Job summary
The Deputy Head of Emergency Planning & Resilience will work within the EPRR Team to deliver the emergency planning work program across the Trust. The post offers a wide and varied workstreams working closely with Hospital operational and leadership teams as well as multiagency partners.
The team are continuously seeking to develop the delivery of EPRR to improve efficiency and engagement. This post would be suitable for an individual who enjoys working closely with the team, Trust staff and other stakeholders to implement new ways of working and strategic development.
The post holder will be responsible for ensuring that all relevant emergency preparedness plans and guidance is developed and the Trust has effective plans in place to enable achievement of the standards required by the Civil Contingencies Act (2004) and national emergency preparedness guidance and provide continual revision in accordance with any newly published guidance or changes in existing guidance.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will deputise for the Head of Emergency Planning and Resilience within the team responsible for Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (EPRR) for East Kent Hospitals University Foundation NHS Trust.
The post holder will lead specifically on Business Continuity Management within the Trust
The post holder will ensure the development and delivery of an efficient, effective and high quality professional and co-ordinated Emergency Preparedness and Response service, meeting all statutory, regulatory and NHS requirements.
The post holder, along with the EPRR team, will be a central source of emergency planning expertise and deliver leadership in all aspects of emergency preparedness
The post holder will work with the Head of Emergency Planning and Resilience to ensure that the Trust responsibilities for EPRR are discharged effectively to meet the regulatory requirements of the Civil Contingencies Act (2204), NHS England EPRR Framework (2022) and the NHS England Core Standards for EPRR .
About us
Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.
We are one of the largest hospital trusts in England, with three acute hospitals and community sites serving a local population of around 700,000.We also provide specialist services for Kent and Medway.
We care about our patients and our people. We are focused on providing outstanding, safe patient care, and a positive working culture that benefits staff and patients alike. With our emphasis on staff training and development, a staff support scheme that's second to none, and a healthy package of benefits, it's easy to put down roots in East Kent Hospitals.
We offer a full package of benefits, including a car lease scheme; on-site childcare; generous annual leave in line with NHS terms and conditions; high street and public transport discounts; a 24/7 staff support service - and the little things that make life easier, like on-site Amazon lockers and fresh fruit and veg stalls.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Partnership and Team Working
- Represent the Trust at health resilience partnerships, local resilience forum, multi-agency events and their associated sub groups and works streams, both locally and nationally
- Liaise with other emergency planning leads in line with integrated emergency management principles in order to ensure a joined-up response
- To work in conjunction with and alongside the Trust clinical and corporate leads with regard to emergency planning resilience and response which incorporates business continuity
- Ensure a whole system integrated approach to emergency planning and resilience by coordinating work of the team and liaising with senior management at local and regional level
- Drive forward the Trusts agenda regarding emergency planning and resilience. Undertake a sustained educational campaign to raise the profile and awareness of emergency planning across the Trust
- Actively drive forward the development of local and regional policies and strategies through regular liaison with senior staff both internally and externally.
- Provide expert knowledge on matters relating to the emergency planning resilience and response within the trust, ensuring that these issues remain a priority for directors, senior managers, clinical and support staff, and are fed systematically into the annual service, business and financial planning cycle, for subsequent action.
- Ensure the Trust complies with relevant legislation regarding emergency planning and business continuity meeting requirements for training and test exercises. This will include policy and legislative interpretation to ensure that the trust responds appropriately to all new national guidance, which will influence emergency / business continuity planning, and ensuring this guidance is incorporated into the emergency planning process
- Develop and lead on the delivery of control mechanisms and risk management arrangements in accordance with effective governance requirements
Resource Management
- To work with the Head of Emergency Planning and Resilience to meet the annual pay and non-pay budget for EPRR
- Optimise the contracts and procurement of EPRR assets to ensure value for money and to obtain the best service delivery
- Deliver key performance indicators issued by the emergency planning and resilience function to ensure all targets are being met and relevant risks identified for use both internally and externally, working with colleagues in strategy and planning to ensure that emergency factors are included in business plans
Communication
- To act as the subject matter expert and to support and advise the Strategic Team, Care groups and departments on matters relating to organisational resilience, business continuity and emergency response
- Support the Head of Emergency Planning & Resilience to communicate developments in present / new policy and plans / standard operating procedures and emergency planning to the trust board / relevant committees
- To work with the Communications Departments to anticipate and respond to media interest arising from emergency planning and resilience issues. To coordinate such interest proactively
- Ensure all requirements for the reporting of incidents, exercises and other outcomes are understood across the trust
- To facilitate post incident and exercise debriefs
- To communicate alerts from agencies on matters relating to security, adverse weather, threats and hazards advising on actions to be taken and assessing compliance and residual risks
- To continually develop and deliver a culture of positive engagement with EPRR across the Trust
- Develop and deliver methods of communication that improves information sharing internally and externally
Planning and Organisational
Work with the Head of Emergency Planning and Resilience to set and deliver the annual EPRR work plan.
- Contribute to and implement Trust future EPRR strategy.
- Communicate regularly and openly with direct reports about the organisations vision, values, strategy, objectives and plans.
- Challenge current strategies and plans,
- Proactively identify and work with colleagues to implement improvements at Trust wide level.
- To complete statistical reports and analyse data.
- To provide an expert and specialist EPRR advice function for the Trust and leadership in the strategic development, policy and guidance.
- Develop EPRR strategies / plans as required to ensure resilience in operations.
- Anticipate and define the future scope and challenges facing EPRR in the Trust Risk Assessment Framework (RAF).
- To ensure that the Trust EPRR systems are consistent with the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 associated NHS guidance any subsequent revisions.
- To ensure all Trust EPRR activities met the NHS England Core Standards as measured through the annual EPRR Assurance Process.
- To develop and deliver the Trust EPRR training and exercising programme.
- To provide tactical advice to commanders as part of the Trust response to an incident
Management
- To act as a senior advisor to on call staff & other senior decision makers as required during incident and emergencies.
- Deputise for the Head of Emergency Planning and Resilience as appropriate and as required
- To provide visible leadership to the Trust in support of the EPRR and Business Continuity agenda promoting activity and training to engage and motivate staff to enhance capability.
- To act as deputy chair to key meetings with regards to EPRR and Business Continuity and the wider operational Trust when required.
- To represent the Trust at external stakeholder meetings including local Resilience Health Partnerships (LHRP) meetings.
- Ensure that all staff work within agreed Trust plans, policies and guidance in relations to EPRR.
- Investigate incidents and complaints in line with Trust policy
Policy/Service Development
- To develop best practice within EPRR and the wider Trust by the promotion of continuous improvement and learning
- Support highly complex operational change projects with staff and stakeholders.
- To develop and oversee the EPRR lessons identified process following the activation of plans, including the coordination of debriefing and the dissemination through formal reports of lessons identified and recommendation for best practice.
- To lead on Business Continuity projects and ensuring the Trust follows best practice and remains complaint with NHS England (NHSE) guidance
Specialist Skills, Education and Development
- Developing and applying best practice decision making in contentious and sensitive situations encouraging partnership working and collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.
- Maintain and develop specialist EPRR skillset and knowledge including CBRN, Log Keeping and Commander training and best practice. Skills, knowledge and performance must be in line with the Minimal National Occupational Standards for EPRR.
- Support the develop the EPRR training programme using best practice and trained skills.
- Utilisation of specialist skills and previous experience to ensure that the Trust meets all requirements of the CCA and associated NHS guidance.
- Effectively utilises expert knowledge of the NHS and health to work collaboratively with Care Groups to formulate business continuity and contingency plans to improve service delivery.
- To develop and maintain active presence within the Local Resilience Forum, representing the Trust as its specialist advisor, attending multiagency meetings as required. Attendance at other NHS England / multiagency meetings as required.
- To be able to project manage and continue to provide accurate reports and debriefs despite challenging interruptions.
- To safeguard the interests of the Trust by reporting problems / issues/ gaps in service relating to the hospital sites where health and safety may be at risk
- To have exceeded the core skills and knowledge as required and to act as an expert resource in this field for the Trust.
- To ensure ongoing development of EPRR and wider NHS strategy by the attendance of relevant courses, conferences and other training.
- To ensure that any held registration is maintained by the completion of continuous professional development (CPD).
- Support and nurture other EPRR team members to gain specialist skills and knowledge, sharing experience to improve their CPD.
Governance
- Ensure that EPRR corporate responsibilities are met and contribute towards providing assurance to the organisations Board that it complies with relevant legislation and guidance (as summarised by the NHS England core standards for EPRR).
- Support on the development and delivery of the annual EPRR work plan, together with an annual report of activities for the Board.
- To coordinate the Tactical Resilience Steering Group meetings agendas and actions.
- Support the management of the EPRR Risk Register, mitigation of local risks in line with Trust Risk Policy
- To have oversight of the storage of all incident logs and post incident reports in accordance with best practice guidance.
- Provide insight into the long-term strategic plan of EPRR and ensuring the Trust meets the annual assurance process and identify a work plan to support this achievement.
Specific Duties:
- The duties of this post may be reviewed with the post holder from time to time and the job description may therefore be subject to alteration
Job description
Job responsibilities
Partnership and Team Working
- Represent the Trust at health resilience partnerships, local resilience forum, multi-agency events and their associated sub groups and works streams, both locally and nationally
- Liaise with other emergency planning leads in line with integrated emergency management principles in order to ensure a joined-up response
- To work in conjunction with and alongside the Trust clinical and corporate leads with regard to emergency planning resilience and response which incorporates business continuity
- Ensure a whole system integrated approach to emergency planning and resilience by coordinating work of the team and liaising with senior management at local and regional level
- Drive forward the Trusts agenda regarding emergency planning and resilience. Undertake a sustained educational campaign to raise the profile and awareness of emergency planning across the Trust
- Actively drive forward the development of local and regional policies and strategies through regular liaison with senior staff both internally and externally.
- Provide expert knowledge on matters relating to the emergency planning resilience and response within the trust, ensuring that these issues remain a priority for directors, senior managers, clinical and support staff, and are fed systematically into the annual service, business and financial planning cycle, for subsequent action.
- Ensure the Trust complies with relevant legislation regarding emergency planning and business continuity meeting requirements for training and test exercises. This will include policy and legislative interpretation to ensure that the trust responds appropriately to all new national guidance, which will influence emergency / business continuity planning, and ensuring this guidance is incorporated into the emergency planning process
- Develop and lead on the delivery of control mechanisms and risk management arrangements in accordance with effective governance requirements
Resource Management
- To work with the Head of Emergency Planning and Resilience to meet the annual pay and non-pay budget for EPRR
- Optimise the contracts and procurement of EPRR assets to ensure value for money and to obtain the best service delivery
- Deliver key performance indicators issued by the emergency planning and resilience function to ensure all targets are being met and relevant risks identified for use both internally and externally, working with colleagues in strategy and planning to ensure that emergency factors are included in business plans
Communication
- To act as the subject matter expert and to support and advise the Strategic Team, Care groups and departments on matters relating to organisational resilience, business continuity and emergency response
- Support the Head of Emergency Planning & Resilience to communicate developments in present / new policy and plans / standard operating procedures and emergency planning to the trust board / relevant committees
- To work with the Communications Departments to anticipate and respond to media interest arising from emergency planning and resilience issues. To coordinate such interest proactively
- Ensure all requirements for the reporting of incidents, exercises and other outcomes are understood across the trust
- To facilitate post incident and exercise debriefs
- To communicate alerts from agencies on matters relating to security, adverse weather, threats and hazards advising on actions to be taken and assessing compliance and residual risks
- To continually develop and deliver a culture of positive engagement with EPRR across the Trust
- Develop and deliver methods of communication that improves information sharing internally and externally
Planning and Organisational
Work with the Head of Emergency Planning and Resilience to set and deliver the annual EPRR work plan.
- Contribute to and implement Trust future EPRR strategy.
- Communicate regularly and openly with direct reports about the organisations vision, values, strategy, objectives and plans.
- Challenge current strategies and plans,
- Proactively identify and work with colleagues to implement improvements at Trust wide level.
- To complete statistical reports and analyse data.
- To provide an expert and specialist EPRR advice function for the Trust and leadership in the strategic development, policy and guidance.
- Develop EPRR strategies / plans as required to ensure resilience in operations.
- Anticipate and define the future scope and challenges facing EPRR in the Trust Risk Assessment Framework (RAF).
- To ensure that the Trust EPRR systems are consistent with the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 associated NHS guidance any subsequent revisions.
- To ensure all Trust EPRR activities met the NHS England Core Standards as measured through the annual EPRR Assurance Process.
- To develop and deliver the Trust EPRR training and exercising programme.
- To provide tactical advice to commanders as part of the Trust response to an incident
Management
- To act as a senior advisor to on call staff & other senior decision makers as required during incident and emergencies.
- Deputise for the Head of Emergency Planning and Resilience as appropriate and as required
- To provide visible leadership to the Trust in support of the EPRR and Business Continuity agenda promoting activity and training to engage and motivate staff to enhance capability.
- To act as deputy chair to key meetings with regards to EPRR and Business Continuity and the wider operational Trust when required.
- To represent the Trust at external stakeholder meetings including local Resilience Health Partnerships (LHRP) meetings.
- Ensure that all staff work within agreed Trust plans, policies and guidance in relations to EPRR.
- Investigate incidents and complaints in line with Trust policy
Policy/Service Development
- To develop best practice within EPRR and the wider Trust by the promotion of continuous improvement and learning
- Support highly complex operational change projects with staff and stakeholders.
- To develop and oversee the EPRR lessons identified process following the activation of plans, including the coordination of debriefing and the dissemination through formal reports of lessons identified and recommendation for best practice.
- To lead on Business Continuity projects and ensuring the Trust follows best practice and remains complaint with NHS England (NHSE) guidance
Specialist Skills, Education and Development
- Developing and applying best practice decision making in contentious and sensitive situations encouraging partnership working and collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.
- Maintain and develop specialist EPRR skillset and knowledge including CBRN, Log Keeping and Commander training and best practice. Skills, knowledge and performance must be in line with the Minimal National Occupational Standards for EPRR.
- Support the develop the EPRR training programme using best practice and trained skills.
- Utilisation of specialist skills and previous experience to ensure that the Trust meets all requirements of the CCA and associated NHS guidance.
- Effectively utilises expert knowledge of the NHS and health to work collaboratively with Care Groups to formulate business continuity and contingency plans to improve service delivery.
- To develop and maintain active presence within the Local Resilience Forum, representing the Trust as its specialist advisor, attending multiagency meetings as required. Attendance at other NHS England / multiagency meetings as required.
- To be able to project manage and continue to provide accurate reports and debriefs despite challenging interruptions.
- To safeguard the interests of the Trust by reporting problems / issues/ gaps in service relating to the hospital sites where health and safety may be at risk
- To have exceeded the core skills and knowledge as required and to act as an expert resource in this field for the Trust.
- To ensure ongoing development of EPRR and wider NHS strategy by the attendance of relevant courses, conferences and other training.
- To ensure that any held registration is maintained by the completion of continuous professional development (CPD).
- Support and nurture other EPRR team members to gain specialist skills and knowledge, sharing experience to improve their CPD.
Governance
- Ensure that EPRR corporate responsibilities are met and contribute towards providing assurance to the organisations Board that it complies with relevant legislation and guidance (as summarised by the NHS England core standards for EPRR).
- Support on the development and delivery of the annual EPRR work plan, together with an annual report of activities for the Board.
- To coordinate the Tactical Resilience Steering Group meetings agendas and actions.
- Support the management of the EPRR Risk Register, mitigation of local risks in line with Trust Risk Policy
- To have oversight of the storage of all incident logs and post incident reports in accordance with best practice guidance.
- Provide insight into the long-term strategic plan of EPRR and ensuring the Trust meets the annual assurance process and identify a work plan to support this achievement.
Specific Duties:
- The duties of this post may be reviewed with the post holder from time to time and the job description may therefore be subject to alteration
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Health Emergency Planning Diploma or equivalent
- Evidence on ongoing education and professional development,
Skills & Experience
Essential
- Evidence of working autonomously
Desirable
- Experience of delivering training
- evidence of working in a multiagency environment
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Health Emergency Planning Diploma or equivalent
- Evidence on ongoing education and professional development,
Skills & Experience
Essential
- Evidence of working autonomously
Desirable
- Experience of delivering training
- evidence of working in a multiagency environment
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.
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).
Additional information
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.
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).
