Mental Health, Learning Disability & Autism Nursing Workforce Lead

Job responsibilities

About the Job

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism (MH&LDA) Workforce Lead to join NHSE Workforce, Training & Education (WT&E) South West Regional Nursing & Midwifery Team.

We are seeking someone who is passionate about mental health, learning disabilities and autism and has extensive knowledge and experience of working within health care settings. You will work closely with the NHSE WT&E Regional Senior Clinical and Professional leads responsible for the mental health & learning disability programmes. You will work strategically and operationally with a wide range of stakeholders, in particular Mental Health and Learning Disability Service Providers, Further and Higher Education Institutes, Skills for Care (SfC) (south west), Integrated Care Systems (ICS), adult social care (ASC) providers, local authorities, as well as the third and voluntary sector and local representatives. You will support the growth, expansion, and development within the MH & LDA workforce, with a key focus on nursing and the nursing associate role, health care support workers and allied health professionals roles.

You will work closely with NHSE WT&E Southwest teams to fully understand the care sector needs and ensure engagement with relevant stakeholders to communicate these and deliver specific activity working in close collaboration with internal and other external colleagues to achieve the identified and required developments.

You will also work closely with the NHSE WT&E Regional Senior Clinical and Professional leads responsible for MH&LDA support, to support systems and employers to work together to develop systems, infrastructure, promotional and support materials that will meet regional and system workforce requirements and feed this intelligence back to regional and national colleagues.

You will contribute to or lead on specific pieces of work including the development of SW LDA Workforce Training and Development plan, the implementation of recommendations following regional scoping / evaluation, the expansion of the nursing associate role within MH&LDA settings, increase placement capacity within the private, voluntary and independent sector, and progression of healthcare support worker to registered nurse mental health and learning disability pathways across the South West. To be able to contribute or lead on new and innovative opportunities that arise.

About your role

This section details the outcomes and deliverables that would be expected from the role.

Engaging People/Key Working relationships

The post holder will be required to establish and maintain collaborative working relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders across a range of organisations (health, social care, voluntary sector, patient and public groups) and from a range of professional backgrounds.

Be able to communicate effectively to all stakeholders whilst influencing and motivating others. Provide input and contribution to relevant internal / external project groups.

Key working relationships include:

• NHSE WT&E regional and national nursing & midwifery team
• Regional ICB / ICS MH & LDA Leads
• Skills for Care
• Independent sector and Social Care employer/providers
• Education Providers
• Professional and statutory regulators
• NHS Trusts education and Trainee Nursing Associate (TNA) leads
• MH & LD, TNA community of practice groups

Delivering Results/Functional Responsibilities

Responsible for the delivery of a project or projects that are part of the Nursing & Nursing Associate priorities across health & social / wider Transformation Programmes, including planning, accessing, and accounting for the programme resource

Increase the number of Registered Nurses MH & LD and Nursing Associates working in health and social care in the south west region

To develop, assess risk and allocate resources to deliver the project as required to ensure timelines/targets are met.

Support the procurement/commission of programmes of work as required.

Delegated authority to negotiate to gain consensus amongst senior external stakeholders on complex and contentious issues in a political environment relating to local workforce transformation priorities.

Adapts plans and anticipates problems through the evaluation of a range of performance data.

Measures and evaluates the outcomes of tactical and operational decision making and performance of the programme portfolio using evidence-based approach and the appropriate use of robust performance management and research methodologies, information systems, research and reporting (weekly and monthly reporting aggregating to quarterly review and contributing to annual reviews).

Ensure the adaption of best practice and learning project outcomes are shared locally and regionally and inform future workforce transformation strategy.

Builds strong relationships with senior external stakeholders, influencing decision making to achieve strategic outcomes where no formal line management or organisational spheres of control exist.

To produce reports on progress against plan, for assurance by a range of stakeholders, NHSE and other Boards and Committees as required.

Determine short to medium-term business objectives ensuring value for money and a sustainable impact for the workforce and patient care

Management and leadership

Manage delegated team projects as directed by the Senior Workforce Lead HEE-SW and Skills for Care SW

Takes responsibility for meeting own objectives and own development needs and actively contributes to the evaluation of the effectiveness of others learning/development opportunities

Support the development and implementation monitoring processes ensuring the maintenance of well organised electronic records and data sets to support performance and compliance information requirements.

Identification of risks for delegated area of responsibility and ensure appropriate reporting.

Delegated responsibility for representing and presenting HEEs & SfC position to a broad range of external, Board-level stakeholders and stakeholder groups (e.g., People Boards, ICSs, Education providers)

Setting Direction and Service Improvement

Champion consistency and standardisation of ways of working and best practice guidelines across the region

Provide relevant and timely advice and guidance on own portfolio of projects/function to colleagues

Discusses with team the likely impact of changing policies, strategies and procedures on practice.

Takes on new work and make changes to own work when agreed, requesting relevant help if needed

Responds positively to change and supports colleagues in understanding and making agreed changes to their work

Evaluates own and others work when needed

Proactively makes suggestions to improve the service within own work area and beyond

Experience

Essential

• Extensive experience of working in the MH&LDA sector with demonstratable understanding of the sector, including how the delivery of care is developed, commissioned, and funded within the private, voluntary and independent sector
• Demonstrates some knowledge and understanding of the MH & LD Registered Nurse and Trainee Nursing Associate and role, and how it fits in the wider health and social care workforce
• A good understanding of the importance of widening participation and access to healthcare careers
• Comprehensive knowledge of project and programme management principles.
• Demonstratable knowledge of social and health care education and development pathways.
• An understanding of current health and care policy and system.
• Experience of leading, managing and delivering complex projects across organisational boundaries to plan and within budget.
• Ability to ensure best use of resources and best value for money. Co-ordinate the budget, monitoring expenditure against target areas.
• Detailed knowledge of maintaining confidentiality and implementing data legislation requirements including information governance.
• Demonstrated ability to present effectively to a wide range of audiences including senior stakeholder groups. Ability to ensure best use of resources and best value for money. Co-ordinate the budget, monitoring expenditure against target areas.
• Experience on contributing to business planning, setting project vision, objectives, monitoring and reporting progress
• Interpretation and production of complex and reports to support delivery of programmes.
• Staff supervision including experience of recruitment and retention and supporting staff development
• Essential
• Extensive knowledge and experience of working in MH & LDA health care
• Has experience of leading and successfully delivering projects across an organisation
• Has experience of leading and successfully delivering education /training in health care and/or social care
• Has experience in workforce planning or demonstratable understanding or the workforce needs of the adult health and social care sectors

Desirable

• Has experience of leading and successfully delivering change across a system.
• Demonstrates experience of monitoring budgets and business planning processes

Qualifications

Essential

• Essential
• Professional Qualification relevant to project area (e.g. Nursing, MH & LDA & Social Work, Education, HR, research etc.)
• Postgraduate qualification or equivalent experience MH, LDA and social care qualification at level 6 or beyond.
• A training/education qualification or appropriate experience working in a health or social care environment

Desirable

• Desirable
• Project Management qualification such as Prince2 Practitioner or Association of Project Managers Professional Certificate or change management qualification
• Demonstrable knowledge of using Microsoft office suite.

Behaviours & Values

Essential

• We expect all staff to live the NHS Constitution Behaviours Framework but in addition NHSE WT&E values are that everyone feels valued and respected and are included and involved in everything that affects them; are trusted to make decisions with clear reasons in order to be empowered to deliver; are committed to clear, effective communication, which is transparent and open when sharing information; takes pride and has integrity in everything that we do and recognises that everyone has a significant contribution whilst taking personal responsibility and accountability for actions and behaviours.
• Essential
• Demonstrates respect and dignity for others, role models equity and inclusivity
• Demonstrates commitment to delivering & improving quality of care
• Works collaboratively, is able to work across boundaries.

Desirable

• Resilient and capable of sustaining themselves in a demanding, rapidly evolving working environment
• Able to effectively manage a competing and rapidly evolving set of work priorities

Skills & Abilities

Essential

• Skilled communicator able to select from, and utilise, a range of negotiating and influencing strategies appropriate to different audiences and environments.
• Able to demonstrate value for money for project spend through tracking, managing, and delivering agreed benefits
• Provide and receive highly complex sensitive and contentious information to a wide range of differing groups, anticipating, and addressing barriers to communication to ensure effective decision making and delivery.
• Ability to communicate complex information appropriately for the audience using a variety of media.
• Ability to utilise a range of influencing styles to ensure engagement and support project delivery amongst varied and challenging stakeholder groups, with a particular focus on the MH&LDA nursing workforce
• Able to effectively manage a competing and rapidly evolving set of work priorities.
• Resilient and capable of sustaining themselves in a demanding, rapidly evolving working environment.
• Capable of effective planning over medium and short-term planning horizon and with a high tolerance of uncertainty, ensuring the appropriate allocation of resources, early identification of risk.
• Able to evaluate and interpret a broad range of complex information sources quickly, generating insight and taken an evidence-based
• Leads by example, role modelling a supportive, inclusive culture, with a focus on quality and can do attitude, inclusive management style encouraging engagement and input from all levels within the organisation
• Acknowledges and is appreciative of the work of others and team effort
• Operates with integrity and treats services users, partners, and colleagues with respect and dignity at all times
• Constructively challenges and accepts constructive challenge from others
• Actively communicates with all levels of staff effectively
• Diligent and conscientious approach to decision making in circumstances where there is contradictory opinions or a broad range of possible actions available.
• Ability to work and make decisions autonomously, guided by principles and broad policies/regulations and take action based on own interpretation and judgement
• Able to maintain concentration for extended periods.
• Able to analyse policy, information, and research in support of the programme design and delivery.
• Constantly strive for value for money and greater efficiency in the use of resource
• Ability to identify risks, anticipate issues and create solutions to sudden unexpected demands or challenges to programme delivery.
• Standard/advanced keyboard skills.
• Essential Skills
• Ability to utilise a range of communication and negotiation and influencing styles to ensure engagement and support project delivery amongst varied stakeholder groups and an evolving environment.
• Ability to present to a range of audiences in different organisations and sectors.
• Ability to use information from a range of sources to analyse data to conduct project evaluation and impact.

Desirable

• Able to analyse policy, information, and research in support of the project design and delivery
• Ability to identify risks, anticipate issues and create solutions to sudden unexpected demands or challenges to programme delivery
• Ability to recognise conflicting sensitivities and political impacts of the Health and Social Care integration agenda

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).