Service Manager - Acute and Inpatients Directorate
NHS AfC: Band 8b
Job overview
Are you an experienced NHS operational manager looking for an exciting opportunity to progress your career in a cutting-edge, world leading specialist cancer centre?
Then this job may be just what you are looking for.
The Christie NHS Foundation Trust is looking to recruit an experienced operational manager to lead our Acute and Inpatient Directorate.
The right person will have experience in or a demonstrable passion for delivery of acute medical or cancer services with a track record of performance, transformation and clinical pathway improvement delivery.
Working alongside the Clinical Director and Senior Nursing leads they will provide compassionate and robust leadership with a problem solving approach to service improvement in a multidisciplinary environment.
Main duties of the job
The Service Manager role is responsible and accountable for strategic, operational, performance and business management of the Acute and Inpatient Directorate. They will drive high standards and efficiency in a highly functioning, supported and developed team.
The right person will have experience working in an NHS setting at a middle management level (ideally 8a).
They will need to be able to manage conflicting priorities, be adept at problem solving at an operational and strategic level, have a proven track record of service, change and people management and will demonstrate delivery against set objectives, targets, and continuous performance improvement. They will be degree educated, and ideally possess or be working towards MSc level education in a health management/leadership, have a high level of emotional intelligence, strong adaptable interpersonal skills and be emotionally resilient.
Working for our organisation
The Christie is one of Europe’s leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country.
We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years.
We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
1. Strategic Planning and Service Development
* Develops and implements long term service strategy and policies for managed areas that fully reflect the direction and service needs of the Trust, in line with corporate strategies of stakeholders and linking directly to relevant legislation as well as national and local healthcare guidance and initiatives. Resolves conflict, where they arise, relating to service provision.
* Responsible for the interpretation and implementation of broad policies and NHS guidance, contributes to corporate policies and strategy and develops services locally in line with them.
* Leads and coordinates service objectives ensuring relevance to local and national priorities.
* Plays a key role in service planning for departments, develops and implements long term strategic plans for continued development of services.
2. Service/Operational Management
* Coordinates operational management of departments working closely with Clinical Director, departmental heads, other service managers and divisional management team.
* Plans and implements strategy for operational management so as to meet organisational performance plans within agreed budgets and timescales.
* Provides leadership and direction for departmental managers within division, ensuring clear communication of policy, business objectives and agreed targets.
* Ensures the implementation of effective and appropriate performance management systems and processes to ensure delivery of performance targets.
* Leads services on the performance management agenda. Develops and introduces strategies and process changes to achieve activity at target levels. This includes liaising with clinicians to influence working practices.
* Interprets and analyses highly complex data in relation to performance management using Trust software to develop performance management reports.
* Leads substantial programmes of work to improve services across pathways of care or for specific care groups as designated.
* Develops own work plan in line with divisional and Trust objectives.
3. Service Improvement
* Manages improvement in patient and carer experience and the efficiency with which services operate by appropriately utilising service redesign techniques such as process mapping, demand and capacity, statistical process control, and discovery interviewing whilst embedding the use of these tools in the Division.
* Utilises and interprets research and audit findings to aid the development of new guidelines, protocols and facilities which will support improvements.
* Responsible for writing and producing service improvement reports, business cases etc. as required.
* Ensures that there are developments and improvements across the entire pathway by undertaking work in the allocated area, in line with Divisional and Trust objectives.
* Leads and delivers on specific projects which will bring about an improvement in the provision of health care services within the Division in collaboration with operational managers and their teams.
* Ensures regular progress reports, data sources and overall service details are produced and submitted to Divisional Board.
* Regularly attends and participates in team meetings and works closely with the other service managers within the Division.
4. Financial Management & Business Planning
* Takes responsibility for and manages service budgets.
* Leads on business planning for department, ensuring an agreed performance management framework to effectively monitor the delivery of the annual business plan and reconcile any conflicts.
* Prepares robust business cases to enable services to remain financially stable and responsive to demands placed upon them. Performs highly detailed and complex option appraisals to inform decision making, including redesign of services, capital projects.
* In liaison with Deputy Chief Operating Officer and divisional accountant contributes to budget setting for all services within area of responsibility.
* Ensures organisational procedures are deployed across department for control of activities against budget.
* Ensures services work to achieve organisational effectiveness and deliver services within available resources.
* Develops schemes and action plans to implement cash-releasing efficiency savings targets.
* Supports trust wide implementation of cost improvement programmes.
* Uses and analyses financial information systems to ensure robust systems for financial monitoring, budgetary performance and appropriate allocation of funding for service.
* Monitors external service provider performance using contractually agreed performance indicators.
5. Human Resources Management
* Implements Trust strategy and policy for HR management and development including recruitment & selection, discipline, grievance, performance appraisals.
* Develops and implements departmental workforce plan as part of business planning process in line with Division and Corporate HR strategies.
* Ensures appropriate departmental structures and skill mix to enable and empower individuals to make decisions and that individuals have clearly defined responsibility and accountability.
* Ensures effective recruitment processes are implemented within departments compliant with Trust policy; chairs appointment panels.
* Ensures appraisal systems are implemented and cascaded to all staff within departments.
* Provides appraisal/performance review resulting in clearly understood objectives and personal development plans.
* Takes action under Trust personnel policies (e.g., grievance, disciplinary, capability) where necessary.
* Ensures systems are in place to identify poor performance, conduct issues and support individuals per Trust policies, including handling grievances and whistle blowing.
* Adopts flexible working practices that meet the Working Time Directive and achieve a fair balance between staff preferences and service needs.
* Ensures effective communication mechanisms to promote a culture where all staff can influence and support quality improvement and patient‑focused care.
6. Communication
* Communicates highly complex and sensitive information on compliance with performance targets, strategic objectives, resources, staffing and service related information to senior managers and directors within Trust and across other external organisations and agencies.
* Negotiates, influences, persuades and reconciles conflicting views in a challenging environment to ensure corporate credibility and foster effective lasting relationships with colleagues, staff, patients and other stakeholders.
* Develops and implements processes that support good communications within service areas and the division.
* Ensures effective communications and engagement with other divisions within Trust, promoting the interests of the division of Cancer Centre Services.
* Undertakes presentations to staff groups and the public.
7. Education, Training, Audit, Research and Development
* Ensures training and development plans are in place across all services and that training needs analyses are regularly reviewed.
* Is responsible for personal continuing professional development.
* Participates in and leads projects and audit, including trust‑wide audits.
8. General
* Participates in management on‑call and weekend/bank holiday site management rota.
The above indicates the main duties of the post which may be reviewed in the light of experience and developments within the service. Any review will be undertaken in conjunction with the post holder.
Person specification
Qualifications
* First Degree or equivalent preferably in management or a clinical profession.
* In depth professional knowledge plus additional specialist knowledge in financial management, performance management, service improvement, staff management, acquired through training and experience to Masters level equivalent.
* Expected to maintain, improve, and update professional knowledge and skills and participate in continuing Professional development.
* Experience of managing staff from a range of professional backgrounds.
* Working towards MSc preferably in health sciences, management or clinical profession.
Experience
* Proven experience in working in an NHS environment as a middle manager.
* Considerable understanding and experience of managing complex services, including exposure to solving a range of operational and strategic problems.
* Proven track record of leadership, managing redesign, organisational change, service activity and service reconfiguration.
* Track record of delivering against set objectives and achieving key organisational targets, demonstrating continuous performance improvement.
* Experience of designing and implementing policy and long‑term strategic plans.
* Experience of managing large groups of staff and implementing HR strategies and policies.
* Experience of managing budgets.
* Experience of developing business cases and successful project management.
* Experience of working in a pressurised, unpredictable environment.
Skills
* Innovative and creative, ability to interpret and implement national and local strategy and policy drivers relevant to all services within Division.
* High level of interpersonal Skills both written and verbal.
* Persuasive and facilitative.
* Strong leadership and motivational skills – able to work effectively with a diverse team located on multiple sites.
* Ability to communicate effectively with individuals at all levels and across agencies.
* Well-developed political awareness.
* Influencing, negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
* A team player who can work effectively with clinical and managerial colleagues.
* Highly developed analytical skills and the ability to deduce key points from highly complex data in order to make decisions.
* Good presentation skills, ability to prepare and present reports for consideration at Divisional Board or equivalent.
Knowledge
* Knowledge across a range of clinical areas, the NHS and changes within it.
* Knowledge of national political agenda, the external environment, including national and regional strategies and priorities.
* Knowledge of change management and quality improvement theory.
* Knowledge of strategic management processes and their application.
* Sound knowledge of clinical governance and risk management agendas.
* Knowledge of business planning process and its application in service delivery.
* Understanding of IT systems and appreciation of their application and management to ensure effective service delivery.
Other
* A corporate player, able to successfully link strategy and operations.
* Assertive, confident and able to work under own initiative.
* Emotionally resilient.
* Ability to function under pressure and meet deadlines whilst maintaining a high quality of work.
* Ability to work management on‑call.
* Highly computer literate.
The closing date for this post may be extended if there are insufficient applicants or brought forward if there is a high volume of applicants.
Application Information
If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date we are sorry to inform you that your application has not been successful.
Sponsorship Information
We are an approved sponsoring organisation. Applications will be considered from applicants requiring sponsorship alongside all other applications. Please be aware that not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. You can review the list of eligible roles and requirements on the government website.
Pre‑Employment Checks
* Identity verification
* Right to work check
* Disclosure and barring service (DBS)/Criminal record check (dependent on role; payment of this will be the applicant’s responsibility)
* Professional registration and/or qualification check
* Occupational health assessment
* Employment history and reference validation
All applicants external to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust will be required to provide their HMRC employment history for the most recent three years. This information will be used to validate employment history and references.
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.
What happens if you’re offered the role?
When offered the role you will agree to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system. All communication concerning your application will be made via email; please check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.
The Inter‑Authority Transfer (IAT) process is a critical and beneficial component of ESR and will form part of the recruitment process. In the event that you are successful following interview your previous NHS employment data, if applicable, will be transferred from your current or most recent employer.
No Smoking Policy
You should be aware that the Trust operates a No Smoking Policy and therefore employees are not permitted to smoke at work.
Additional Information
We want to ensure that everyone who works at the Christie or uses our services is welcomed, valued and treated with dignity and respect. The Christie values diversity and is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all and fair representation across the organisation at all levels. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority people and people with disabilities for this post. Appointment will be only on merit.
We are committed to creating a balanced and diverse workforce. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. Together we will foster inclusion and tackle inequity and health inequalities in cancer care.
As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy.
The Christie NHS Foundation Trust is committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct and integrity in all our activities. We have a zero‑tolerance approach to modern slavery in any of its forms, including slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour and human trafficking. We are fully committed to acting ethically and with transparency in all our business dealings and relationships, and to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls to ensure modern slavery is not taking place anywhere in our organisation or supply chains.
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.
#J-18808-Ljbffr