Guy’s and St Thomas’ is among the UK’s busiest and most successful NHS foundation trusts. We provide a full range of hospital and community services for people in south London and as well as specialist care for patients from further afield including cancer, renal, orthopaedic, respiratory and cardiovascular services. Guy’s is home to the largest dental school in Europe and a £160 million Cancer Centre opened in 2016. As part of our commitment to provide care closer to home, in 2017 we also opened a cancer centre and a kidney treatment centre at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup. St Thomas’ has one of the largest critical care units in the UK and one of the busiest emergency departments in London. It is also home to Evelina London Children’s Hospital. Evelina London cares for local children in Lambeth and Southwark and provides specialist services across south east England including cardiac, renal and critical care services. We lead a number of specialist service networks aiming to ensure children are treated locally where possible, but have access to specialist expertise when they need it. Our community services include health visiting, school nursing and support for families of children with long-term conditions. Our adult community services teams deliver care at the heart of the local communities we serve, working in partnership with GPs, local authorities and other healthcare and voluntary sector organisations. Working with our partners in Lambeth and Southwark, we are focusing on new ways of working to improve care for local patients. In February 2021 the Royal Brompton and Harefield joined Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, bringing together world-leading expertise in the care and research of heart and lung disease. Our merger provides a once in a generation opportunity to build a lasting, world-renowned heart and lung centre, providing the highest quality care for patients and conducting world-leading research. We have a reputation for clinical excellence and high quality teaching and research. We are part of King’s Health Partners, one of eight accredited UK academic health sciences centres. In partnership with King’s College London we have dedicated clinical research facilities including an MHRA accredited Phase I clinical trials unit. Patients are at the heart of everything we do and we pride ourselves on ensuring the best possible patient experience as well as safe, high quality care. We are proud to have one of the lowest mortality rates in the NHS. Following a comprehensive Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection in 2019 we maintained our overall rating of ‘good’. Our adult community services achieved a rating of ‘outstanding’. The commitment of our 23,500 staff is key to our success. We are one of the largest local employers and we aim to develop and support all our staff so they are able to deliver high quality, safe and efficient care. The 2019 NHS staff survey results show that we have one of the most engaged and motivated workforces in the NHS. We know this has a positive impact on the care provided to our patients. We have one of the most ambitious capital investment programmes anywhere in the NHS. Job overview The post holder will be responsible for providing senior strategic leadership and oversight of the of the centralised admin and data quality team reporting directly to the Director of Performance & Information. T he post holder will be responsible for setting clear strategic direction, articulating the operational objectives whilst managing the ongoing transformational and organisational change phases. The postholder will play a key role in overseeing the operational delivery and performance to ensure high quality centralised services that include referrals, bookings, data validation and data quality and assurance so that patients receive timely care in aligned to regulatory standards. The post holder will play a critical role in overseeing the Administration safety Programme workstreams which is a key priority for the organisation incorporating new and emerging administration priorities following our recent Epic implementation. This role requires an individual who is driven, ambitious and passionate about patient care, and who has a desire to influence at the highest levels working in close partnership with senior clinical and managerial staff. To succeed in this role, candidates need to be able to build confidence across the organisation as well as with external partners. Key responsibilities will be to challenge, support and develop the directorate management teams ensuring robust systems for performance and financial management and quality governance are in place. Main duties of the job The post holder will be responsible for providing senior strategic leadership and oversight of the of the centralised admin and data quality team reporting directly to the Director of Performance and Information. As a newly consolidated function, the post holder will be responsible for setting clear strategic direction, articulating the operational objectives whilst managing the ongoing transformational and organisational change phases. The postholder will play a key role in overseeing the operational delivery and performance to ensure high quality centralised services that include referrals, bookings, data validation and data quality and assurance so that patients receive timely care in aligned to regulatory standards. The post holder will also play a critical role in overseeing the Administration safety Programme workstreams which is a key priority for the organisation incorporating new and emerging administration priorities following our recent Epic implementation. Working for our organisation The central administration and data quality team ensures that all patient referrals are identified and acted upon consistently to ensure the organisation is providing responsive and high quality of care. The teams collectively support the organisation to identify, validate, and take corrective action when data quality issues arise to minimise delays to patient care. The central administration and data quality team proactively acts as an expert advisory and audit service to the organisation to ensure that operational rules, procedures and data records associated with patient pathway management (e.g RTT) are accurate, up to date and reflect both national and local policies across the organisation. This newly consolidated service now sits centrally reporting to the Director of Performance and Information within the Chief Operating Officer portfolio. There are 3 key functional areas to enable it to fulfil its purpose which include Referral Management and Booking, Validation and Tracking and Data Quality and Assurance. Through dedicated improvement and training teams within the newly consolidated service, they will support the organisation build capabilities aligned to administration best practice and in turn reduce patient risk associated with admin processes following our recent Epic implementation. Detailed job description and main responsibilities Strategic and Operational Management 1. Contribute to the overall strategic direction and leadership of the Trust and Clinical Groups as member of the Operational Senior Management Team. 2. Provide strong and expert professional and business leadership to clinical services, particularly in service planning, and in ensuring the delivery of high- quality clinical services 3. Represent the Clinical Group/Trust externally and develop partnerships with other organisations to promote the development of local services. 4. Contribute to the formation of the Trust and Clinical Group’s strategic objectives. 5. Actively promote and support the development of the Academic Health Science Centre. 6. Work in partnership with other directors to deliver on Trust and Clinical Group objectives and ensure the effective day to day running of the Central Administration and Data Quality team. 7. Lead the ongoing transformational and organisational change programme associated with the newly consolidated central administration and data quality function ensuring this is completed in line with Trust Organsational Change policies. 8. Undertake specific projects as required by the Trust Directors. 9. Ensure the appropriate stewardship and governance of the Corporate and Clinical Groups (as appropriate). 10. Participate in Silver Commander on-call rota. 11. Ensure the clinical directorates are sufficiently supported to deliver all key targets and programmes as agreed by the Managing Director. 12. Co-ordinate all operational services across clinical services providing advice and support to directorates as appropriate. 13. Facilitate the development of innovative plans for the improvement of clinical and corporate services, ensuring a high level of clinical engagement. 14. Promote excellence and best practice across all clinical services with the emphasis on high quality patient pathways that minimise waste. 15. Work with clinical teams to develop and implement robust performance management arrangements. 16. Monitor the performance and resource utilisation across the services and support the introduction of remedial steps where necessary. 17. Review the operational performance of the clinical groups/ directorates and supporting the Directors in the performance appraisal of clinical and professional staff within the clinical group/ directorates. 18. Represent the Trust within the NHS and wider community, and with partner organisations, and working closely with them to institute integrated working in the best interests of patient care. 19. Work closely with our EHR provider (Epic) as a strategic advisor and subject matter expert to inform system updates required relating to administration and patient pathway processes. Management and Leadership 1. Provide visible leadership for clinical services and create a climate which encourages teamwork, maximises individual potential and stimulates innovation. 2. Provide expert knowledge, commentary and detailed information where required for senior operational teams to increase the level of understanding of regulatory performance indicators and how they can be used efficiently to manage Clinical Group/Directorate performance. 3. Engage with senior operational and clinical teams to ensure buy-in and reach agreement where highly complex concepts may be subject to conflicting expert opinion, using highly developed negotiating skills to ensure that the decisions made are aligned with best practice. 4. Where required, support the development of clinical services across the Clinical Group. 5. Support the clinical directorates to develop appropriate structures to ensure the safe, effective and efficient delivery of patient care aligned with national access and waiting time standards 6. Chair appropriate Trust wide forums ensuring new ways of working, innovations and best practice are shared across all clinical areas. 7. Work in partnership with operational colleagues in other relevant organisations across South East London Sector to identify any potential process issues, and promote a joint approach to resolution. 8. Ensure effective working relationships and links with managerial colleagues at Regional and National levels and promote shared learning. 9. Provide leadership and motivation to the team, supporting personal and professional development. 10. Deputise for the Director of Performance and Information making decisions on their behalf in their absence as required. 11. Work closely with managerial colleagues in other relevant organisations across South East London Sector to identify any potential process issues, and promote a joint approach to resolution. Change and Service Development 1.Provide senior leadership and oversight of the development of Trust Access Policies, incorporating National Guidelines, Clinical Commissioning Group direction and Trust Strategy, and lead on implementation and monitoring. Thus, ensuring a consistent approach across all clinical services through effective messaging, monitoring and liaison with Senior Leadership. 2. Lead the implementation of best practice models both internally and externally with regards to patient focused pathway management and promote across the organisation 3. Oversee the ongoing design and optimisation of patient administration systems and reporting, ensuring that this support best practice and are in line with pan organisational requirements. 4. Provide support and leadership to the development and review of service development strategies and ensure that they are consistent with the Clinical Group’s vision and priorities, NHSE/I requirements, the needs of the patient and other stakeholders, including academic partners. 5. Co-ordinate annual business planning within clinical services and ensure that cross-directorate issues are addressed effectively. 6. Support the directorate teams in the commissioning of service improvement projects, and or participate in Trust-wide development programmes, in order to contribute to the ongoing development and modernisation of services in accordance with the relevant Strategy or in response to performance challenges. 7. Support the service to continually review operational processes to ensure that new ways of working are embedded across the organisation. 8. Liaise and negotiate with corporate departments to ensure that the service receives the advice and support they need to manage effectively 9. Take a leading role in the development and review of the clinical services strategy. 10. Oversee the delivery of that strategy by the clinical directorates, with special attention to cross-directorate issues and work flows. Quality, Risk and Governance 1. Provide reports and brief Senior Management and Trust Executives on the Trust’s Access Performance. This may involve the dissemination of highly complex information, which could be contentious and divide opinion and will require robust responses in the event of challenges along with expert advice and guidance where opinions differ. 2. Analyse highly complex, sensitive or contentious information and where necessary interpret this and identify corrective action to ensure performance targets are achieved. 3. Present sensitive or divisive data to large groups, where necessary promote change in a sometimes hostile or antagonistic atmosphere. 4. Oversee the central assurance that specialty specific local guidelines have had clinical approval and adhere to national rules. 5. Work in partnership with the central Quality and Assurance team to manage and mitigate risk to patient care as a result of administration processes and practice. 6. Ensure that staff employed within the service comply with the statutory and mandatory training requirements of the Trust. 7. Ensure Clinical Services are compliant with Care Quality Commission, NHSI, Clinical Commissioning Group, NHS England and Department of Health requirements. 8. Ensure that robust governance processes are put in place to support workload prioritisation, risk management and tracking of team deliverables. 9. Oversee the formal documentation and escalation of risk in line with the Trust Risk Management Policy and initiate risk mitigation plans. Financial Management 1. Ensure sound financial management and adherence to expenditure and income targets. 2. Manage overall budget for service including signing off invoices, monitoring expenditure and providing budgetary reports. 3. Oversee complex recharging arrangements across multiple organisations as required. 4. Ensuring finance resources allocated are managed in line with standing financial instructions and other GSTT policies. Person specification Qualifications/ Education Essential criteria Educated to Master’s degree or equivalent level in-depth and significant professional knowledge and experience Relevant post-graduate programme or project management qualification, such as Lean or MSP (Managing Successful Programmes), PRINCE2, or equivalent knowledge and experience Evidence of sustained and up to date continuous learning/professional development Previous experience Essential criteria A proven track record of extensive strategic, project or operational management for a significant experience of working at senior management level in a large complex environment. Extensive experience providing specialist advice to very senior managers, up to and including Board Directors which may materially affect strategic decision making. This will include advising a range of professionals and specialists in a range of environments. Highly developed knowledge and understanding of the changing NHS environment, strategy, and policy agendas, specifically NHSI, NHSE, and the South East London structures, strategy, vision and policies. Extensive experience working across multiple organisations to secure change; within this, a proven track record of overcoming political or philosophical challenge, resistance to change, conflicting priorities or polarities. Skills/Knowledge/ Ability Essential criteria Extensive experience influencing staff at all levels to ensure that programme or project objectives are owned by all members of the team, including users and stakeholders. Substantial evidence of the ability to involve teams in analysis of situation and solution development; persuade teams to take on new ways of working and to constructively challenge the status quo. Experience of leading complex major programmes ensuring they are delivered to the highest standard, to time and are cost effective. Ability to work at a very senior level with a multi professional group of staff. Extensive, comprehensive experience of senior staff performance management, including motivating, developing, and coaching to meet appropriate deadlines A commitment to improving patient services through an ability to sustain a clear focus on achieving demanding goals. Ability to lead change with and through the Trust’s senior teams, by engaging them in the strategic direction and delivery plans, establishing clear work priorities with them, delegating effectively, ensuring a capability to deliver, monitoring performance and giving feedback. Demonstrable visioning experience, including an ability to build organisational capabilities, establishing a clear strategic vision and direction and translating this into successful outcomes. Ability to engage and fully involve senior staff in the delivery of complex programmes. Significant experience and knowledge of leading aspects of a large complex organisation through significant change Additional Information Essential criteria Demonstrate the ability to work under pressure whilst supporting and getting the most out of staff. Proven strong communication skills, in particular, in building and managing interpersonal and team relationships, with strong and effective listening skills Guy’s and St Thomas’ celebrates, respects and values the diversity of its staff and patients. We review our policies, procedures and practices to ensure that all employees, patients and carers are treated equitable according to their needs. We are actively committed to ensuring that no one who applies for a job, works or study’s at the Trust, or accesses our services is discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion or belief, age, gender identity , gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity/paternity, or marital/civil partnership. Applications are welcomed from applicants with a disability. We can make reasonable adjustments and offer support and advice in a variety of ways throughout the application process. Equality of opportunity is our policy. As an organisation we are committed to developing our services in ways that best suit the needs of our patients. This means that some staff groups will increasingly be asked to work a more flexible shift pattern so that we can offer services in the evenings or at weekends. Flexible working We are committed to supporting all employees to achieve a healthy work life balance and to work in a way that is best for them and our patients. We will consider all requests to work flexibly, taking in to account the individual’s personal circumstances as well the needs of the service. We encourage all prospective applicants to discuss their individual circumstances with the recruiting manager as part of the on-boarding process. Your e-mail address is important to us - We communicate to all job applicants via the e-mail address which has been provided on the application form. Please ensure that you check your e-mail on a regular basis. Please apply for this post by clicking "Apply Online Now." Applicant requirements The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions. Further details / informal visits contact Name Sean McCloy Job title Interim Director of Performance & Information Email address [email protected]