Job summary
Are you seeking a new and exciting leadership challenge in pharmacy?
Do you want to join a team committed to delivering cutting-edge pharmacy services and practices with high end-user satisfaction?
We're looking for an experienced aspiring Chief Pharmacist to join our forward-thinking Trust. We've a quality improvement culture, "better never stops" is at the heart of everything we do.Berkshire Healthcare is a CQC Outstanding trust and a Global Digital Exemplar. We are proud to be one of only eight trusts nominated as an Advanced Trust, ranked third nationally among Mental Health & Community Trusts in the new NHS league tables, and have the highest score in staff surveys for staff recommending us as a great place to work.
As Chief Pharmacist for services across Berkshire in mental health, community, and primary care, you'll:
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Oversee Operational Services, including medicines procurement, supply, transport, & Clozapine clinics
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Lead Medicines Optimisation Services, covering safety, education & training, digital prescribing, advanced clinical pharmacy, medicines information, & governance
If you're passionate about patient care & staff development, we'd love to welcome you to our team.
Main duties of the job
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Advise the Chief Executive, Medical Director, Trust Board, and clinical services on pharmaceutical policy and practice.
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Lead pharmacy staff, including operational, clinical, and medicines information teams, ensuring high-quality service delivery.
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Develop partnerships with ICBs, acute trusts, commissioners, and academic institutions to improve system-wide prescribing.
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Manage the pharmacy budget, procurement, and medicines information services, ensuring cost-effectiveness and patient safety.
We haveidentifiedthat this is a role where we have underrepresentation of ethnically diverse colleagues. As part of our commitment to inclusion and Unity Against Racism we offer guaranteed interviews to candidates who meet the essential criteria and identify as: Asian or Asian British,Blackor Black British, Mixed and 'Other' Ethnic Groups.
About us
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.
Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:
- Caring for and about you is our top priority
- Committed to providing good quality, safe services
- Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions
Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:
- Flexible working options to support work-life balance
- 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
- Generous NHS pension scheme
- Excellent learning and career development opportunities
- 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
- Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
- Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
- Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
- Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
- Free parking across Trust sites
Job description
Job responsibilities
The ideal candidate will:
For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.
We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.
Were committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.
We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please dont hesitate to contact Tolu Olusoga, Medical Director, by emailing: Michelle.Jones@berkshire.nhs.uk. Well be delighted to help.
Please note, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The ideal candidate will:
For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.
We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.
Were committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.
We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please dont hesitate to contact Tolu Olusoga, Medical Director, by emailing: Michelle.Jones@berkshire.nhs.uk. Well be delighted to help.
Please note, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications/Training
Essential
- Good Honours degree in Pharmacy
- UK registered pharmacist
- Post-graduate qualification in clinical/mental health pharmacy
- Medicines optimisation including budget setting and management
Continuous Professional Development
Essential
- Evidence of continual professional development and compliance with GPhC CPD on-online record system
Previous Experience
Essential
- Substantial post-registration experience
- Experience of setting up new services
- Experience of negotiating and liaising with managers
- Experience of managing staff
- Experience of multi-disciplinary/partnership working
- Experience of working with clinicians
- Experience of working with range of stakeholders
- Experience of working with Mental Health/ Community Health Services organisations
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Specialised knowledge of Mental Health therapeutics
- RPS Professional Standards
- Understanding of the NHS landscape Understanding of the role of NICE
- Mental Health/CHS prescribing issues in primary and secondary care
- NHS commissioning processes
- Ability to identify and implement strategic plans and service priorities
- Ability to evaluate service provision
- Ability to organise own work and that of others
- Ability to write detailed reports - fluent, concise and accurate written skills
- Ability to operate flexibly and reliably and handle high volumes of work and meet deadlines
- Ability to absorb and convey both written and spoken information
- Critical appraisal skills
- Knowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management Publications
- Good presentation skills
- Ability to interpret Policy and its implementation
- Highly developed judgemental and analytical skills
- Excellent planning and organisation skills for programme planning
- Able to negotiate, facilitate and influence
- Able to work both independently and part of various groups and teams
- Diplomatic and assertive
- Clear logical thinker
- Disciplined personality
Desirable
Personal Skills
Essential
- Physical and mental capability to handle pressure and demands of the service and ability to contain and work with organisational stress and ability to 'hold' the stress of others.
- Interpersonal skills
- Conversant and competent with information technology and associated tools
- Ability to communicate information to a wide range of recipients including users and carers
Accountable Officer
Essential
- Have previous experience in the handling of CDs
- Knowledge of controlled drugs legislation
- Be familiar with organisation processes for clinical governance and performance management
- Be a senior manager with experience of clinical governance
- Be remote from current practice involving CDs (except in emergencies) including, prescribing, administering or disposing of CDs
Desirable
- Be a registered pharmacist with no restrictions place upon them by their Regulatory body with regards to controlled drugs
Additional Requirements
Essential
- Car Driver
- Flexible approach to working patterns
- Professional manner
- Adaptable
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications/Training
Essential
- Good Honours degree in Pharmacy
- UK registered pharmacist
- Post-graduate qualification in clinical/mental health pharmacy
- Medicines optimisation including budget setting and management
Continuous Professional Development
Essential
- Evidence of continual professional development and compliance with GPhC CPD on-online record system
Previous Experience
Essential
- Substantial post-registration experience
- Experience of setting up new services
- Experience of negotiating and liaising with managers
- Experience of managing staff
- Experience of multi-disciplinary/partnership working
- Experience of working with clinicians
- Experience of working with range of stakeholders
- Experience of working with Mental Health/ Community Health Services organisations
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Specialised knowledge of Mental Health therapeutics
- RPS Professional Standards
- Understanding of the NHS landscape Understanding of the role of NICE
- Mental Health/CHS prescribing issues in primary and secondary care
- NHS commissioning processes
- Ability to identify and implement strategic plans and service priorities
- Ability to evaluate service provision
- Ability to organise own work and that of others
- Ability to write detailed reports - fluent, concise and accurate written skills
- Ability to operate flexibly and reliably and handle high volumes of work and meet deadlines
- Ability to absorb and convey both written and spoken information
- Critical appraisal skills
- Knowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management Publications
- Good presentation skills
- Ability to interpret Policy and its implementation
- Highly developed judgemental and analytical skills
- Excellent planning and organisation skills for programme planning
- Able to negotiate, facilitate and influence
- Able to work both independently and part of various groups and teams
- Diplomatic and assertive
- Clear logical thinker
- Disciplined personality
Desirable
Personal Skills
Essential
- Physical and mental capability to handle pressure and demands of the service and ability to contain and work with organisational stress and ability to 'hold' the stress of others.
- Interpersonal skills
- Conversant and competent with information technology and associated tools
- Ability to communicate information to a wide range of recipients including users and carers
Accountable Officer
Essential
- Have previous experience in the handling of CDs
- Knowledge of controlled drugs legislation
- Be familiar with organisation processes for clinical governance and performance management
- Be a senior manager with experience of clinical governance
- Be remote from current practice involving CDs (except in emergencies) including, prescribing, administering or disposing of CDs
Desirable
- Be a registered pharmacist with no restrictions place upon them by their Regulatory body with regards to controlled drugs
Additional Requirements
Essential
- Car Driver
- Flexible approach to working patterns
- Professional manner
- Adaptable
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
