UHN Operations Director - Planned Care

at  Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

We are firmly committed to being the best possible provider of healthcare and place to work in the NHS and we have an exciting opportunity with the introduction of two Director of Operations positions;

• Director of Operations – Urgent & Emergency Care
• Director of Operations – Planned Care

Both roles will work across UHN (Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Northampton General Hospital) in their portfolio areas.
University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group (UHN) was formed in 2021 from Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Northampton General Hospital. We employ 11,000 people who deliver high quality services to the population of Northamptonshire and beyond and our combined income is £1 billion.
Whilst we are a large Trust, it is essential that we ensure all of our communities, patients and colleagues receive a personal and positive experience when they interact with the Trust.
We are looking for two Directors of Operations who can show that they lead in the right way and that can evidence what they deliver. We will work together as a team across UHN to drive improvements in care and to create an environment in which individuals and teams can excel. We want UHN to have one of the best cultures in the NHS because an inclusive and empowering culture delivers safe care. The postholder will play a key role in ensuring supportive and responsive operational leadership across UHN.
The overriding purpose is to support the provision of the highest quality patient care through personal actions and continuous improvement’.
As a key member of the senior leadership team, the Director of Operations will contribute to the development and implementation of our key objectives to deliver efficient services and effective patient care.
The Director of Operations will have specific responsibilities and accountabilities across UHN for successful operational leadership and management across our sites, ensuring supportive and responsive operational management leadership of our hospitals.
The postholder will play a key role in business planning, service development and delivery and will help lead the development of a high performing and supportive culture across UHN.
They will play a key role in ensuring the Trust delivers on the full range of performance targets. They will work autonomously to ensure a high quality of service to patients, visitors, and colleagues, including management of clinical governance, healthcare standards and risk. The postholder will work closely with all professions across UHN and will also work to identify and implement opportunities for improved productivity, efficiency, and clinical quality
Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest employers in the area and we are on an exciting journey. Our mission is to provide safe, compassionate, and clinically excellent patient care, by being an outstanding employer for our people. We have entered into a Group Model with neighbouring Northampton General Hospital and have become University Hospitals of Northamptonshire.

OUR EXCELLENCE VALUES:

Compassion
Respect
Integrity
Courageous
Accountable
Corporate Responsibilities
Deputise for the Chief Operating Officer across the full range of their duties.
To help set a supportive and high performing culture across UHN
Support the Chief Operating Officer in identifying new opportunities for services within the Trust, as well as to identify any potential risks along with appropriate responses.
Contribute to the successful overall performance of the Trust.
At all times work to ensure optimum patient safety.
Act as an advocate for the Trust and its contribution to the local health economy by creating and maintaining effective partnerships and relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
Develop and support the Trust culture of collaboration and commitment to delivering high quality services and outcomes.
Work with sensitivity and an understanding of the issues facing those working to deliver care to the local population.
Comply with corporate and clinical governance structures in line with the principles and standards set out by the Trust.
Manage Trust resources in the most efficient and effective manner.
Operational Delivery
To maintain an overview of service delivery across University Hospitals Northamptonshire in association with the wider health and social care community.
To work with the Chief Operating Officer to ensure the effective operational management and leadership of the Trust on a day-to-day basis and, in turn, maintain achievement of the Trust’s key performance indicators.
To develop effective working relationships to ensure effective communication and escalation mechanisms are in place at all times – both within UHN, across the ICB and beyond.
To work with colleagues across the Trust, the Integrated Care System, and the wider health community to ensure that any barriers to effective patient flow are removed.
On behalf of the Chief Operating Officer, to provide effective operational management systems and processes for clinical and other colleagues to deliver high quality clinical care, teaching, and research within available budgets.
To participate in senior manager on-call rotas.
Working with other deputies to Board or System Executives to contribute to the overall improvement of patient care across the ICB
Performance Management
Exercise delegated authority on behalf of the Chief Operating Officer to resolve management and leadership issues within the Trust.
Develop a supportive culture of performance management, improvement, and appraisal as a foundation for excellent organisational performance.
Working with the Chief Operating Officer to develop robust internal performance management systems which enable the Trust to adhere to or exceed plans, standards, and targets.
Ensure appropriate management capacity at all levels operating within an organisational structure which delivers responsive, safe and reliable patient services.
Ensure sufficient data availability to monitor and track performance and to satisfy reporting requirements.
Provide appropriate input and challenge to clinical and business plans.
To support managers and colleagues to ensure the delivery of all key national and local operational performance targets.
To identify key reasons for deviation from expected profiles, advise on the potential impact of these and work with the CMGs to ensure the development and implementation of appropriate solutions.
To support the CMGs to develop plans to address performance in relation to access to ensure the delivery of high quality, safe, patient focused services.
Lead on the development and implementation of new policies.
Ensure a robust planning cycle is in place with CMG’s and aligned to system plans to deliver agreed activity levels.
Service Development
To support the Chief Operating Officer in ensuring service improvement projects are managed, contributing to Trust-wide service improvement projects within agreed timeframes and financial targets.
Work with the senior team to identify and implement suitable benchmarking opportunities for improved productivity, efficiency, and clinical quality.
To work with colleagues across the local health economy to improve both elective and emergency care pathways for patients.
To act as a change agent, facilitating, promoting, and assisting with the implementation of patient-centred redesign projects.
To ensure that service improvement work is underpinned by evidence and a robust process of evaluation.
To ensure that the Trust’s service improvement and development work is focused on the needs of patients/users.
To be alert to changes in clinical practice and behaviour and patient expectations and take account of the potential impacts in planning and delivering services.
Working with system partners, introduce new and innovative pathways and approaches to care models to maximise benefits for patients and colleagues.
Leadership
To ensure the development of appropriate business plans/cases to support the development of services alongside the CMGs.
To oversee the workforce planning, recruitment, selection, and development of all colleagues within the role’s areas of responsibility.
To ensure appropriate communication and engagement structures are in place for all colleagues within the role’s areas of responsibility.
Ensure that all colleagues are appropriately managed and developed and that they are therefore efficient, effective, engaged and highly motivated to deliver the business plan and improvement agenda whilst improving patient experience.
Create a supportive organisational culture across the Trust in which people feel empowered and committed to high standards of care within the context of Trust’s management culture.
Take full line management responsibilities for the individual team members including managing sickness and absence, grievances, disciplinary issues and talent conversations.
Digital, Data and Technology
To support the continuous improvement of data and information quality across the Trust.
To support and enable the digital and data agendas as critical enablers to improved efficiency and quality.
To support the adoption of technology to enable operational improvement.
Communication
Communicates with internal colleagues and external agencies to ensure compliance with performance targets, strategic objectives. Involves negotiation and diplomacy; undertakes presentations to various groups and conveys highly contentious information in atmosphere where barriers, perceived and actual, need to be bridged.
To help establish and maintain effective two-way channels of communication within the service area.
To establish lines of communication with Board members and CMG colleagues in the Trust and wider healthcare community, to ensure that services are integrated.
To support a communication structure within the Operations and CMGs to ensure all colleagues are and remain engaged in the Trust’s vision for delivering excellence in all we do.
Ensure that good practice is rapidly shared within the CMGs and the wider organisation where appropriate.
Resource Management
To support the development and implementation of Trust-wide cost savings schemes, through service and productivity improvement.
To ensure financial and budget requirements for areas of responsibility are met, including the delivery of any cost efficiency targets.
Ensure all budgets (pay and non-pay) are managed within the Trust’s Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instructions and relevant statutory provisions and national directives, and in line with the annual financial plan.
Develop and implement systems to monitor and control expenditure and investigate any areas of overspend and take prompt corrective action.
Full budget holder, including budget setting discussions, budgetary management and sign off large financial spend, at Board level.
Risk and Clinical Governance
To support the Chief Operating Officer with 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.
Oversee the resolution of complaints, conflicts and issues from patients, colleagues, 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.
To ensure the implementation of the Trust’s Clinical Governance, Health and Safety and Risk Management policies and plans within areas of influence.
To ensure the implementation of relevant national best practice controls assurance, NHSLA and Standards for Better Health to improve service delivery and patient safety.
To help to ensure that the Trust continues to meet all Care Quality Commission standards.
To ensure the implementation of all Trust policies, procedures, and guidelines.
To participate in, and where appropriate lead, serious incident reviews.
To contribute to corporate policymaking and promote and support policy decisions both internally and externally.
Please refer to the attached job description for more details.
This job description is not to be taken as an exhaustive list of duties and it may be reviewed in the light of changed service needs and development. Any changes will be fully discussed with the post holder. The post holder will be required to carry out the duties appropriate to the grade and scope of the post

Please refer the Job description for details