Job summary
Applications are invited for the post of Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (EPRR) Manager at Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust.
We are seeking an individual who will act as the expert for all EPRR matters within the Trust, serving as a conduit for guidance and information while promoting and embedding a positive culture of EPRR across the organisation.
The postholder will be responsible for the safe, efficient, effective, and coordinated delivery of the Trust's Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response function. This includes ensuring compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements, CQC standards, NHS EPRR national contract standards, and local non-statutory guidance, including business continuity and resilience preparedness.
The role will require travel across all AWP sites and may involve supporting the On-Call function during emergency situations.
Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the key requirements outlined in the person specification.
Main duties of the job
TheEPRR Manager will provide expert advice and guidance to the Trust Executive, senior management, and staff across the organisation, ensuring the Trust remains informed about national and regional strategic issues related to emergency preparedness, resilience, and response.
In addition, the EPRR Manager will represent AWP at local and regional health sector forums, ensuring the Trust's interests are promoted and that system-level discussions are communicated back to the Trust for consideration.
The postholder will advise the Trust on emergency planning and business continuity, and will develop, lead, deliver, and monitor systems to ensure the Trust can provide an effective emergency response to major incidents, emergencies, disruptive events, and surges in demand. This will involve working closely with Operational and Corporate teams.
The EPRR Manager will ensure that any interruption to Trust business or incidents--such as loss of utilities or IT/digital technology, damage to sites, planned maintenance, infectious outbreaks, adverse weather, industrial action, or major road closures--has appropriate contingency and business continuity plans and policies that are tested and operationally effective.
The EPRR Manager will lead the Trust's EPRR agenda and ensure the organisation discharges its responsibilities under the Civil Contingencies Act 2024, while maintaining robust processes aligned with the NHS England EPRR Framework and Standards (2022).
About us
We are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust):a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care.
We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset.
Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within AWP are dedicated to a person-centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care.
AWP is committed to support and create a positive research and evidence-based environment and culture, which can have a beneficial impact on everyone who works for the organisation and the care we provide to those who use our services.
At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Provide strategic leadership in the area of resilience and ensure the identification and management of all the organisations obligations and requirements for resilience under the Civil Contingencies Act and Department of Health guidance.
Act as the first point of contact for all matters concerning resilience for Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust.
Act as a subject matter expert and source of resilience expertise for the whole organisation, providing professional leadership to ensure that services meet the needs of all directorates and departments, the Executive Team, and the Board.
Drive forward the Trusts agenda regarding resilience, ensuring compliance with the NHS England Core Standards for EPRR. Act autonomously in interpreting policy and strategy and set the goals and standards to be achieved by the Trust.
Undertake a sustained campaign to raise the profile and awareness of resilience across the Trust.
Be responsible for the development and implementation of all EPRR-related policies across the Trust at strategic, tactical, and operational levels, such as flu pandemic, fuel restrictions, flooding, gridlock, heatwave, etc.
Ensure that managers at all levels understand the importance of effective planning for resilience, are supported to develop and update these plans, and that they are robustly tested.
Prepare, develop, review, and keep updated the AWP Major Incident and Business Continuity Plans in line with the Civil Contingencies Act and NHS Emergency Planning Guidance. Ensure these plans continue to meet statutory and non-statutory requirements and best practice guidance in the context of changing legislation and other requirements. Incorporate lessons learned from major incident/business continuity events into new or existing plans.
Understand the principles of a risk-based approach towards resilience and preparedness, including the application of dynamic risk assessment and the use of Decision-Making Models to support these processes.
Coordinate the business of the Trust Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response Group and provide advice and/or regular reports and updates to the Board and relevant sub-committees.
Develop consultative and collaborative partnership arrangements with local Acute Trusts, Integrated Care Boards, Local Authorities, Emergency Services, and other partner organisations to ensure coordination of respective Major Incident and Business Continuity Plans.
Represent and promote the Trusts interests through participation in appropriate emergency planning and business continuity exercises, seminars, workshops, forums, and conferences, and at meetings with senior officers of other NHS bodies, public authorities, agencies, and organisations as required.
Develop and maintain a system for identifying and assessing risks to the Trust associated with business continuity, emergency planning resilience, health protection, and public health, ensuring inclusion on the Trust Risk Register with recommendations for improvement.
Ensure that there are appropriate and accessible systems for recording incidents and associated actions, that these systems are robust, meet the organisations specifications, and can produce the required standards of reporting.
Ensure that staff are trained to use the relevant systems for recording and updating incidents.
Be available to support senior management, including providing a tactical response on a best-endeavour basis during significant incidents and emergencies during working hours, and work flexibly in the event of an out-of-hours incident.
Develop the capability and capacity of AWP by designing, preparing, and facilitating appropriate exercises to test AWPs Major Incident and Business Continuity Plans with the AWP Executive Team, senior managers, and other staff at all levels.
Please see the attached job description for a full list of duties and responsibilities.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Provide strategic leadership in the area of resilience and ensure the identification and management of all the organisations obligations and requirements for resilience under the Civil Contingencies Act and Department of Health guidance.
Act as the first point of contact for all matters concerning resilience for Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust.
Act as a subject matter expert and source of resilience expertise for the whole organisation, providing professional leadership to ensure that services meet the needs of all directorates and departments, the Executive Team, and the Board.
Drive forward the Trusts agenda regarding resilience, ensuring compliance with the NHS England Core Standards for EPRR. Act autonomously in interpreting policy and strategy and set the goals and standards to be achieved by the Trust.
Undertake a sustained campaign to raise the profile and awareness of resilience across the Trust.
Be responsible for the development and implementation of all EPRR-related policies across the Trust at strategic, tactical, and operational levels, such as flu pandemic, fuel restrictions, flooding, gridlock, heatwave, etc.
Ensure that managers at all levels understand the importance of effective planning for resilience, are supported to develop and update these plans, and that they are robustly tested.
Prepare, develop, review, and keep updated the AWP Major Incident and Business Continuity Plans in line with the Civil Contingencies Act and NHS Emergency Planning Guidance. Ensure these plans continue to meet statutory and non-statutory requirements and best practice guidance in the context of changing legislation and other requirements. Incorporate lessons learned from major incident/business continuity events into new or existing plans.
Understand the principles of a risk-based approach towards resilience and preparedness, including the application of dynamic risk assessment and the use of Decision-Making Models to support these processes.
Coordinate the business of the Trust Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response Group and provide advice and/or regular reports and updates to the Board and relevant sub-committees.
Develop consultative and collaborative partnership arrangements with local Acute Trusts, Integrated Care Boards, Local Authorities, Emergency Services, and other partner organisations to ensure coordination of respective Major Incident and Business Continuity Plans.
Represent and promote the Trusts interests through participation in appropriate emergency planning and business continuity exercises, seminars, workshops, forums, and conferences, and at meetings with senior officers of other NHS bodies, public authorities, agencies, and organisations as required.
Develop and maintain a system for identifying and assessing risks to the Trust associated with business continuity, emergency planning resilience, health protection, and public health, ensuring inclusion on the Trust Risk Register with recommendations for improvement.
Ensure that there are appropriate and accessible systems for recording incidents and associated actions, that these systems are robust, meet the organisations specifications, and can produce the required standards of reporting.
Ensure that staff are trained to use the relevant systems for recording and updating incidents.
Be available to support senior management, including providing a tactical response on a best-endeavour basis during significant incidents and emergencies during working hours, and work flexibly in the event of an out-of-hours incident.
Develop the capability and capacity of AWP by designing, preparing, and facilitating appropriate exercises to test AWPs Major Incident and Business Continuity Plans with the AWP Executive Team, senior managers, and other staff at all levels.
Please see the attached job description for a full list of duties and responsibilities.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree level and/or relevant professional qualification
- Diploma in Healthcare Emergency Planning and Business Continuity Management (or working towards this specific qualification)
- Evidence of continuing personal development
Desirable
- Professional emergency planning/business continuity/risk management or related qualification
- Project management qualification e.g. Prince 2 or equivalent experience
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Subject matter expertise across a number of key areas relating to EPRR, the Civil Contingencies Act and the Health and Social Care Act
- Experience of emergency planning and business continuity within an area such as the NHS or Local Authority
- Knowledge and understanding of Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and related regulations and requirements of NHS Trusts in relation to the NHS England Core Standards for EPRR
- Critical and strategic thinker, able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of strategic management issues
- Experience of working collaboratively with partner organisations, developing effective working relationships at a senior level
- Experience of designing, developing and delivering appropriate training and briefing materials for all levels of an organisations, including the Executive Directors
Skills
Essential
- Ability to work under pressure and remain calm in stressful situations and to deadlines
- Ability to collate and analyse complex and sensitive information and produce concise reports, plans and presentations for a wide variety of audiences including Executive Directors and Trust Board
- High level of communication and influencing skills for delivering highly complex information to a wide range of audiences including executive management
- Knowledge of various related Communications and Data management systems that enhance organisational resilience such as Resilience Direct and increasing utilisation of mobile data platforms
- Highly self-motivated with confidence to work on own initiative, able to plan and prioritise own workload, manage competing priorities, work quickly and accurately, to multiple deadlines and under pressure
- Experience of supervising staff and providing leadership
Other
Essential
- Empathy for individuals who have experienced mental health problems and ability to cope with behaviour which may be challenging at times
- Be prepared to work flexibly and out of hours in an emergency situation
- Ability to travel easily within the Trust area with limited access to public transport
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree level and/or relevant professional qualification
- Diploma in Healthcare Emergency Planning and Business Continuity Management (or working towards this specific qualification)
- Evidence of continuing personal development
Desirable
- Professional emergency planning/business continuity/risk management or related qualification
- Project management qualification e.g. Prince 2 or equivalent experience
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Subject matter expertise across a number of key areas relating to EPRR, the Civil Contingencies Act and the Health and Social Care Act
- Experience of emergency planning and business continuity within an area such as the NHS or Local Authority
- Knowledge and understanding of Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and related regulations and requirements of NHS Trusts in relation to the NHS England Core Standards for EPRR
- Critical and strategic thinker, able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of strategic management issues
- Experience of working collaboratively with partner organisations, developing effective working relationships at a senior level
- Experience of designing, developing and delivering appropriate training and briefing materials for all levels of an organisations, including the Executive Directors
Skills
Essential
- Ability to work under pressure and remain calm in stressful situations and to deadlines
- Ability to collate and analyse complex and sensitive information and produce concise reports, plans and presentations for a wide variety of audiences including Executive Directors and Trust Board
- High level of communication and influencing skills for delivering highly complex information to a wide range of audiences including executive management
- Knowledge of various related Communications and Data management systems that enhance organisational resilience such as Resilience Direct and increasing utilisation of mobile data platforms
- Highly self-motivated with confidence to work on own initiative, able to plan and prioritise own workload, manage competing priorities, work quickly and accurately, to multiple deadlines and under pressure
- Experience of supervising staff and providing leadership
Other
Essential
- Empathy for individuals who have experienced mental health problems and ability to cope with behaviour which may be challenging at times
- Be prepared to work flexibly and out of hours in an emergency situation
- Ability to travel easily within the Trust area with limited access to public transport
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.
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