Chief Operating Officer

Job description

Job responsibilities

• Contribute fully to the Trusts Strategy, the effective functioning of the Board and Executive Team, and the promotion of strong partnerships within and outside of the local health economy.
• Develop strong working relationships with Non-executive directors as part of the effective working of a unitary board
• Promote and lead a culture of inclusivity, wellbeing and positive staff experience
• Promote organisational efficiency, demonstrate cost-effectiveness and value for money and return on investment.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, addressing inequalities in outcomes, experience and access.
• As member of the Board and Executive team, accept shared accountability for the Trust meeting its strategic and operational objectives and for the delivery of safe high-quality patient care as the overriding priority of the Trust.
• Use specialist knowledge and experience, both of own function and healthcare services generally, to assist the Board in consideration of strategy issues, and ensuring that decisions take are in the Trusts best interests.
• Help ensure that the Board receives appropriate and timely information necessary for it to fulfil its duties.
• Put the interests of the Trust before specific area of responsibility, specifically being prepared to participate fully in the Boards collective decision-making as a team member.
• Foster effective Executive team working, ensuring alignment around corporate priorities and working in a collegiate manner.
• Provide leadership of the Trust, within a framework of positive culture and prudent and effective controls which enable risk to be assessed and managed.
• Exemplify the Trusts values and standards

Service Delivery and Performance

• Lead the delivery of the recovery framework, balancing service and activity recovery with staff recovery and wellbeing
• Lead and support the Unit Leadership Teams to develop and deliver service plans that achieve and sustain an outstanding rating by the CQC. This should include co-production with patients and stakeholders wherever possible.
• Ensure effective operational management and planning of the Trusts front line clinical services.
• Lead the achievement of key service standards relating to access and waiting times, placing services in the upper quartile of performance where achievable.
• Lead the transformation of clinical services, embedding the tools and techniques of service improvement across the Trusts clinical services.
• Provide support and direction to the Units, setting clear objectives to ensure services and working arrangements are designed to deliver integrated patient focussed care.
• Lead, develop and motivate the senior staff in the Units and other directly managed services.
• Promote a fair and just culture and ensure that the Trusts clinical services and clinical management is responsive to the needs of its patients and their relatives/carers.
• Provide the Chief Executive and Board of Directors with timely and accurate reports relating to the operational performance of the Trust.
• Take decisive and timely action to address areas of poor performance, under achievement and risk.
• Ensure the Trust has robust arrangements in place to meet the national standards for Emergency and Resilience Planning.
• Contribute to maintaining the highest standards of clinical and environmental hygiene to assure infection control standards and eliminate hospital acquired infections.
• Contribute to the achievement of the Trusts financial plan, ensuring resources are deployed efficiently and the clinical Units work within agreed financial plans.

Governance and Quality

• Recognise the assurance roles of Director Colleagues; working collaboratively and proactively with them, to ensure required standards are delivered.
• Develop effective operational arrangements, and capacity, which enables the Trust to meet its strategic aims within a framework of strong, effective governance.
• Ensure robust arrangements are in place to deal with governance and performance issues across all services, ensuring that the highest standards of corporate and clinical governance are maintained. Work effectively with the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Chief Nursing Officer (CNO), and their teams, to address clinical governance issues.
• In partnership with the CMO and CNO ensure an alignment between the corporate, clinical and professional agenda where the ultimate goal is safety and the high quality of services for patients and carers, through continuous improvement in quality, patient experience and outcomes.
• Effectively manage the risks to delivery of high quality, sustainable services in accordance with the Performance and Accountability Framework.
• Ensure that the Trust achieves its Safe Staffing targets, as agreed by the CNO with the Board.
• Ensure robust business and financial planning to maximize the effective use of resources, managed in line with relevant Trust policy, procedure and standing orders /standing financial instructions (SOs / SFIs).
• Ensure that service lines develop and deliver cash releasing efficiency savings, within the framework of the CIP programme, through close working with the Chief Finance Officer (CFO).
• Proactively contribute to the Trusts assessment against the NHSI Well Led Framework, leading governance reviews, as appropriate, and delivery of actions to fill gaps in assurance and addressing negative assurance.

Strategy and Policy

• Interpret and anticipate national, regional and local health policy to ensure the Trusts strategic plans support the ICS and national direction in terms of clinical service delivery and configuration.
• Work closely with system partners to ensure that service models align with the key deliverables and outcomes outlined by the STW ICS.
• Ensure all service and Unit plans support the delivery of the Trust vision and the achievement of its strategic objectives.
• Lead on the implementation of Trust strategies.

Service Planning and Redesign

• To lead service change in terms of operational effectiveness, drawing on best practice internationally and in the UK.

• To redesign service delivery within the Trust drawing on lean principles, NHS best practice, developing improved efficiency through redesigned pathways which improve the patient experience.
• Operate effective and appropriate planning processes and structures, including communication arrangements, within the Trust and with partners. Ensure continuous involvement of Clinical and Non-Clinical staff to produce plans and develop priorities.
• With the Clinical Chairs, Clinical leads and Clinical Management teams ensure that service developments are anticipated and planned in line with the Trusts strategic direction and process and are supported by commissioning intentions.
• Develop with the Clinical Chairs, lead Clinicians, and other professional staff, objectives for each clinical area or sub-specialty, and provide performance management support to monitor achievement.
• Ensure appropriate input and actions to plan, implement and commission relevant capital projects.

Human Resources Management

• Ensure that agreed policies and procedures are implemented consistently, with particular emphasis on achieving compliance with EWTD in conjunction with the Medical Director and Chief People Officer.
• Ensure that all staff are properly trained, and that new staff are provided with appropriate induction, and aware of their responsibilities.
• Monitor staff sickness and absence levels and ensure that appropriate action is taken as required.
• Ensuring that effective personal development and appraisal systems are in place encompassing clear and explicit expectations and targets and ensuring appropriate follow-up action.
• To work in a way that seeks to involve, engage and empower leaders, managers, and staff side representatives and staff.
• Lead the review of talent and resources in the Units, to ensure they have the capacity, capability, and resilience to meet current and future needs.
• Lead Unit teams to have a clear understanding of workforce gaps, plans and timeframes to reduce the level of vacancies and the reliance on agency staff.
• Create a culture of openness where staff are encouraged and feel able to speak up on all aspects of patient care and operational management.
• Challenge conventional approaches to drive forward change, demonstrating a commitment Listening into Action and a just and learning culture delivering continuous improvement.
• Promote and lead a culture of inclusivity and positive staff experience, role modelling Trust values and supporting workforce retention.
• Provide inclusive, engaging and effective leadership by inspiring others with clear strategic vision and direction for the culture and operational performance and delivery of services.
• Develop and maintain effective communication across the Units and Trust, ensuring engagement of staff and staff feedback is used to improve the quality of services.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential

• Postgraduate level qualification or professional qualification at MBA level
• Formal management or business qualification or equivalent relevant experience
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Project management qualification

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Significant experience at a very senior/Board level within an operational role.
• Undertaken a role as Director of Operations or equivalent role in an acute NHS Foundation Trust

Leadership and Management

Essential

• Strong interpersonal and negotiating skills, with the ability to engage, build and sustain relationships, both within the Trust and within external organisations
• Demonstrates highly effective communication skills - must be able to articulate complex issues to a wide range of recipients, both written and verbally.
• Excellent presentation skills with the ability to engage and influence diverse audiences.
• Demonstrates commitment to action to achieve equality, diversity and inclusion in the NHS workforce and for the community.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

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

Employer details

Employer name

Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Oswestry

Gobowen

SY10 7AG

Employer's website

https://www.rjah.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)