System Support Service Manager

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose

The System Support Service Manager will assist the Head of Service in delivering high-quality System Support and Registration Authority services across Informatics Merseyside Partner Organisations (POs) and other customer organisations. The role involves promoting best practices and process consistency, identifying critical success factors (CSFs), and key performance indicators (KPIs) for effective service monitoring and reporting. The manager will provide leadership and line management for direct reports, ensuring team compliance with Trust policies and procedures, while motivating and inspiring the team.

Principal Responsibilities

The System Support Service Manager will lead and manage systems support and registration authority services across Informatics Merseyside POs, ensuring high data quality and system integrity. Responsibilities include managing the release process for application changes, ensuring compliance with Change Advisory Boards, and overseeing system integration and implementation. The manager will also lead post-implementation reviews, negotiate system releases and developments with POs and third parties, and ensure that all necessary training and awareness initiatives are communicated to the team. The role requires a deep understanding of NHS policies, and the manager will provide guidance on data quality and policy interpretation. The manager will also lead supplier negotiations, ensuring proper contract management, fault resolution, and training, and will audit compliance with strategies and policies, reporting to the relevant committees.

Performance Management

The manager will lead the provision of effective system support and registration authority services across Partner Organisations, supporting their performance measurement agendas and ensuring business and governance needs are met within agreed deadlines. This includes monitoring Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Operational Level Agreements (OLAs), ensuring all systems are capable of appropriate data capture for statutory, local, and commissioning reporting. The manager will monitor service targets, quality standards, and performance levels, contributing to the development and implementation of KPIs and CSFs. Regular management reports will be produced to track performance, and any performance issues will be communicated to Account Managers for further action.

Strategic Role

The System Support Service Manager will assist in the development and implementation of policies, procedures, protocols, and standards related to system support and registration authority services. The role involves contributing to business plans and service improvement plans, ensuring alignment with national and local guidelines. The manager will also contribute relevant service provision information to Account Managers to enable comprehensive reporting to Partner Organisations.

Research

The role requires the manager to stay informed about the latest and emerging processes and procedures related to data, application support, and integration techniques. This involves researching best practices, suggesting improvements to the services provided by the System Support and Registration Authority functions, and possibly conducting surveys or audits to support service enhancements.

HR Management

The System Support Service Manager will have day-to-day management responsibilities, overseeing a team of staff across multiple sites. This includes performance management, appraisals, and dealing with disciplinary issues where appropriate. The manager will develop objectives and performance plans for the team, ensuring alignment with Informatics Merseyside's aims and objectives. The role also involves ensuring effective communication within the team and providing leadership to maintain high service standards. Staffing needs will be analysed with consideration of budgetary implications, and the manager will be involved in recruitment processes, including drafting job descriptions, shortlisting, and interviewing candidates.

Financial Responsibility

The manager will oversee contracts with third-party system suppliers, ensuring value for money and responsiveness. This includes providing information to assist with financial planning and budgeting, ensuring systems accurately record information for timely data submission, and managing within project budget constraints.

Education, Training, and Development

The role requires a commitment to personal and professional development, with a focus on training and supporting team members' career development. The manager will ensure that both themselves and their team have up-to-date Personal Development Plans, with regular reviews and skills development to maintain service standards. Annual performance reviews will be conducted for all team members, with ongoing follow-up on any identified actions.

Generic Responsibilities

All staff, including the System Support Service Manager, are expected to commit to the Trust's vision and values, supporting Mersey Care in delivering high-quality services. This includes role modelling the Trust's values, challenging stigma, working across boundaries to improve services, maintaining a knowledge base, respecting equality and diversity, and complying with health and safety legislation. The manager will also be responsible for data accuracy and protection, adhere to the NHS Constitution, participate in Just and Learning Culture initiatives, and encourage an open and respectful workplace environment.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Relevant first degree such as Health Informatics, Information Technology, Business Administration or Healthcare Management or equivalent experience
• Relevant Masters, (or working towards one) other higher degree or equivalent experience

Desirable

• ITIL qualification
• Prince2 foundation
• Qualification in Change Management

Knowledge/Experience

Essential

• Significant experience in a senior management position involving IM&T development and implementation
• Ability to contribute to or lead on strategic planning initiatives within an organisation
• In-depth knowledge of IM&T systems and procedures acquired through a combination of specialist training and relevant experience
• Knowledge of NHS data definitions, standards etc and ability to interpret NHS policy and provide advice and guidance
• Extensive knowledge of working practices/areas where clinical systems are used
• Experience of successful collaborative and partnership working and ability to encourage others likewise
• Experience of supporting clinical information systems
• Experience of working with suppliers and managing contracts
• Experience of liaising with system suppliers to review supplier specification, sign off development, test new functionality and deploy to users
• Understanding of NHS policies and procedures, and the need for confidentiality
• Substantial experience of using Microsoft Office applications

Desirable

• Knowledge of health records management
• Experience of managing large scale clinical information systems (and implementation)
• Experience in managing budgets, financial planning and resource allocation

Values

Essential

• Continuous Improvement
• Accountability
• Respectfulness
• Enthusiasm
• Support
• High professional standards
• Responsive to service users
• Engaging leadership style
• Strong customer service belief
• Transparency and honesty
• Discreet
• Change oriented

Skills

Essential

• Well-developed interpersonal skills to deal with staff at all levels within Informatics Merseyside its Partner Organisations and with service providers, service users, and professional bodies outside of the shared Service
• Ability to persuade senior managers and frontline staff of the importance of IM&T and successfully and positively managing change
• Ability to deal with conflict and disagreement on a frequent basis, and to facilitate an appropriate satisfactory outcome. This will include dealing with disciplinary proceedings as appropriate
• Make formal presentations to large groups
• To negotiate with key stakeholders and motivate teams to deliver on time and within budget
• Ensure that teams of staff understand the need to deliver demonstrable service improvement
• Present complex or contentious information to large groups of staff
• Utilise strategies to deal with resistance to change
• Evidence of the ability to demonstrate strong leadership and management skills that positively supports the overall vision and objectives of Informatics
• Ability to make judgements during complex and critical situations when a conflicting range of options may be available accepting full responsibility for actions taken to maintain the continuity and integrity of the systems
• Ability to work unsupervised, able to manage own time and workload
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to react to rapidly changing requirements
• Technical design skills requiring frequent periods of prolonged and intense concentration when addressing problems or design of highly complex resilient networking solutions
• Ability to frequently concentrate for prolonged periods of time, managing interruptions as appropriate
• Ability to frequently travel within Cheshire and Merseyside community with a valid driving license

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Saturn House

Knowsley Business Park

Liverpool

L34 9GJ

Employer's website

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