Inpatient and Hospice at Home Manager

Job responsibilities

JOB TITLE: Inpatient Unit & Hospice at Home Manager

REPORTS TO: Clinical Services Manager

ACCOUNTABLE TO: Clinical Services Manager

REPORTED TO BY: Inpatient Unit Sisters; Hospice at Home Sisters

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:

• To have 24 hour, overall responsibility for the management, leadership and co-ordination of the Inpatient unit and Hospice at Home Service

• To ensure high quality, evidence based specialist palliative care is delivered to the patients and their families with care, compassion and dignity.

• To ensure that services and outcomes are monitored and delivered safely and efficiently by a well trained workforce

• To contribute towards service development across the organisation

• To provide out of hours management on call cover

CORE TASKS

Clinical

• Manage the departments delivery of clinical care and associated activities in line with appropriate standards and guidelines

• Oversee, plan and conduct holistic clinical assessments on newly admitted/referred patients and ensure appropriate care and action plans based on their needs are clearly recorded and documented

• Ensure medicines are managed in accordance with all internal policies, procedures and standard operating procedures and the misuse of drugs act 1971 and the controlled drugs (supervision and management and use) regulations 2013.

• Promote evidenced based practice in order to maximise the patients quality of life.

• Participate in the daily handovers, referrals meetings and weekly Multi Disciplinary Team meetings

• Ensure all staff and volunteers adhere to full infection control policies, procedures and measures

• Facilitate informed consent that enables patient choice regarding their care, treatment and needs

• Manage the Inpatient units patient throughput and maximise bed availability to facilitate equitable access to services

• Manage the H@H patient throughput and maximise availability to facilitate equitable access to services

• To ensure that patient electronic records and documentation is completed accurately and fully in line with the professional guidance (NMC) on documentation and Hospice policy

Management and Leadership

• To plan, co-ordinate, direct and manage the IPU and Hospice at Home teams (employees and volunteers) and resources so that the Hospices strategic vision and operational objectives for the delivery of specialist palliative care to patients and their families are achieved

• Work closely with the Hospice Senior Management Team (SMT) and all relevant professionals in ensuring that their team of staff and volunteers deliver high levels of service and care at all times

• Contribute to the on-going development of operational policies, procedures and clinical guidelines ensuring their implementation, review and monitoring.

• To foster and maintain effective communication within their own team, across all departments and with external stakeholders.

• To ensure service sustainability through facilitating integrated team working across clinical departments

• Accountable for the cleanliness of the departments, liaising with and where necessary directing the domestic team to minimise hospice acquired infections

• To be an inspirational leader who clearly expresses the hospice vision, values and service quality to team members at all times

• Empower staff within the IPU and Hospice at Home teams to lead on projects and evidence based innovation, acting as an expert resource and role model.

• Develop, produce and review regular key performance measures, activity and outcomes for both departments, in collaboration with the SMT, and use the information to support service improvement and activity monitoring.

• Accept accountability for own actions and areas of responsibility

• Involve others in decision making and empower where possible

• To ensure effective implementation of HR procedures including staff recruitment and selection, management of sickness/absence and performance management in accordance with Hospice policies, procedures and employee guide

• To provide out of hours management on call cover

Communication Skills

• Foster good working relationships and effectively communicate with members of the multidisciplinary team, users of the service and other healthcare professionals working externally

• Act as a resource of clinical knowledge for Hospice staff and external agencies

• Give clear, concise reports on patients progress and concerns to the multidisciplinary team and facilitate others to do so

• Communicate information to distressed and/or bereaved people in a sensitive manner

• Manage situations where people are distressed or angry in an effective, safe manner

• Have excellent telephone communication skills, taking calls from patients, carers and Professionals in the community managing their concerns effectively and sensitively

• Manage complaints in a sensitive manner ensuring that the Hospice policy and procedure is adhered to

• Ensure accurate and contemporaneous documentation of patient care both personally and by other members of staff inputting into the patient electronic system

• Identify methods to improve communication both within the Hospice and in dealings with external agencies, reporting these promptly

• Advocate for patients and other service users ensuring their views are known to the team including in the case of advance care planning and occasions where offered care is declined

• Be able to communicate effectively with people exhibiting challenging behaviours, ensuring they are respected but expectations are made as clear as possible

• Work in accordance with Hospice policies to ensure that confidentiality is maintained at all times.

Personal and People Development

• Accept responsibility to maintain and update own clinical skills to deliver high quality specialist palliative care

• Ensure staff members (employees and volunteers) attend mandatory training and competency assessments are undertaken as required

• Monitor Mandatory training, appraisal and supervision (1-2-1) completion rates to ensure compliance at all times

• Promote the value of active participation in annual appraisal, probationary reviews, planning, and personal development ensuring all staff members take part

• Share knowledge and experience with other staff to improve and enhance patients care. Encourage other staff to share good practice and knowledge

• Identify poor practice / attitudes and take a proactive approach to resolution

• Ensure that NMC requirements for nurse revalidation are fulfilled both personally and by Registered Nurses within the Inpatient team

• Oversee the placement of students within both departments, ensuring that they are correctly mentored and evaluated

Quality and Service Improvement

• Encourage and oversee prompt reporting of adverse incidents, accidents, near misses, and errors

• Oversee, and contribute as necessary, to the investigation of incidents, accidents, near miss reports

• Oversee, and lead as necessary, the completion of Root Cause Analysis, safeguarding alerts, CQC notifications

• Oversee the IPU and Hospice at Home input to the Hospice audit programme

• Ensure staff members are familiar with the complaints policy. Assist with the management and investigation of complaints

• Maintain a working knowledge of safeguarding (children and adults) to support staff in this regard, ensuring that any safeguarding incidents are appropriately dealt with and reported on

• Develop and maintain a communications strategy for cascading relevant information to staff members e.g. MHRA alerts, patient satisfaction, learning outcomes from incidents

• Ensure medicines and medical equipment are managed in accordance with Hospice policies, procedures, protocols and the NMC guidance

• Work with the Fundraising Department and Clinical Services Manager to identify individual patient stories that can be used in connection with publicity for the Hospice.

Health, Safety and Security

• Be observant of current approaches to the prevention of infection and ensure that team members adhere to good practice. In liaison with others, develop a strategy that promotes and monitors excellent practice in relation to the prevention of infection

• Ensure the completion of risk assessments and implementation of appropriate actions as necessary

• Ensure new risks identified are added to the organisational risk register

• Lead on the implementation of safeguarding policies, the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards

• Ensure that the off-duty rota meets the requirements of the Inpatient Unit and organisational requirements for safe staffing

Governance

• Ensure the effective utilisation of the Hospices electronic patient record system, promoting the use of information technology for recording patient information, communication and information sharing; implementing procedural change as necessary

• Ensure that Hospice policies, procedures and standards are adhered to at all times with particular regard to those concerning confidentiality, information governance, health and safety, prevention and control infection and medicines management

• Ensure that the Inpatient Unit is compliant with the requirements of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014

• Ensure effective outcome monitoring of service delivery

This document is intended to convey an outline of the post and the post-holders responsibilities. You may be asked to carry out other duties relevant to your job role.

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered General Nurse (RGN) with evidence of current NMC registration
• Degree (or working towards) or equivalent experience in relevant area of work
• Evidence of recent continuing professional development.
• Management and/or leadership qualification
• Mentoring qualification

Desirable

• Formal qualification in palliative care
• Management and/or leadership qualification

Equal Opportunities

Essential

• To have an understanding of, and an ability to promote and implement equal opportunities
• To lead on the commitment of individualised care and non discriminatory practice

Experience

Essential

• Senior level experience of leading and managing healthcare team/s
• Experience of working with/developing palliative care services
• Have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the CQC registered service requirements and how this is applied in a hospice care environment
• Experience of undertaking staff appraisals
• Mentoring and supporting students

Desirable

• Experience of working with those who have a life limiting condition
• Managing a professionally similar service
• Experience of working across organisational boundaries
• Experience of working with patient electronic records
• Ability to manage delegated budget responsibility

health and physical

Essential

• Good health and attendance record
• Ability to move and handle people & equipment

Circumstances

Essential

• Work across all hospice areas as service needs dictate
• To participate in the on call management rota
• Work shifts over 7 days in accordance with service need

Practical & intellectual skills

Essential

• Excellent written, verbal & presentation communication skills
• Excellent organisational & time management skills
• Strong interpersonal skills with ability to communicate effectively at all levels
• Able to think operationally & strategically having a wider understanding of the political health and social care agenda
• Ability to work under pressure and prioritise constantly changing, high volume workloads with the ability to work to tight deadlines
• Ability to work on own initiative, make independent decisions or participate in collective decision-making and responsibility
• Understanding and sensitivity to the needs of people with a life-limiting illness
• Liaison with other agencies and professionals
• Full UK Driving Licence & own transport (business insurance)
• Computer literacy

Desirable

• Clinical audit
• Presentation skills

Disposition and attitude

Essential

• Evidence of ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Ability to relate positively to peers and members of the MDT
• Demonstrate an understanding of confidentiality
• Positive attitude to change and flexible work practices
• Ability to motivate others and manage change

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).