Clinical Safety Manager

Job responsibilities

The Clinical Safety Team are responsible for leading programmes of work to improve safety and clinical outcomes for patients as well as working with clinical services to implement a range of quality improvement initiatives. Key areas of patient safety work include prevention of thrombosis, sepsis, acute kidney injury and improving the response to patient deterioration.

Quality improvement programmes of work vary according to the Trust Quality Priorities and national CQUIN programmes and include working with clinical teams to improve patient pathways to reduce unwarranted variation in practice and to ensure that practice follows the best evidence base.

The team are also responsible for overseeing and reporting on the Trusts quality schedule which is reported monthly to the commissioners.

This is a key leadership role within the Quality and Safety Division of the Trust. This is one of two posts who may act as deputies to the head of the team. One post holder will be based predominantly at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital site and the other at the Bedford Hospital. In conjunction with the head of clinical safety you will provide specialist leadership to the quality and patient safety agenda across the Trust. The post holder will use a variety of clinical, interpersonal, project management and educational skills to support the delivery of improved clinical outcomes through promotion of quality improvements in service delivery. In particular they will:

• Work in conjunction with the clinical safety team in supporting the Trusts approach to a culture of improvement and safety, where patient safety remains integral to everyday business
• Provide expert clinical guidance, oversight and reporting for a range of projects in place to deliver the Trusts Quality Priorities and the Commissioning for Quality and innovation (CQUIN) indicators.
• Deputise in the absence of the head of clinical safety
• Ensure the continuing development of a proactive quality and patient safety culture throughout the organisation.
• Provide support, training and information to staff in relation to quality improvement
• Work in conjunction with the head of clinical safety in leading and reporting on a range of patient safety work streams in place which deliver the requirements of the Trusts Quality Schedule
• Work in conjunction with the head of clinical safety and lead on the implementation of the Patient Safety alerts and other related initiatives.
• Lead on the identification and interpretation of trends and themes in patient safety incidents to determine key lines of work for the Trust
• Manage and lead allocated staff in the Clinical Safety te

2. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Quality and Safety

1. Work as part of the leadership team of the clinical safety team; coordinate the patient safety work streams to deliver all statutory requirements for the quality and safety agenda. This includes the Trust quality schedule, Trust Quality Priorities and the CQUIN schemes
2. Support clinical service lines in the safety agenda supporting the development of key clinical quality and safety indicators within services
3. Writing quality reports for internal and external purposes by directing staff who collect data to monitor harm and provide analysis, support and provide direction towards achieving the targets
4. Project manages the achievement of the quality schedule and quality priorities, working as part of the Clinical Safety leadership team
5. Share responsibility for the achievement of the Trust CQUIN targets and be the Trust expert, leading on the implementation and delivery of the CQUIN projects across the Trust
6. Promote a culture of safety awareness amongst staff across the Trust;
7. Organise patient safety campaigns
8. Work in collaboration with the communication department to raise the profile of quality and safety improvement
9. Guide and support improvement project plans and progress by providing expertise on improvement approache
10. Work with the Clinical Safety and Quality Governance Teams to review clinical indicators and CQC assessments to identify where processes can improve and influence clinical outcomes
11. Collaborate with other organisations on safety improvement work (including other provider Trusts, commissioners, NHSE / I)
12. Promote and train staff in quality improvement approaches and methodologies and promote the process of Trust wide patient safety walkabouts, direct on using findings and feedback to deliver quality improvement
13. Be responsible for developing quality improvement, patient safety processes and organisational practices and policies to ensure the Trust is able to achieve higher levels of patient satisfaction, safety and accreditation

Leadership

1. Provide expert advice on the patient safety agenda across the Trust and identify tangible reduction in patient harm
2. As part of the clinical safety leadership team, identify patient safety priorities across the Trust to form the Patient Safety strategy / Plan
3. Support the Head of Clinical Safety in developing the Trusts annual Quality priorities and the organisational Quality Account
4. Support the Head of Clinical Safety in writing reports related to the Quality schedule, Quality priorities, implementation of Patient Safety Alerts and other quality initiatives
5. Work in collaboration with the Head of Clinical Safety and Head of Quality Governance to ensure learning from incidents, claims and inquests, particularly those relating to patient safety is translated into organisational learning and quality improvement
6. Support the Trust ambition to achieve outstanding in respect to Care Quality Commission inspection rating

Management

1. Deputise for the Head of Clinical Safety as required
2. Support the Head of Clinical Safety in managing the junior members of the team ensuring annual appraisals and a personal development plan are co-produced and support staff to reach their maximum potential
3. Ensure team members receive appropriate monitoring of individual performance management, absence management using the Trusts e-rostering system
4. Support the Head of Clinical Safety in recruitment, retention and development of the Patient Safety team
5. Actively participate in the investigation and monitoring of individual staff performance and participate in formal disciplinary procedures as required
6. Be responsible and accountable for initiating change and new ways of working to ensure the team reaches their objectives in improving patient experience, patient safety and patient outcomes
7. Contribute towards the effective use of Trust resources to deliver value for money across all patient safety initiatives and ensure departmental costs / expenses remain within the budget
8. Manage sickness and absence in accordance to Trust policy
9. Contribute towards the effective management of a range of projects (including CQUINs and clinical quality improvement) are delivered, identifying and escalating risks

Educational and Training Responsibilities

1. Work collaboratively across clinical service lines to ensure shared learning relating to patient safety and quality improvement initiatives
2. Provide advice to staff on patient safety and clinical risk issues as required
3. Be responsible for your own appraisal, identifying performance objectives and any personal development needs whilst maintaining professional registration and undertaking appropriate CPD
4. Develop and deliver training programmes and presentations relating to patient safety and quality improvement and deliver teaching sessions to large and small multi-professional audiences on a range of subjects including induction programmes
5. Provide coaching and mentorship to staff who are leading or involved in improving quality and safety
6. Remain professionally updated in all aspects of Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, specifically in line with national developments within health care governance, quality, litigation and international standards

Information Management

1. Review patient safety incidents and perform in depth analysis to identify root causes, themes and trends to support learning and improvement for the Trust
2. Regularly use computer software and develop reports, spread sheets and documents for Quality Improvement and patient safety work / improvements
3. Handle, analyse, interpret and present data to highlight issues / risks ensuring mitigating actions are in place to support decision making and initiate appropriate action to ensure that adverse findings are addressed and Best Practice is shared
4. Write reports for relevant Trust meetings relating to trend analysis and progress against clinical quality and safety improvements to provide assurance of appropriate action being taken via the existing clinical governance structures
5. Support and advise healthcare professionals and managers in themes arising from patient safety data and in the development of improvement strategies
6. Manage and manipulate data for audit; identifying learning outcomes and use to steer quality improvement work across the Trust
7. In conjunction with the head of clinical safety develop communication, measurement and reporting systems for projects whilst ensuring accurate and reliable data analysis

Policy Development - see main job description

Communication - see main job description

Qualifications

Essential

• Current registered healthcare professional
• First degree level education or robust evidence of an equivalent level of education / experience
• Postgraduate level qualification or equivalent relevant experience
• Project management qualification or knowledge and skills acquired through extensive experience

Desirable

• Additional professional qualifications in areas of expertise
• Training/ facilitation /mentorship qualification Coaching qualification
• Qualification in patient safety incident investigations
• Quality Improvement course

Experience

Essential

• Experience of managing a team including appraisals, sickness absence and performance management
• Extensive clinical leadership experience with an understanding of operational issues in an acute NHS environment
• Experience of using quality improvement methods and / or project management to make changes in practice
• Implementing quality improvement initiatives and facilitating cultural change with highly persuasive, motivational and negotiating skills
• Experience of dealing with sensitive information and unpredictable situations
• Experience of chairing and leading with a pragmatic approach to problem solving
• Developing and delivering training to groups of staff
• Significant experience of investigating patient safety incidents using a range of investigation tools

Knowledge

Essential

• Clinical knowledge at a level which can be built upon to support credible delivery of teaching around the key patient safety topics (AKI, Sepsis, VTE, Deterioration)
• In depth professional knowledge in patient safety and clinical quality acquired through relevant experience
• Knowledge of current and local quality and patient safety agendas, the patient safety alert process and the Care Quality Commission regulations
• Thorough understanding of Duty of Candour

Personal Skills

Essential

• Ability to work with, facilitate and influence different teams within very complex and sometimes conflicting situations
• Ability to use information and patient feedback to identify and effect improvement
• Able to remain calm under pressure and able to manage difficult situations where there may be conflict effectively
• Ability to facilitate and communicate effectively with staff of all disciplines and across all levels of the organisation
• Able to work independently under own scope of professional practice
• Able to write reports including the ability to relay complex, sensitive or contentious information in difficult situations
• Ability to build relationships with staff at all levels across varying services

Desirable

• Use of Statistical Process Control charts

Other

Essential

• Able to visit clinical areas to work on a regular basis to work with the clinical teams as the Trust expert in improvement activities
• Ability to concentrate on analysis of performance data for extended periods
• Committed to uphold the Trust Values

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).

UK Registration

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