Deputy General Manager - West London Children's Healthcare

We are looking for an exceptional Deputy General Manager to join our dynamic team. The successful candidate will be child-focused, an inspiring leader, and skilled at managing multiple sites. They will have a proven record of driving operational excellence in quality, performance, and finance.

Based mainly at our Chelsea and West Middlesex sites, with occasional travel to other locations, this role offers fantastic exposure. You'll oversee both elective and emergency services, including medical specialties, specialist elective surgery, acute wards, an emergency department, community paediatric services, and lead transformative programs set to redefine children's care across our region.

You will play a pivotal role in service improvement, business planning, and strategic initiatives, making a real impact on the services you oversee. Working in paediatric services is incredibly rewarding and perfect for someone eager to advance in core operational leadership and engage in high-level decision-making to support the WLCH work plan, strategy, and goals.

West London Children's Healthcare operates under a triumvirate model, comprising three Clinical Directorates. This role will be pivotal in supporting these directorates across our Chelsea and Westminster and West Middlesex campuses.

We are looking for an exceptional Deputy General Manager who will:
1. Be deeply patient-focused, ensuring that high-quality care and patient experience are central to all decisions.
2. Take responsibility for the operational performance of services across both campuses, including maintaining high standards of patient care, clinical governance, patient safety, and meeting financial objectives.
3. Shape the strategy and direction of their directorate, driving forward innovation and improvement.
4. Lead efforts to integrate services for children and young people, aligning with our vision for seamless, patient-centred care.
5. Work closely with senior leadership to execute ambitious plans to transform children's services both within WLCH and throughout North West London, enhancing equity of access and improving outcomes.
6. Be a visible and influential leader, adept at managing a diverse portfolio of services across multiple sites.
7. Operate independently, clearly communicating both challenges and successes.
8. Step in to deputise for the General Manager as needed.
9. Participate in the on-call rota as part of Chelsea and Westminster FT.

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of England's top-performing and safest trusts. We operate two main acute hospital sites-Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital-along with award-winning clinics across North West London.

Our nearly 7,500 staff care for a diverse population of 1.5 million, providing full clinical services, including maternity, A&E, and children's services, plus specialist HIV and sexual health clinics. The Care Quality Commission rates us 'Good' in safety, effectiveness, care, and responsiveness, and 'Outstanding' in leadership and resource use.

We continually invest in our facilities, including a £30m expansion of critical care at Chelsea and Westminster and an £80m Ambulatory Diagnostic Centre at West Middlesex.

We welcome applications for flexible working arrangements, accommodating requests where possible to support our staff and patient needs.

The Trust is committed to equality and welcomes applications from all, regardless of background. Adjustments can be made for disabled candidates. Early application is advised as vacancies may close once sufficient applications are received. If you haven't heard from us within three weeks of the closing date, your application was likely unsuccessful. Employment is subject to a six-month probationary period.

1. Performance Management

Manage the delivery of all agreed outputs, as set out in the work plan by:

· Delivering agreed performance indicators in relation to clinical outcomes, clinical efficiency and service line reporting

· Ensuring your services have clearly defined performance objectives and the support they need to deliver them

· Developing and implementing effective reporting arrangements through directorate meetings to accurately record and monitor performance against targets and to pro-actively manage any variances.

· Provide regular reports to the senior leadership team with assurance that appropriate follow up actions will be completed.

· Engaging triumvirate teams in regular performance review meetings; inspiring a culture of continuous improvement where all team members can actively participate, and feel values for, developing their services

2. Risk & Clinical Governance

· Manage the implementation of systems, control processes and risk management arrangements to support monitoring of compliance with clinical governance standards, other Trust-wide policies and processes and best practice requirements;

· Deputise for the General Manager to manage the resolution of complaints, conflicts and issues from patients, staff, suppliers, other internal and external service providers and partner organisations in a timely and appropriate manner in line with Trust policy, procedures and service delivery values and priorities;

· Support, alongside the Lead Nurse and other clinical staff, root cause analyses and trend analyses of all complaints and adverse incidents

· Work with the Director of Clinical Governance and the WLCH risk team to proactively drive improvements in safety and quality

3. People Management

· Maximise staff engagement across the directorates through effective leadership and the application of best practice in people management

· Ensure that staff are deployed in a cost effective way and that controls are in place to meet key workforce performance indicators on bank and agency, sickness absence reduction, turnover etc.

· Proactively work to ensure that all key workforce performance indicators meet target in your teams.

· Ensure that all staff have annual performance and development reviews and personal development plans which supports engagement, performance management and retention

4. Financial Management

· Provide delegated oversite to enable the sound financial management of the site, in line with Standing Financial Instructions.

· Ensure that budget holders receive appropriate induction and training, and that finance system records of staff with financial authorities in the directorates are kept up to date

· Ensure processes are in place so that all activity is correctly recorded on a timely basis for income purposes, and support the directorate to maintain an effective system of controls to manage pay and non-pay costs in line with the Directorate budget.

· Work with the Finance Business Partners to analyse the monthly financial position, develop a robust forecast, explain key movements in income and costs, and develop mitigating actions where necessary.

· Work with the relevant Finance Business Partner and clinicians in a collaborative approach to business planning, service line reviews and other aspects of financial management.

· Provide delegated support to the General Manager on all finance related issues.