Regional Stop Smoking Systems Strategic Manager (Fresh Balance)

Job responsibilities

The post holder will be accountable as the Fresh lead to work collaboratively on a challenging portfolio of work linked to the effective regional delivery of a range of leadership development opportunities, and system wide transformation on helping smokers to stop in order to help achieve the North East declaration for a Smokefree Future.

The post holder will represent Fresh on tobacco alliances and take the lead on providing expert advice to alliances on their helping smokers to stop strand of work and will be first point of access within Fresh for local tobacco leads around stop smoking services queries and also interdependencies with the NHS.

The post holder will support the media campaigns of Fresh and will undertake media interviews on key smoking cessation developments which can include regional and national outlets

They will take the lead in scoping out and development of potential new developments including a regional single point of access for smokers linked to mass media campaigns run by Fresh this could include a regional tier of behavioural support and also aligned to increased promotion and provision of digital support.

They will support the scoping out of regional projects from the NENC ICB Taskforce programme including the potential of a ICB swap to stop (vaping) offer linked to www.freshquit.co.uk campaigns

They will work closely with OHID, LA Tobacco Commissioners and their respective providers to ensure that Fresh media campaigns relay accurate information around availability of local stop smoking support.

They will work with partners to commission research and insight around awareness, knowledge, confidence to engage in programmes such as OHID led Swap to Stop and will also support ADPHNE Tobacco Commissioners Forum around any research requirements around stop smoking services awareness levels and also consumer insight on service models, modes of delivery, how to access.

They will take the lead for Fresh in monitoring progress around key metrics to track progress on reducing smoking at regional level and across key groups- this will include using the NENC ICB Tobacco Dashboard and supporting partners to utilise this- and also linking to external partners.

The post holder will support the work of the NENCB ICB Smokefree NHS/Treating Tobacco Dependency Taskforce and work closely with the ADPHNE Tobacco Commissioners Forum to support effective referral pathways on discharge for patients under the NHS Long Term Plan rollout.

They will provide senior level leadership to influence the whole system so that treating tobacco dependency becomes a clinical priority within primary care settings to support the enhancement of the NHS LTP ambition.

The post holder will support negotiations across the NHS and local authorities on the establishment of effective, high quality and well-coordinated region wide protocols around prescribing.

They will help scope out opportunities to increase the reach of quitting messaging across broader range of stakeholders including voluntary and third sector and key regional organisations.

The post holder will represent Fresh in national meetings and partnerships e.g. the Smokefree Action Coalition on topics related to smoking cessation and they will be actively engaged in advocacy activity around evidence based policy measures.

They will have overall budget responsibility around the Fresh helping smokers to stop strand of work.

The post holder will lead on tendering and procurement specifications and manage the process to contract award for specific programmes of work including selecting suppliers e.g. on training packages and evaluations of projects as required.

As the system wide working develops around the ADPHNE helping smokers stop position statement they will scope out opportunities to further increase practise sharing, peer support across various stakeholders involved in the delivery of stop smoking support to a range of priority groups.

They will take the lead in the Fresh organisation of annual practise sharing event bringing in international experts to share latest research and developments around smoking cessation and reaching all key partners with ongoing professional development opportunities

They will be actively involved in research and development

They will keep abreast of key policy areas such as vaping and tobacco harm reduction

The post holder will identify the latest evidence base and support external partners to develop approaches which will result in the best possible outcomes and returns on investment.

Work closely with OHID national tobacco team, ASH, Cancer Research UK, LGA and other key partners on key on influencing policy developments around smoking cessation landscape that are directly related to LAs

Be responsible for the content around helping smokers to stop strand in the Fresh Local Tobacco Control Network on K-Hub and also to take the lead in keeping the content of advice to smokers accurate and up to date on www.freshquit.co.uk

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to Masters level or equivalent experience in leadership, project/change management, service improvement and/or programme delivery roles.
• Evidence of recent and on-going CPD/learning.
• Project management qualification/training.

Desirable

• Leadership qualification.

Experience

Essential

• Significant experience of facilitating and managing change within and across healthcare organisations covering a regional footprint.
• Significant experience of working with senior managers and leaders, including Directors of Public Health, senior clinicians and strategic public health leads.
• Experience of influencing a range of stakeholders in decision making across a range of topics including political advocacy.
• Track record of regional networking and providing leadership including with both NHS and LA partners.
• Significant experience of working across a range of tobacco issues at national, regional and local levels and effectively influencing decision making.
• Significant experience in the development and delivery and evaluation of a range of training and professional development programmes.
• Significant experience in coordinating and chairing multi-agency networks and forums.
• Training, coaching and mentoring skills with significant experience in delivering on a range of training and professional development opportunities.
• Experience in being politically aware and sensitive to handling contentious topics.
• Recent significant experience and proven track record in project management or service development roles to bring about change.
• High level of emotional intelligence.
• Experience in data handling and analysis and ability to communicate this to a range of audiences.
• Proven team worker with ability to motivate others.
• Numerate and IT literate.
• Able to understand and work within complexity and translate it into understandable knowledge.
• Flexible, enthusiastic and committed.
• Experience in ability to keep multiple projects and people on track.
• Ability to facilitate / teach service improvement techniques.
• Ability to make decisions autonomously, when required, on difficult issues, following the evidence base and policy guidelines working to tight and changing deadlines.

Desirable

• Experience in media working including undertaking live interviews with minimal preparation time on potentially sensitive and controversial topics.

Special Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• In-depth specialised knowledge of key tobacco issues including the evidence base around smoking cessation/treating tobacco dependency.
• Proven track record of delivery against project objectives within time and budget parameters.
• Highly developed specialist knowledge and experience in public health/health policy/behavior change and/or tobacco control/smoking cessation underpinned by evidence based theory and experience.
• Developed analytical and problem solving skills will be required for assessing options for project delivery, assessment of project plans of multiplicity of organisations and formulation and adjustment of plans.
• Knowledge and experience of evaluation tools / research techniques.
• A high level of communication skills will be required. This includes the interpersonal and diplomacy skills necessary to communicate sensitive and/or contentious project initiation, management and outcome issues with senior managers from a multiplicity of organisations and the persuasion and negotiation skills required to secure the co-operation of others on project delivery and portfolio management issues.
• Knowledge of the NHS Long Term Plan smoking elements and key requirements across pathways.
• Knowledge of Local Authority responsibilities for public health including around smoking and knowledge of recent announcements and developments around Smokefree 2030 national plans.
• Specialist knowledge and experience in effective local and regional multiagency partnership working within a public health environment.
• Proven ability to work within a complex and fast changing environment and juggling and successfully managing competing projects.
• Ability to identify risks, anticipate issues and create solutions and to resolve problems in relation to project or service delivery.
• Project management skills and able to keep multiple projects and people on track.
• Advanced presentation skills and experience of reporting to large groups.

Special Requirements

Essential

• Able to travel independently across region (frequently) and UK (occasionally) with overnight stays.

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).