Director of Allied Health Professionals

Job responsibilities

Strategic Leadership, Service Delivery and Development

To be accountable for therapy services within both Trusts; responding to national and local initiatives and policy developments within a robust monitored governance framework.To ensure that all therapy and other AHP practice is provided within legal, professional and ethical boundaries as laid down by Professional Bodies and the Health and Care Professions Council.To ensure that therapy services are planned, developed, delivered and monitored in line with current and projected priorities, the Trust's strategic direction and commissioning priorities. To ensure that services meet performance standards laid down by the Trust, commissioners and other relevant NHS bodies

To lead a strong, cohesive team of highly motivated clinical managers working together to develop and improve therapy services across the Trust.To sustain an understanding of national and local policy drivers that impact on service delivery and innovation, and facilitate the translation of these into strategic plans by advising divisional teams, the Trust Board and other partners.To progress the development and implementation of a Trust strategy for integration to support safe and effective care, reduction in avoidable harm through a focus on well-being, rapid recovery and effective seamless interfaces.

To promote the input of users, carers and other stakeholders into local planning and service development ensuring that equality and diversity is an integral part of all service pro vision. To ensure that all sources of information including the views of patients and users, clinicians and staff, complaints, survey results are fully assessed and utilised.To contribute to wider service developments in this and other Divisions, as part of Trust improvement and development programmes.To ensure patients receive safe, effective, up-to-date interventions by identifying staff development needs, working with the Education and Research department, LETBs, HEE and HEls to deliver required training and manage the finances related to commissioned courses and NMET monies.

To act as the AHP professional lead for the Trusts in internal and external education fora.

Financial and Physical ResourcesTo be responsible for the formulation of the annual budget and to be accountable for budget management of the allocated budget, taking independent action to ensure that the department operates within allocated resources or within guidance laid down by divisional management.To be responsible for the development and implementation of the Service Improvement and Cost Reduction Programmes allocated budgets.To oversee capital schemes and plan for the replacement of capital equipment.To, with support from Finance, ensure the implementation Service Line Management throughout the relevant therapy services and ensure income is monitored through contract meetings and monthly budget reviews.To abide by Trust's Standing Financial Instructions.To use innovative methods to implement agreed cost improvement savings aligned to each profession.

People and Organisational DevelopmentTo set clear goals and objectives for all direct reports, consistent with the Trust's True North objectives. To review the performance of these staff through a process of annual appraisal.To provide leadership, guidance and advice to all direct reports and other senior members of staff, thereby enabling them to manage their resources effectively and deliver high quality care.To develop and implement strategies for the effective recruitment, retention and career progression of therapy staff within the Trusts including the development of cross-organisational posts where applicable.To support and promote workforce planning and role redesign, so that an appropriate balance can be achieved between the supply of staff and the demands on the services.To investigate issues relating to the competence or professional conduct of staff working within the therapy services and to be the Trust's therapy representative for the HCPC with regard to Fitness to Practise issues and re-registration .To follow Trust guidance on zero tolerance approach to bullying and harassment in all forms and lead by example.

Information Resources

To ensure appropriate data is collected , analysed and reported to allow services to better plan their capacity and costs and to provide mandatory and performance information.To be accountable for the quality of therapy performance data by ensuring that systems are in place for staff training in I.T. and by regular monitoring of data produced.To develop performance measures that give a clear indication of the safety, quality, efficiency, clinical outcomes and changing performance of therapy services individually and as a whole.

CommunicationTo establish and maintain two-way channels of communication to inform and engage, motivate, guide and support all staff within therapy and other AHP services.To effectively and succinctly communicate complex service related information to divisional managers and directors, other Trust staff, and outside the organisation.To develop and maintain strong relationships with commissioners, seeking feedback on existing services and contributing to a dialogues about future local population needs and commissioning requirements.To maintain strong relationships with GPs and clinical commissioners raising the profile of therapy services and consulting and involving them in developing and improving servicesTo develop and maintain strong relationships with all providers contributing to the delivery of integrated pathways for local people, particularly social care providers and local community and primary care providers.To ensure strong service user involvement in the development of services and pathways. To seek involvement and engagement with local voluntary organisations and promote partnership working with them.To have overall responsibility for the management of all therapy related formal and informal complaints in line with agreed Trust policy.To produce reports, strategy, policy documents and business plans as required.To be able to diffuse potentially hostile and antagonistic situations with staff, patients and relatives, using highly developed negotiation and interpersonal skills.To raise the profile of DBTH and RDASHs Therapy services locally and nationally, through appropriate use of publicity, external communication opportunities and by contributing to local and national partnership boards, steering/working groups.

Research, Quality and AuditTo establish the Therapies Research Strategy continues to develop and be implemented in partnership with the Trust research community, local partners and universities.Ensure that all research involving therapists within the Trust is fully compliant with research governance, is registered appropriately, the output is monitored and reported and any income is used appropriately.To ensure that therapy services contribute to CWDT annual audit programme based on the Trust Clinical Effectiveness and Department's objectives and report all research and audit activities, as the Trust requires.To ensure that therapy related quality standards are in line with national standards and that clinicians provide care based on the best evidence and that this is monitored through appropriate audit.To ensure that income generated through therapy related courses and other service is appropriately administrated.

GeneralThe post holder has a general duty of care for their own health, safety and wellbeing and that of work colleagues, visitors and patients within the hospital, in addition to any specific risk management or clinical governance accountabilities associated with this post.To observe the rules, policies, procedures and standards of DBTH NHS Trust and RDASH, together with all relevant statutory and professional obligations.To ensure confidentiality at all times, only releasing confidential information obtained during the course of employment to those acting in an official capacity in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act and its amendments.To be responsible, with management support, for their own personal development and to actively contribute to the development of colleagues.To take on additional division wide responsibilities, at the request of the Divisional Director and Trust wide responsibilities as requested by the Executive.All employees must hold an 'nhs.net' email account which will be the Trust's formal route for email communication. You are therefore required to check this regularly and to deal with such communication promptly.To promote at all times equal opportunities for staff and patients in accordance with the Trusts policies to ensure that no person receives less favourable treatment than another on the grounds of: age; disability; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race (ethnicity); religion or belief; sex (gender); gender reassignment or sexual orientation.To ensure skills are up-to-date and relevant to the role, to follow relevant Trust policies and professional codes and to maintain registration where this is a requirement of the role.To be trained in and demonstrate fair employment practices, in line with trust policiesTo comply with the Trusts No Smoking Policies.To undertake such duties as may be required from time to time as are consistent with the responsibilities of the grade and the needs of the service.

Eligibility, Qualification, Training

Essential

• Registered AHP with current professional registration
• Master's degree in a relevant subject or First degree with post graduate qualification and equivalent level experience
• In-depth knowledge in a number of management disciplines acquired through training and experience to degree level or equivalent

Desirable

• Project Management Qualification

Interpersonal Skills

Essential

• Highly developed communication skills and ability to convey complex or contentious issues to a variety of audiences (including presentation, written and oral)
• Ability to work effectively across other areas within the Trust and external groups
• Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills suitable for a range of audiences, including chairing of meetings
• Advanced influencing and negotiation skills to manage conflict
• Openness, honesty and integrity
• Commitment to NHS core values
• The ability to express oneself clearly both orally and in writing

Desirable

• Ability to clarify key points from diverse and complex sets of information Experience in giving presentations to diverse audience
• In managing others, has a proactive approach which is both inclusive and developmental

Organistaional Skills

Essential

• Proven track record of successful and sustained senior operational management in an NHS Foundation Trust or similar organisation
• Extensive knowledge of current NHS policy and its implications for an acute hospital
• Ability to write business cases/reports/SUIs/complaints to a consistently high level
• Involvement in complex and sophisticated service development and reconfiguration
• Ability to work autonomously and make decisions on contentious and / or complex issues
• Ability to manage conflicting priorities delivering against all as effectively as possible
• Ability to demonstrate a high level of experience in providing senior leadership

Desirable

• Well developed problem solving and decision making skills

Experience

Essential

• Extensive experience in a senior position in a clinical or non-clinical role
• Evidence of service development
• Demonstrable change management experience of a complex nature
• Resource management for successful delivery of key NHS targets and standards
• Experience of business planning, budget setting and financial controls. Proven experience of managing a significant service budget
• Experience of leading teams and managing complex staffing issues
• Knowledge and understanding of clinical governance and its application to improve care
• Knowledge and positive approach to promoting equality and diversity

Desirable

• Up to date knowledge of NHS system reform policy and other key policy drivers (Performance management, operating framework, capacity planning, payment by results, Integrated Care Systems, Foundation trust issues)

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).