, and improve.
If you wish to be considered under the Disability Confident Scheme, you will be guaranteed an interview if you meet the essential criteria for the role.
If you need reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please contact us on 0161 716 3181 as early as possible so we can support you.
Please note:
* We do not accept unsolicited contact from recruitment agencies. Hiring managers should not be contacted directly.
* We may close vacancies early if we receive a high volume of applications. To ensure your application is considered, please apply as soon as possible.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Name Claire Wannell Job title Deputy Chief Operating Officer Email address claire.wannell@nhs.net Additional information
PA: Nicola Grimley: nicolagrimley @nhs.net
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