Job summary
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a Veteran Aware accredited Trust with the Veteran Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA). We are committed and signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant and hold the Gold Award for the Employer Recognition Scheme.
The post holder will support the Lead Armed Forces Advocate with the work to address the inequalities faced by the Armed Forces community through extensive engagement with the local community, stakeholders and other NHS organisations.
There will be emphasis on enhancing staff awareness to ensure that the workforce are engaged through service change, redesign and delivery. The post holder will ensure systems and processes are embedded into business as usual practice and assist on external reporting to the Armed Forces Covenant by utilising a national system for recording.
This post holder will act autonomously and be accountable to Lead Armed Forces Advocate for the progression of the Armed Forces Community and Military Veterans agenda at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Following National Guidance and best practice this post holder will be expected to interpret a range of information and develop local processes and policies to support forward direction at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. This will involve extensive internal and external networking with key stakeholders and the ability to present findings at internal sub-board committees.
Main duties of the job
Key Result Areas1. Promote and set high standards of professionalism, maintaining the delivery of a quality service within trust policies, protocols and guidelines.2. Implement the trust 'values and beliefs' ensuring they are embedded into everyday practice and evaluate their impact on the patients' experience.3. Educate staff with the different needs of Veterans and those currently serving in our UK Armed Forces4. Accurately collect and submit data electronically to the Armed Forces Covenant Fund5. At all times uphold the Trust values and act professionally.
About us
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is the largest employer in the county and with over 8,000 staff, we are one of the largest NHS trusts in the UK. We offer a generous annual leave allowance, excellent bank rates, access to the excellent NHS Pension Scheme, discounts for local shops, restaurants and services, access to our health and well-being hub, access to our two on-site nurseries, flexible working options, discounted public transport, reward and recognition schemes, exercise and activity classes and membership to our popular hospital choir.
Job description
Job responsibilities
1. To act as the Veterans advocate and to ensure fair and equitable treatment for the ex-service community and their families in order to meet the intent of the Armed Forces Covenant.2. Raise the profile of the Armed Forces Covenant within Gloucestershire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.3. Maintain the Trusts Veteran Aware Accreditation (VCHA) in conjunction with the Workforce Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Team, leading on patient and service user aspects.4. Through effective leadership ensure that clinical teams deliver a service where compassion is embedded, and a positive patient experience is achieved.5. Deliver outstanding levels of experience to all patients/visitors and staff at the Trust.6. Develop an organisational culture that fosters collaborative working among all staff groups, to ensure a focused commitment to delivering quality services and outcomes focusing on the Armed Forces agenda.7. Comply with internal and external governance structures in keeping with the principles and standards set out by the Trust. This would include writing and presenting papers and presentations to key stakeholders and regularly attend sub-board level meetings.8. To manage the Armed Forces Covenant external database on behalf of the Trust, which will involve inputting data related to demographics, ensuring surveys are sent and logging training data.9. To assist the Lead Armed Forces Advocate with the design and delivering of Armed Forces training for all staff across the GHT workforce. This will include reviewing best practice training examples in the region and delivering sessions.
Communications and Working Relationships1. Engage with GHT workforce to ensure that: a. Staff Induction includes up to date training on the Armed Forces Covenant, being Veteran Aware and the strategic vision of the Trust.2. Patient appointment booking teams are kept aware of the commitment to Veterans Priority Treatment and the need to check referrals for Veteran status.a. Clinicians in departments most likely to see service-related conditions are aware of Priority Treatment details and caveats.b. Links with the Armed Forces Community Staff Network are consistent to ensure that support services are shared across the GHT workforce.3. Within the remit of the portfolio the post holder will work across all Trust sites and willtherefore come into contact with patients, their families and carers, and members of the public.
Mental, Physical and Emotional effort1. Will sometimes work under pressure in order to meet tight deadlines across two hospital sites.
2. Will deal with stakeholders at all levels and post holder will need resilience andfortitude to manage accordingly.
3. Stakeholder meetings will be conducted both face to face and using technology suchas Microsoft Teams.
4. The role can be unpredictable with frequent pressures placed upon the post holderwhere there are competing demands.
5. The post holder will be required to support staff caring for veterans in crisis which canmanifest itself in behaviours that are distressing and emotionally demanding whenproviding care and support.
Job description
Job responsibilities
1. To act as the Veterans advocate and to ensure fair and equitable treatment for the ex-service community and their families in order to meet the intent of the Armed Forces Covenant.2. Raise the profile of the Armed Forces Covenant within Gloucestershire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.3. Maintain the Trusts Veteran Aware Accreditation (VCHA) in conjunction with the Workforce Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Team, leading on patient and service user aspects.4. Through effective leadership ensure that clinical teams deliver a service where compassion is embedded, and a positive patient experience is achieved.5. Deliver outstanding levels of experience to all patients/visitors and staff at the Trust.6. Develop an organisational culture that fosters collaborative working among all staff groups, to ensure a focused commitment to delivering quality services and outcomes focusing on the Armed Forces agenda.7. Comply with internal and external governance structures in keeping with the principles and standards set out by the Trust. This would include writing and presenting papers and presentations to key stakeholders and regularly attend sub-board level meetings.8. To manage the Armed Forces Covenant external database on behalf of the Trust, which will involve inputting data related to demographics, ensuring surveys are sent and logging training data.9. To assist the Lead Armed Forces Advocate with the design and delivering of Armed Forces training for all staff across the GHT workforce. This will include reviewing best practice training examples in the region and delivering sessions.
Communications and Working Relationships1. Engage with GHT workforce to ensure that: a. Staff Induction includes up to date training on the Armed Forces Covenant, being Veteran Aware and the strategic vision of the Trust.2. Patient appointment booking teams are kept aware of the commitment to Veterans Priority Treatment and the need to check referrals for Veteran status.a. Clinicians in departments most likely to see service-related conditions are aware of Priority Treatment details and caveats.b. Links with the Armed Forces Community Staff Network are consistent to ensure that support services are shared across the GHT workforce.3. Within the remit of the portfolio the post holder will work across all Trust sites and willtherefore come into contact with patients, their families and carers, and members of the public.
Mental, Physical and Emotional effort1. Will sometimes work under pressure in order to meet tight deadlines across two hospital sites.
2. Will deal with stakeholders at all levels and post holder will need resilience andfortitude to manage accordingly.
3. Stakeholder meetings will be conducted both face to face and using technology suchas Microsoft Teams.
4. The role can be unpredictable with frequent pressures placed upon the post holderwhere there are competing demands.
5. The post holder will be required to support staff caring for veterans in crisis which canmanifest itself in behaviours that are distressing and emotionally demanding whenproviding care and support.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Good general education including GCSE maths and English or equivalent
Desirable
- NVQ 3 or equivalent qualification/experience
Experience
Essential
- Able to communicate effectively with a number of stakeholders to build meaningful working relationships
- First hand experience of the Armed Forces Community
- Basic IT skills and the ability to navigate around various systems and software packages (such as outlook, databases, MS office and the internet)
Knowledge, Skills
Essential
- Good knowledge of the Armed Forces Covenant, National Policy in relation to Veterans and Armed Forces
- Good knowledge of external military organisations and charities
- Good interpersonal, communication, observation and reporting skills
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Good general education including GCSE maths and English or equivalent
Desirable
- NVQ 3 or equivalent qualification/experience
Experience
Essential
- Able to communicate effectively with a number of stakeholders to build meaningful working relationships
- First hand experience of the Armed Forces Community
- Basic IT skills and the ability to navigate around various systems and software packages (such as outlook, databases, MS office and the internet)
Knowledge, Skills
Essential
- Good knowledge of the Armed Forces Covenant, National Policy in relation to Veterans and Armed Forces
- Good knowledge of external military organisations and charities
- Good interpersonal, communication, observation and reporting skills
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.
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).
Additional information
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).
