Clinical and Operational lead for Community Stroke Service

An exciting new opportunity has arisen for a 2 year secondment or fixed term contract to lead the Warwickshire Integrated Community Stroke Service (WICSS) as part of the Regional Stroke Pathway for Coventry and Warwickshire. This challenging role will require strong leadership and organisational skills to head up a large multidisciplinary team of Allied Health Professionals to provide integrated community stroke rehabilitation in patient's homes across the county. The service is a key element of the new stroke pathway which is designed to be clinically and operationally sustainable and work closely and collaboratively with the Coventry Integrated Neuro and Stroke Service (CINSS).

The post holder will be responsible for the service budget, for staff management and recruitment. They will ensure strong governance for the teams and report to the Stroke Operational Group on set KPIs, including SSNAP. The post holder will be supported by The Manager for Occupational Therapy, Wheelchair and Community Stroke Services, other AHP professional leads and the AHP Strategic lead within SWFT.

T he post holder is the clinical and operational lead for the Warwickshire Integrated Community Stroke Service (WICSS), countywide. Both services comprise multidisciplinary teams operating from two bases in North and South Warwickshire and work collaboratively and in parallel with the services in Coventry provided by CWPT. They will play a key role in the dynamic evolution of the services to meet the needs of the regional stroke pathway.

The post holder will provide leadership to multidisciplinary clinical community staff providing rehabilitation to stroke patients in their own home or care home by undertaking management, professional and clinical governance responsibilities.

The post holder will ensure equity of service across Warwickshire for stroke patients in the community and will ensure delivery of high quality interdisciplinary therapy. They will be responsible for the services meeting agreed KPIs and collating data to support these targets.

Come and join a Trust rated Outstanding by the CQC. South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust have been rated as outstanding following our latest inspection by the CQC and we are recruiting new staff to come and help us improve even further. In addition our staff survey results have placed us 4 th in the country for recommended place to work.

We provide services across Warwickshire and beyond ranging from Hospitals in Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Royal Leamington Spa and Shipston-on Stour to Community Services across the county. We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of productivity.

Our values can be summed up in one sentence. We are 'Trusted to provide safe, inclusive, effective and compassionate care'. Throughout the recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you demonstrate these values and how they impact on your work. It doesn't matter what role you do, whether it is patient facing or not, we are all working in the same way with our values at the core.

Main Duties

Responsibilities of Human Resources

Ø In consultation with AHP professional leads, the HR Team and Finance lead and develop clear plans for the recruitment and management of staff

Ø To ensure equity of provision in service capacity across Warwickshire through effective recruitment of clinical and support staff.

Ø Prepare adverts, job descriptions, person specifications and shortlist for posts with the support of AHP professional leads

Ø Undertake performance reviews and participate in performance management reviews.

Responsibilities for physical and financial resources

Ø Monitor the allocated budget across Warwickshire; to be an authorised signatory and identify the most effective way of working within available resources, adhering to the Trust Standing Financial Instructions.

Ø Hold delegated budget responsibility for WICSS.

Communication and Leadership

Ø To provide professional and clinical leadership to staff working within the stroke service within the WICSS countywide.

Ø To establish effective clinical governance through agreed policies and procedures

Ø Translate the corporate vision and strategic development of South Warwickshire University Foundation Trust and the regional stroke pathway

Ø Responsible for providing clear information on identified operational performance targets, (both national and regional), identifying problems and recognising solutions in conjunction with the Regional Stroke Operational Group, the Stroke clinical and operational lead at CWPT, the ACOO and senior management at SWFT.

Ø Support clear communication channels cross-county to ensure sound clinical practice and strong working relationships

Ø Facilitate, in conjunction with clinicians, the wider stroke network and other Health and Social Care teams, the development of innovative and creative proposals to ensure the consistent improvement of standards of delivery across the County.

Ø Lead on service evaluations, reviews and reconfiguration

Ø To demonstrate expert ability to communicate complex and sensitive information to patients, carers and staff in a clear and understandable form

Ø Demonstrate strong communication and motivational skills to lead the services

Ø To liaise and maintain high levels of communication with all professionals and agencies involved in the care of each patient to ensure a seamless service.

Ø Provide leadership to support and inspire colleagues to develop innovative practice and improve standards.

Planning, Performance and Organising

Ø Undertake the monitoring and review of the performance of the WICSS

Ø Provide leadership to support and inspire colleagues to develop innovative practice and improve standards.

Ø Ensure the timely inputting of data into the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP)

Ø Gather, analyse, interpret and present extensive and complex data and information such as the results of SSNAP and Pathway key performance indicators and develop and implement strategies to improve or maintain outcome levels.

Ø Ensure services are delivered in line with the agreed Regional Stroke Pathway

Ø Responsible for the implementation of good systems for corporate and clinical governance.

Ø Maintain robust links with the Finance and Performance departments to deliver key financial and business related targets

Ø Management of all areas of governance, undertaking investigations, responding and implementing remedial actions required to deal effectively with complaints and incidents as they arise.

Partnership Working

Ø To work collaboratively with the Clinical Lead at Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust and other stroke pathway leads to ensure equity of provision across Coventry and Warwickshire, parity in operational management and smooth movement of stroke patients across the regional pathway

Ø Develop strong collaborative relationship with AHP leads to ensure professional clinical supervision and support is available for staff.

Ø Ensure regular communication with the ward managers and other staff on the stroke rehabilitation units - Feldon Ward (Leamington) and Felix Holt (George Eliot) around service levels, patient handovers and other key factors which may affect seamless transition of patients through the pathway.

Ø Ensure staff utilise the links to local neighbourhood teams and initiatives, including the voluntary and independent sector and to other local community services.

Ø Develop positive and collaborative working relationships with all internal and external stakeholders and colleagues

Research, Development and Audit

Ø Undertake clinical audits as required, including service user surveys and interpret and disseminate results

Ø Provide leadership to support and inspire colleagues to develop innovative practice and improve standards.

Ø Manage and maintain an accurate risk register for the service.

Professional

Ø Undertake continuous professional development, seeking opportunities to enhance skills as identified via a personal development plan.

Ø Keep abreast of innovation and developments around the delivery of stroke services and stroke rehabilitation.

Act as a professional role model for staff

Equality and Diversity

Ø Act in ways that supports equality and diversity in the workplace

Ø Ensure policies and procedures are adhered to ensuing Equal Opportunities

Ø Contribute to the organisation to ensure the development of a culture that promotes equality and diversity.

Ø Contribute to the development of practice that supports equality and diversity in the work place

Health & Safety

Ø Promote the safe systems of work, complying with the Trusts Health and Safety policy, having the responsibility for managing, identifying and minimising clinical and corporate risk.

Freedom to Act

Ø The post holder is guided by principles and has a significant amount of discretion to work within detailed parameters and guidance provided by peer or external stakeholders

Other Tasks

Ø Undertaking any projects that may be delegated by the ACOO

Ø Such other duties as are within the spirit of the job purpose, the title of the post and its grading.

Professional/Clinical Responsibilities

Ø Provide effective clinical leadership and management across WICSS to ensure effective and equitable delivery of rehabilitation services to all patients with stroke living in the community in line with national and local Stroke clinical guidelines.

Ø Work within infection control guidelines to ensure that care does not constitute a risk of infection either to the healthcare professional, to the client or to any persons visiting/working in South Warwickshire University Foundation Trust premises.

Managerial Responsibilities

Ø Undertake Personal Development Reviews with staff

Ø Assist staff by facilitating professional development, including skills and competencies

Ø Ensure staff attend relevant development events to maintain and develop required skills to meet competencies

Ø Ensure staff are appropriately supervised and appraised in line with relevant polies and that the appropriate developmental opportunities are provided to staff

Ø Ensure robust performance management systems are implemented and underpin the performance of all teams, undertaking performance monitoring and reviews of staff where appropriate.

Ø Ensure staff are held to account for conduct and performance in line with SWFT policies and procedures

Ø Ensure sickness absence targets are met and that sickness absence is monitored and managed according to SWFT policy

Ø Ensure individuals within teams are aware of and work within SWFT policies and procedures

Ø Take a lead role in developing and implementing local induction processes for all staff, ensuring robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms are in place for health and safety, fire training, manual handling and other statutory and/or clinical governance training.

Ø Ensure that correct documentation is complete for new staff and any changes to current staff in post which include payroll documentation (ESR and sickness forms)