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 Outpatient Service runs Heart & Lung clinics across the Royal Brompton hospital site. The key aim of the Outpatient Services is to deliver a consistently high level of service to patients, clinical teams and to ensure the standard approach to reporting management is robustly achieved within internal service level agreements that support national targets. The Outpatient Service spans all RBH operational divisions and is responsible for supporting large numbers of patients attending the Trust. The goal is to provide high quality care for the patients attending an outpatient appointment from receipt of the first referral through to discharge. The Assistant Service Manager will be expected to support the Outpatient Services Manager in all aspects of the work of the department, including managing with complex situations. The Assistant Service Manager will have management responsibility in managing the changes required to deliver national and internal waiting time targets. There are sizeable projects currently ongoing and the post holder will be expected to take an active role in driving these and other projects forward for a timely delivery. Main duties of the job This role is to support the Service Manager in the delivery of a range of services. These day-to-day services will be managed in accordance with agreed objectives, targets, quality standards, controls and resource constraints. The post holder will be responsible for the management of a team or teams of staff including administrators, receptionists, and pathway coordinators. The post holder may also offer a high level of support administration and organisation to a group of consultants or registrars where needed and within resource limitations. Management of key relationships are an essential part of the role in order to support optimising the Outpatient Service with clinical teams, operational managers, both internally and externally. Working for our organisation Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust comprises five of the UK’s best known hospitals – Guy’s, St Thomas’, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield – as well as community services in Lambeth and Southwark, all with a long history of high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation. We are among the UK’s busiest, most successful foundation trusts. We provide specialist care for patients including heart and lung, cancer and renal services as well as a full range of local hospital and community services for people in Lambeth and Southwark. Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals joined Guy’s and St Thomas’ in February 2021 and is the largest specialist heart and lung centre in the UK and among the largest in Europe. We provide treatment for people with heart and lung disease, including rare and complex conditions, offering some of the most sophisticated treatment that is available anywhere in the world.Our integrated approach to caring for patients from before birth, through childhood, adolescence and into adulthood and old age has been replicated around the world and has gained Royal Brompton and Harefield an international reputation as a leader in heart and lung diagnosis, treatment and research. Detailed job description and main responsibilities The duties and responsibilities listed below are representative of the Assistant Service Manager role and its purpose within the service; they are not exhaustive and the post holder may be required to undertake additional or alternative administrative or managerial duties and responsibilities commensurate with the level of the post, to support the smooth running of the service. Operational Management Support the Service Manager in managing various sections of service, e.g., out-patients or bookings. This will require working autonomously to understand and drive operating targets, budget controls, and relevant HR management. Ensure effective processes and procedures are in place to monitor and track performance against agreed targets within the service that may be performance related. Problem-solve all day-to-day management issues organising and reallocating work where situations change due to variations to the work load and staffing availability. Exercise delegated authority on behalf of the consultants and clinical leads to resolve day-to-day management issues within the service. Manage the analysis of data so consultants and registrars have access to timely and accurate information on all key performance indicators. Plan and organise the medical secretary service within the department, setting the goals of the secretarial service in order to fit in with the demands of the consultants’ timetables. Policy Development and System Management Develop and write policies and procedures within own work area. Manage the implementation and overall management of office systems, control processes and risk management arrangements to ensure effective delivery of service. Responsible for the design and implementation of audits in collaboration with Heads of Service. To investigate complaints, as delegated by the Service Delivery Manager, in line with Trust Policy. This may involve handling sensitive interpersonal situation. To contribute to the modernisation of patient services delivered by the medical secretaries service Sit on departmental working groups to contribute to future strategies and development Financial Management Authorised signatory. Manage and monitor performance of the administrative support to ensure that the service meets its financial and operating targets. Manage a delegated no-pay budget within the service ensuring that expenditure is within agreed limits and that the Clinical Lead/consultants remains informed of related issues. This would include signatory responsibility for requisition and authorising signature for ordering, up to the amount of £500. Staff Management Day-to-day managerial responsibility for all administration staff within the Outpatient services or others as agreed. Set objectives and review performance of service staff, identifying individual training and development needs and promote continued personal and professional development. Manage annual leave, sickness, disciplinary and performance issues in line with Trust policies and the effective delivery of service. Ensure all staff comply with relevant Trust policies and standing financial instructions. Recruit and induct A&C staff in line with Trust policies and procedures. Anticipate staff shortages and problem areas and take action to minimise the impact of these on service delivery. Support conflict resolution from patients, staff, suppliers, other internal and external service providers and partner organisations in the service. Ensure that all staff adhere to the appropriate legislation when dealing with patient material and that suitable filing & booking systems are effectively managed. Support the monitoring of compliance with internal and external governance and best practice requirements with the medical secretarial services. PA/ Secretarial Responsibilities (not applicable for this role) Monitor clinical secretarial correspondence to set and maintain appropriate quality standards. Arrange, plan and take comprehensive and accurate minutes at meetings. Support consultants by preparing PowerPoint presentations and preparation of research articles. Produce high quality medical secretary support of consultants and clinical teams when required. When appropriate, type clinical letters which may include those of a distressing or emotional nature as well or other relevant correspondence and documents required. Communication Effectively communicate with a multi-disciplinary group of people, demonstrating interpersonal skills when dealing with all levels of staff across the Trust, using persuasion, tact and reassurance where necessary. Liaise with other departments and members of the Trust to ensure the smooth running of the office and to assisting the functioning of the team. Influence, motivate and involve individuals and teams within the service to achieve necessary performance targets. Deal with telephone calls related to the service, ensuring that customers are communicated with in a sensitive and effective manner and problems are dealt with promptly and efficiently. Handle confidential patient information and material in a sensitive and discrete fashion, in compliance with Trust policy and procedure. The post holder is required to follow Trust policies and procedures which are regularly updated including: Confidentiality / Data Protection / Freedom of Information Post holders must maintain the confidentiality of information about patients, staff and other health service business in accordance with the Data Protection Act of 2018. Post holders must not, without prior permission, disclose any information regarding patients or staff. If any member of staff has communicated any such information to an unauthorised person those staff will be liable to dismissal. Moreover, the Data Protection Act 2018 also renders an individual liable for prosecution in the event of unauthorised disclosure of information. Following the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) 2000, post holders must apply the Trust’s FOI procedure if they receive a written request for information. Information Governance All staff must comply with information governance requirements. These includes statutory responsibilities (such as compliance with the Data Protection Act), following national guidance (such as the NHS Confidentiality Code of Practice) and compliance with local policies and procedures (such as the Trust's Confidentiality policy). Staff are responsible for any personal information (belonging to staff or patients) that they access and must ensure it is stored, processed and forwarded in a secure and appropriate manner. Equal Opportunities Post holders must at all times fulfil their responsibilities with regard to the Trust’s Equal Opportunities Policy and equality laws. Health and Safety All post holders have a responsibility, under the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) and subsequently published regulations, to ensure that the Trust’s health and safety policies and procedures are complied with to maintain a safe working environment for patients, visitors and employees. Infection Control All post holders have a personal obligation to act to reduce healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs). They must attend mandatory training in Infection Control and be compliant with all measures required by the Trust to reduce HCAIs. All post holders must comply with Trust infection screening and immunisation policies as well as be familiar with the Trust’s Infection Control Policies, including those that apply to their duties, such as Hand Decontamination Policy, Personal Protective Equipment Policy, safe procedures for using aseptic techniques and safe disposal of sharps. Risk Management All post holders have a responsibility to report risks such as clinical and non-clinical accidents or incidents promptly. They are expected to be familiar with the Trust’s use of risk assessments to predict and control risk, as well as the incident reporting system for learning from mistakes and near misses in order to improve services. Post holders must also attend training identified by their manager, or stated by the Trust to be mandatory. Flexible Working 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. Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Post holders have a general responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults in the course of their daily duties and for ensuring that they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role. Sustainability It is the responsibility of all staff to minimise the Trust’s environmental impact by recycling wherever possible, switching off lights, computers monitors and equipment when not in use, minimising water usage and reporting faults promptly. Smoking Policy The Trust is committed to providing a healthy and safe environment for staff, patients and visitors. Staff are therefore not permitted to smoke on Trust property or in Trust vehicles Review of this Job Description This job description is intended as an outline of the general areas of activity and will be amended in the light of the changing needs of the organisation. To be reviewed in conjunction with the post holder. Person specification Experience Essential criteria Significant experience of staff supervision/ staff management including recruitment/ retention /appraisal /first line disciplinary and knowledge of budget management issues Have significantly contributed to meeting operational objectives Desirable criteria Have significantly contributed to meeting strategic objectives Experience of delivering services on a multi-site basis Skills Essential criteria Leadership and influencing skills Desirable criteria Financial management and analysis skills Qualifications Essential criteria Educated to HNC/Equivalent Diploma/equivalent experience GCSE Maths & English Track record of significant continuous professional and management development 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." Further details / informal visits contact Name Daniel Jebakumar Job title Assistant General Manager - Outpatient Services Email address [email protected] Telephone number 03301288344