Clinical Support and Improvement Officer

Job responsibilities

JOB PURPOSE

The post holder will be a key member of the clinical team, primarily supporting the Clinical Lead with high quality administrative support and to assist in the delivery of existing processes. This will include undertaking tasks necessary for the efficient and effective applying a high degree of confidentiality to all their work. This will include but not limited to, ensuring compliance with all aspects of training and appraisals as well as arranging team meetings.

A focus of this role will be to support service wide improvements within the clinical team by assisting with clinical audits and analysis of data and contributing to the publication of high-quality reports.

Within all aspects of the role, the post holder will be required to deal effectively with employees at all levels throughout the organisation, the wider health and social care community, clinicians, external organisations and the public. This will include effective verbal, written and electronic media communications.

SCOPE AND RANGE

The post holder will work within Plymouth Community Dental Services and will be required to work within clearly defined policies and operate on their own initiative, taking advice and direction from the Clinical Lead.

MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Provide comprehensive administrative support to the Clinical Lead and wider management team, ensuring the efficient coordination of diaries, meetings, correspondence and departmental activities. Prepare agendas and papers, attend meetings where required, and produce accurate minutes while tracking actions to support effective governance and service delivery. Maintain electronic records and manage sensitive patient and staff information in line with organisational policies and information governance standards.

Support the development, implementation and monitoring of quality improvement initiatives across the clinical team. Maintain registers, trackers and compliance documentation, assist with clinical audits, data collection and reporting.

Work independently with a proactive and solution-focused approach, managing workload effectively to meet deadlines while maintaining high standards of accuracy and confidentiality. Research, analyse and present information clearly, use initiative to resolve routine and complex

queries, and support data collection for research, audits and performance monitoring activities as required.

Responsibility for administration

Provide day to day administrative assistance to the Clinical Lead, with ad-hoc support to the wider management team as required. Manage diaries, prioritise workload, coordinate activities, arrange meetings and resolve scheduling conflicts to optimise the Clinical Leads time.

Plan and organise a range of formal and informal meetings, liaising with employees across the organisation and external agencies.

Prepare papers and agendas for clinical meetings (e.g. Governance boards) and attend where required and produce accurate, timely minutes whilst tracking actions

Manage incoming correspondence and enquiries on behalf of the Clinical Lead

Daily use of IT programmes relevant to the service area to produce minutes, documents, presentations and reports; be responsible for the effective inputting, storing and maintenance of information relevant to this post

Maintain electronic records ensuring information is organised and easily accessible

Contribute to the development of clinical standard operating procedures and policies for new and existing processes across the service by the collation of data and compilation of the document

Responsibility for people who use our services

Be required to always follow all relevant organisational policies and procedures

Follow existing procedural guidelines and assist to implement changes to working practice that will benefit the service

Responsibility for implementation of policy and/or service developments

Assist with engagement of key departments such as Information Governance and Digital teams when developing new processes

Contribute ideas that support continuous service enhancement

Support the planning, implementation and monitoring of quality improvement initiatives across the clinical team , promoting best practice

Maintain registers and trackers for quality improvement projects, action plans and compliance with clinical standards

Support the coordinating of training and awareness sessions related to clinical quality and service development

• Assist in the planning and organising of a range of activities to focus areas of improvement and engage with and include staff members within the process using a broad range of activities such as workshops, meetings and surveys.

Monitor any proposed changes to ensure they have a continual positive impact on service delivery.

Other Responsibilities

Manage time effectively to meet deadlines while maintaining high standards of efficiency within the role and service

The ability to research, interpret, analyse and present information clearly and concisely

Have access to and manage patient records and staff personal and sensitive information

Work with other members of the management team and dental board where required

Use initiative to deal with routine matters and complex queries, deciding when it is necessary to refer to line manager. Work is managed rather than supervised and the post holder will organise own workload on a day-today basis.

A pro-active approach to problem solving

Work independently with ongoing projects with minimal supervision

At times assist the Clinical Lead in the collection of data which may be used as part of a research project or academic paper, following all ethical standards

Regularly undertake complex data collection, analysis and reports for clinical audits, patient feedback and performance monitoring and assist in the publication of high-quality reports.

Undertake further training and CPD as required to fulfil the role

COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS

The post holder will communicate with a wide variety of clinical and non-clinical colleagues, as well as system partners and service users.

The post holder will also:

Handle enquiries and communicate effectively with employees at all levels both internally and externally to the organisation, either by telephone, email or in person.

Maintain tact, sensitivity and confidentiality at all times

Communicate with colleagues., partner organisations and external agencies as required

Work with the clinical team and wider service to review processes and support positive change

Use digital communication tools and solutions effectively

Demonstrate strong organisational skills and manage workload efficiently.

Maintain professional verbal and written communication skills

Consistently demonstrate behaviours that reflect the organisations values

Provide and receive complex and sensitive information with a range of staff across the organisation

Liaise with external organisations where appropriate

Assist with the creation of presentations and training for management to deliver to other members of the team including clinicians, management and staff at all levels.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB

Physical Effort

There may at times be a need for light manual handling of equipment and deliveries to the service

A combination of sitting, standing and walking with minimal requirements for physical effort

Use display screen equipment for substantial proportion of the working day; works in an office environment

There may be times be a requirement to travel to other sites for meetings or promotion of the dental service as required by the Clinical Lead, Service Manager or Management team.

Mental Effort

The work pattern is unpredictable, with frequent interruption. There will be an occasional requirement for concentration for producing documents or data entry

Emotional Effort

Occasionally manage difficult situations, which may arise with abusive telephone callers, of which may need to be referred to a senior member of staff

Ability to deal effectively with stress

Physical Skills

Advanced keyboard skills to operate a range of computer software producing a wider range of documentation, presentations and reports

Working Conditions

Rare exposure to distressing circumstances

Specific Skills

Essential

• Advanced skills in IT packages such as MS office, SharePoint, MS Teams and data tracking tools
• Excellent word-processing skills with a high degree of accuracy
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.
• Works well in a team environment with the ability to build and maintain effective working relationships
• Strong administrative and organisational skills
• Considers how their work can support clinical staff to best deliver patient care
• Able to communicate with people at all levels within the organisation using different communications techniques as appropriate
• Excellent problem-solving skills
• Identify when to seek guidance or support from other individuals or organisations as required
• Ability to work in a busy environment and within reasonable deadline to a high standard
• Able to delegate responsibilities and tasks effectively
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in a very visible and busy professional environment
• Ability to co-ordinate and manage work schedules to ensure the Clinical Lead is prepared for meetings in a timely fashion
• Understanding of clinical governance or quality frameworks
• Evidence of manging and enacting change
• Requirement to work with, and within, clinical and non-clinical departments

Desirable

• Knowledge of quality improvement methodologies
• Familiarity with NHS systems and reporting processes

Additional Requirements

Essential

• Good communication skills and ability to communicate effectively with a range of individuals and groups to lead and support management of projects
• Ability to use good judgement in situations where limited information may be available
• Always displays exemplary standards of personal conduct and behaviour
• Ability to be approachable and engaging when dealing with queries
• Ability to perform duties with a high degree of accuracy
• Ability to work well under pressure and manage conflicting demands and work to deadlines
• Demonstrate professional communications across all platforms
• Ability to maintain high level confidentiality of highly sensitive information (patient and commercial)
• Ability to maintain composure in stressful situations while helping to de-escalate conflicts
• Ability to coordinate multiple projects, define priorities and meet deadline
• Use initiative to compose correspondence and reports in a professional and grammatically correct manner prior to sign off by a senior manager
• Demonstrates capabilities to manage own workload to make informed choices

Qualifications

Essential

• NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration or equivalent level of knowledge, qualifications or significant equivalent skills
• English language and Mathematics to GCSE grade C or equivalent

Desirable

• Higher level qualification or degree in a relevant topic
• Undertaken Lean and or Six Sigma training or have demonstratable experience utilising these concepts

Experience

Essential

• Relevant experience providing support at a Director or Senior Level
• Complex diary management, organising events and in-box management
• Organising meetings, including preparing agendas, meeting papers and writing minutes
• Understanding of key systems and processes required to support a Senior manager in a busy and challenging environment
• Undertaking and assisting a quality improvement project and implementing change
• Collection and analysis of data

Desirable

• Experience of working within NHS dental service or wider NHS
• Previous experience undertaking or participating in clinical audit

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).