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 Are you passionate about improving healthcare quality and patient safety? Do you want to make a difference for our staff and our patients? If the answers are yes, then this job is for you! An exciting opportunity has arisen for a hardworking, enthusiastic and motivated individual to join the Trust Quality and Compliance Team as a Quality Assurance Manager (Band 7) on a fixed-term contract for 12-months, within the Quality and Assurance Directorate. The Trust’s Quality and Compliance Department consists of 8 team members focused on delivering the Trust’s quality strategy, and maintaining compliance with statutory duties and regulations. The team work in collaboration with other Quality and Assurance teams and corporate services (e.g. Chief Nurse Office) to triangulate information from various sources in order to identify and respond to themes relating to quality and patient safety. Main duties of the job The Quality Assurance Manager role is responsible for management and support of the quality assurance function for the Trust. The post holder will facilitate effective compliance monitoring across all areas of the organisation, embedding processes and procedures Trust-wide for all clinical groups to meet statutory responsibilities. The post holder will provide a combination of subject matter expertise, particularly relating to quality improvement, assessing and monitoring assurance and management skills to develop and maintain quality performance. Working with professional leads within the clinical groups and across the organisation the post holder will enable the Trust to demonstrate compliance with national policies and standards. They will work closely with the Senior Quality Assurance Manager to develop and contribute to standards and benchmarking locally and in the wider NHS to enable comparison and identify areas for improvement. The post holder will support the Senior Quality Assurance Manager in providing assurance relating to the quality of care, and be able to evidence learning from all aspects of quality and compliance. It is essential that the appointee is a proven team player who is able to engender trust and respect from colleagues at all levels of the organisation. 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. We have a long tradition of clinical and scientific achievement and – as part of King’s Health Partners – we are one of England’s eight academic health sciences centres, bringing together world-class clinical services, teaching and research. We have one of the National Institute for Health Research’s biomedical research centres, established with King’s College London in 2007, as well as dedicated clinical research facilities. We have around 22,700 staff, making us one of the largest NHS Trusts in the country and one of the biggest employers locally. We aim to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve and continue to develop new and existing partnerships with local people, patients, neighbouring NHS organisations, local authorities and charitable bodies and GPs. Detailed job description and main responsibilities Quality Assurance and Compliance Provide expert advice and support on quality standards, quality improvement, implementation and matters relating to a wide range of quality assurance topics. Support and implement the design and implementation of a quality management framework to be used for assessing quality of service and identification of areas for improvement and strength across all clinical groups. This framework will ensure the Trust has CQC compliance and standards of care as a matter of business as usual. Support through leading and engaging with the programme of quality assessments with the clinical groups, directorates and core services to provide assurance against CQC standards within the Trust’s overall quality framework. Work with the Senior Quality Assurance Manager, clinical groups and corporate teams to track progress and report on quality priorities in the annual Quality Account, identifying any improvements required. Support development and implementation of a long-term strategic plan for the Quality and Compliance Team, in line with national regulatory standards. Lead on the planning and delivery of assigned quality improvement projects, using appropriate service improvement techniques to support clinical groups and directorates in the identification of opportunities for improvement. Lead on and support clinical leads of assigned improvement groups and sub-groups to undertake quality improvement projects derived from identified risks, data analysis and improvement plans. Monitor compliance for clinical groups where quality performance against agreed standards/targets is not met. Provide expert advice to clinical groups and corporate services relating to quality improvement methodology to address compliance with Trust quality standards. Identify learning opportunities arising from all aspects of quality assurance and compliance. Provide and receive highly complex, sensitive or contentious information, undertaking regular analysis and high -level communication to persuade stakeholders to improve Trust performance and actively seek areas for improvement. Link in with the ward accreditation team to ensure alignment and compliance with national and CQC standards. Provide clear reports and communication on performance relating to patient safety and quality, including presentations using a range of information from a variety of information and data sources. Meet, communicate and negotiate with internal or external bodies (such as the CQC, External accreditors or other NHS Trusts) on a variety of patient safety or quality related matters. Support clinical groups and Trust-wide corporate services in strengthening their quality assurance methodologies and frameworks to provide ward to board assurance. Committee Responsibility Support the assigned Trust sub-committees and groups that provide high level detail and assurance, reporting to the Trust Risk and Assurance Committee. Ensure the efficient running of the committees and groups by supporting the Quality and Compliance Coordinator and wider team to advise on the delivery of their outputs to align with the quality strategy and key priorities of the Trust. Manage the Quality and Compliance Team to run and oversee all other quality sub-committees within the Trust Risk and Assurance Committee remit, ensuring appropriate levels of secretariat support and delivery according to their terms of reference. Support the robust reporting and presentation of data across relevant Trust - wide committees aligned to the Trust structure, using quality improvement tools and statistical process control where appropriate. Communicate pro-actively with Trust staff relating to sub-committees and groups, including clinical staff, patient safety, risk management, directorate management teams and clinical groups. Provide and receive complex and sensitive information verbally, electronically, in writing in a range of formats and manage effective communication at all levels of seniority. Collate and analyse complex quantitative and qualitative data to prepare and present reports/briefings as required, including recommendations for improvement where required, either locally or through Trust-wide committees relevant to this role. Policy and Research Support the delivery of training and formal teaching on systems for quality assurance for the Trust and wider clinical group and directorate governance teams. Support and embed the processes for management of clinical guideline and NICE guidance, including maintenance of Trust systems including the SharePoint General Policies Library, WAFr Clinical Guidance Database, and Radar Local Risk Management System. Review and make recommendations for information published on the Trust’s intranet webpages, ensuring best practices is shared across the Trust. Provide, receive and analyse highly complex, technical, sensitive and contentious information (including statistical data) and translate as required using judgement to ensure comprehensive understanding across the organisation. People, Finance and Project Management Line manage the Quality and Compliance Coordinator, and other team members as and when required as per service need in the Quality and Assurance Directorate. Delegated budget holder for the quality assurance team, including financial and human resource management, training budget and external contracts with suppliers (such as external training partners and software providers). Support, motivate and develop staff within the department and more widely in terms of quality assurance Trust-wide. Deputise for the Senior Quality Assurance Manager and Senior Quality and Compliance Lead as required. Build and develop key relationships and maintain networks internally and externally. Direct the delivery of a range of quality improvements and projects arising directly and indirectly from the department’s field of expertise. Where appropriate, lead on developing and implementing policy and propose changes in conjunction with working groups which have wider implications for the Trust. Plan and organise complex activities or programmes of work which may include: organising meetings/sessions with a range of internal and external stakeholders, including selection of venue, provision of materials, and coordination of multi-disciplinary meetings. Support and encourage research and development of quality and assurance processes. Support and advise on policy/service developments adopted by the Trust from government departments and other external bodies. Person specification Qualifications/ Education Essential criteria MSc level of education and/or relevant professional qualification and/or equivalent level of experience Qualification or advanced training in quality improvement methodologies Desirable criteria Member of relevant professional body or clinical background Experience of leading large-scale improvement or transformation projects Previous experience Essential criteria Experience of working in a quality assurance, transformation or quality improvement related role within a healthcare setting Experience of delivering training to diverse teams or departments Experience of managing projects, preferably within an NHS organisation Experience of report writing and presenting Experience of line management or direct supervision of junior staff Strong organisational and planning skills with the ability to flex to suit the changing situations A track record of producing reports, delivering presentations and developing and delivering training sessions Desirable criteria Experience in quality, assurance, transformation or quality assurance role Experience of developing policy for non/clinical related practices Experience of change management and embedding new processes Awareness of Healthcare budget management Skills/ Knowledge/ Ability Essential criteria Awareness and knowledge of the NHS, quality regulatory activity and quality standards Understanding and knowledge of the NHS Code of Conduct Understanding of the principles and practice of clinical governance and patient safety, required outputs and their use to improve quality delivery Understanding of, and commitment to, using comparative information to stimulate quality improvement Able to recognise information that could be used for quality improvement Ability to work under pressure Able to negotiate with stakeholders on difficult and controversial issues Ability to make decisions autonomously, when required, and able to make sound judgement of when to escalate Good understanding of the principles and practice of quality improvement methodologies and their use to improve clinical practice Well-developed interpersonal skills with ability to network, work with and motivate a wide range of professionals; fostering collaboration and a participatory approach Strong oral and written communication skills – including report writing and presentation of information Advanced skills to complete data collection, analyse and interpret data and present information in a formal presentation or within a report format Data analysis and interpretation skills Ability to use own judgement based on information available and to seek advice when unsure of appropriate response Excellent IT and database skills Desirable criteria Clear knowledge of the CQC standards and domains 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 Oliver Cook Job title Trust Senior Quality & Compliance Lead Email address [email protected] Telephone number 07596 889 500