Associate Directorate Manager | Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced manager to join the General Surgery Team as an Associate Directorate Manager at Mersey & West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. The post holder will be responsible for supporting the Directorate Manager, Deputy Directorate Manager in delivery of performance for their specialties and support services. Liaising with, Specialties, Departments, Staff and Clinicians to manage capacity and demand, patient flow and site issues ensuring deliver of key performance indicators for the Division and specialties and services within it. The management of an efficient and responsive clinical, administration and support service across MWL sites and off site when appropriate, providing professional advice and leadership and to take responsibility for the performance of each department. The post holder will participate in the development of corporate objectives, policies and strategic plans along with having budgetary responsibility. The post holder will also contribute to the development of effective Clinical Governance, Risk Management and Controls Assurance Systems ensuring that procedures are embedded into the culture of all administration across both hospital sites. The post holder will be responsible for assisting in managing the complaints process throughout their specialty/ specialties, ensuring compliance with Trust targets and establish processes to ensure lessons are learned.

• The post holder will assist in the management and support the Directorate Manager or Deputy Directorate manager across the Division. Encouraging and motivating by allowing continual development through appropriate training and personal development.
• The post holder will be responsible for assisting in managing the complaints process, ensuring compliance with Trust targets and through working with the Head of Quality establish processes to ensure lessons are learned throughout the Division.
• To be responsible for the development of policies and procedures for the department in line with national guidance and local requirements. Ensure all standards, policies and procedures are implemented and maintained.
• Develop and be responsible for effective business standard operating procedures and processes thereby ensuring streamlined delivery.
• Work with Clinical staff, Directorate Managers to identify capacity and demand risk areas and discuss resolution., The post holder will assist in the management and support the Directorate Manager or Deputy Directorate manager across the Division. Encouraging and motivating by allowing continual development through appropriate training and personal development.
• The post holder will be responsible for assisting in managing the complaints process, ensuring compliance with Trust targets and through working with the Head of Quality establish processes to ensure lessons are learned throughout the Division.
• To be responsible for the development of policies and procedures for the department in line with national guidance and local requirements. Ensure all standards, policies and procedures are implemented and maintained.
• Develop and be responsible for effective business standard operating procedures and processes thereby ensuring streamlined delivery.
• Work with Clinical staff, Directorate Managers to identify capacity and demand risk areas and discuss resolution.
• To lead the development, implementation and maintenance of any administration IT Systems. To liaise with Clinical Staff, Administration Staff and IT Department in ensuring good communication channels are open.
• In conjunction with the Directorate Managers or Deputy Directorate Manager the post holder will monitor activity and access targets, providing weekly updates/reports and monitor agreed actions to ensure delivery.
• The post-holder will lead on ensuring targets are achieved and will take forward agreed projects to improve service delivery and patient experience. They will be required to lead on key areas of performance and activity as directed.
• To work alongside Deputy Divisional Directors of Operations and Directorate Managers and Deputy Directorate Managers to ensure compliance with national access targets and local access targets as outlined within the local and national Patient Access Policy.
• To lead on up-to-date information reassurance data for PTL Meetings highlighting potential problem areas by speciality to the relative Directorate Manager.
• The post holder will support capacity and business planning for the service group, with the Directorate Managers or Deputy Directorate Managers sharing knowledge to develop business cases for new services.
• Managing the outpatient capacity and reallocation clinic capacity to relevant specialities and clinicians, in order to maintain 18 weeks and reduce/maintain the 18-week waiting list backlog in line with Department of Health guidelines.
• Communicating complex and sensitive information to patients and relatives with empathy and reassurance.
• Develop and sustain good relationships and work closely with other directorates / departments.
• Responsibility for all records (including patient health, financial, personal and administrative) that they gather or use as part of their work within the Trust. The records may be paper, electronic, microfiche, audio or x-ray images.
HUMAN RESOURCES RESPONSIBILITIES
• To support the department's full process of recruitment and selection of staff where appropriate
• The post holder will act independently within Human Resources guidelines, ensuring all areas are compliant (Attendance Management Policy, Disciplinary and Grievance). Supporting clinical and administration staff in delivering first line with Human Resources
• The post holder is responsible for ensuring that all areas of administration are compliant with Human Resource Key Performance Indicators, including Annual and Interim Appraisals with set objectives and development plans and Bi-Annual Mandatory Training.
• Manage performance and behavioural issues accordingly when escalated by service leads, ensuring there is effective monitoring and full documentation available.
• Adhere and promote Trust policies, procedures and guidelines and maintain the Professional Code of Conduct.
• Manage and support in delivering KPI's.
• Be responsible for own actions and that of other administration staff, using own initiative and using discretion within difficult situations.
• To ensure all HR policies are communicated widely and implemented., Post holder must have a full knowledge of patient access and operational performance and software programmes and their application to improve service efficiency and effectiveness. To manage the process and availability of training for all staff included throughout clinical and administration teams, including systems training, mandatory training etc.
• To support and monitor that all new staff are compliant with Trust Local Induction programme for each new employee and necessary documentation completed.
• To develop, implement and maintain a local training package for all levels of staff who wish to develop within administration and clinical teams with support of Learning and Education. Recognise the effective utilisation of all appropriate development resources and opportunities available.
• Support the management of the 18-week pathway within specialties. Attending clinics where necessary to raise awareness with colleagues, clinical staff ensuring correct pathways attached to ensure 18-week target to be achieved and maintained throughout to Admission. Ensuring compliance in relation to policies i.e. inter provider transfer documentation, choose and book administration and patient choice bookings. Training staff where necessary.
• Manage and support areas for change within the clinical and administration teams which will lead to improvements in quality and efficiency within specialties.
• Recognise and accept responsibility for own personal development. Understanding of all Trust IT systems to ensure a delivery of an effective service
• To take the department lead for any health & safety matters of staff, patients and visitors ensuring a systematic review is undertaken.
• To undertake training as part of the Trust Mentoring Programme to support and facilitate staff development., Ensure that an effective communication network exists within the department and that all staff are aware of corporate and directorate aims and objectives and their contribution in achieving these.
• Attending Trust monthly Team Brief sessions and ensure that information is cascaded appropriately throughout teams.
• Carrying out weekly 121 meetings with clinical and administration service leads and managing concerns / issues.
• Ensure management of staff is consistent with Trust's HR Policies to the achievement of equality, equity and optimum performance.
• Ensure that colleagues are treated fairly. Behave in a non-discriminatory way and challenge the discriminatory behaviour of others. Be supportive of colleagues or service users who wish to raise issues about discriminatory practice or experience.
• Work within the Code of Conduct for NHS Managers
• Continuously review the managerial and organisational effectiveness of the department and develop operational plans for implementing the changes where necessary.
• Ensure departments are compliant with governance framework managing risk and incidents appropriately within their areas, ensuring all health and safety aspects have been covered. Provide training and guidance to Administration Service Co-ordinators.
FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
• Contribute to the achievement of the Trust's business and strategic goals
• Responsibility for supporting and managing, maintaining and delivering the service budget within financial constraints. Looking at areas that can deliver a CIP across specialities.
• Identify forecasts, trends and predictions within services providing reports for Directorate Managers or Deputy Directorate Managers when required.
• Manage service changes that impact and which have financial implications.
• Support manpower planning within annual budget setting directly with Division Management Accountant.
• Manage and authorise all stationery requests for all areas within remit.
• Ensure all delegated budgets adhere to Trust standing financial instructions and standing orders.
• That activity is delivered in the most cost effective and efficient way, to minimise the need for premium rate work and thereby manage cost down.
RESEARCH & AUDIT
• Support department and service quality assurance measures to validate the quality of outputs and undertake audits as required to ensure key performance indicators are achieved accordingly.
• Develop and implement research programme and survey with Learning and Education in order to assess staff requirements for development and training needs
• Liaise with other internal departments to ensure best practice is delivered.
  
  Disability Confident
About Disability Confident A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites. We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care. Our services: Acute Care Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites. Primary Care Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital. Community Services Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation, freeing up space for more unwell patients. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre. Specialist Regional Services We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales. Achievements:
• Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
• National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme