Director of Quality

Job responsibilities

The Director of Quality will provide specialist and professional advice to the Executive Chief Nurse and Executive Medical Director on all matters relating to Integrated Clinical Quality particularly, in meeting its legal and statutory duties as set by the Department of Health and delegated authorities such as NHS England and the Care Quality Commission. The post holder will have a leadership role, working closely with the Executive Chief Nurse and Executive Chief Medical Director to create an environment which promotes and supports safety for our people; enabling the Integrated Care Board to achieve its objective and is integral to our learning system. The post holder will ensure that there are effective monitoring processes in place, that will promote effective escalation of risks and concerns that have the potential to affect patient outcomes or compliance standards. The post holder will lead on a number of quality improvement initiatives, implementing quality, safety and risk across the system, including embedding of quality improvement, patient safety, patient experience and clinical effectiveness initiatives across all levels of the system. The Director of Quality as part of the Executive Chief Nursing team will provide senior leadership within the Integrated Care Board (ICB) supporting the development and delivery of the long-term plan for the integrated care board (ICB) working with the medical director and clinical communities across the Integrated Care System (ICS). Developing and leading delivery of key aspects of the strategy will ensure that the work reflects and integrates the strategies of all relevant partner organisations of the ICB, with a particular focus on developing and embedding the quality framework. 2 As a member of the senior team be responsible for planning and allocating resources to meet the four core purposes of integrated care systems (ICSs); to improve outcomes in population health and healthcare; tackle inequalities in outcomes, experience and access; enhance productivity and value for money and help the NHS support broader social and economic development.

Role Specific Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership for Quality within the ICB and ensure that we have robust systems and processes in place this will involve. Working with the Chief Nurse and Chief Medical Officer, lead and develop the Quality governance systems across the ICB liaising with the place teams to maximise their contribution to matrix working in partnership with the organisational leaders. Deliver a robust evolving quality framework incorporating the 4 key elements of quality to deliver improvements in outcomes for the people of NENC. Lead the ICBs approach to Care Quality Commission inspections, ensuring robust systems are in place to support effective oversight of quality measures. Ensure effective triangulation of a wide range of information sources and ensure that we have a modern Insight function. Ensure robust incident investigations and patient complaint processes and processes for acting on recommendations are robust. Build learning feedback loops into all levels of the integrated Care System. In conjunction with the chief nurse and medical director, provide strong visible leadership on quality, clinical and professional issues working proactively with peers across disciplines to inform and influence the strategic direction of the professions within the system

Act as a focal point and conduit for all regulatory reports and requirements from all regulators ensuring collaboration and communication with the Quality and Safety Committee.

Establish and maintain highly effective and respected working relationships with key partner organisations across health and social care.

Lead the development and implementation of local quality assurance and patient safety initiatives developing local systems to demonstrate robust performance information in order that reporting and accountability arrangements into the ICB Quality and Safety committee are provided. This may include analysis of highly complex data sets.

Support and lead as required, Quality Improvement, surveillance, and assurance, including:

Safety, safeguarding, and patient experience, with providers and place-based partners

Clinical sustainability e.g., transformation

Professional leadership across providers and place-based partners 3

System relationships

Quality, safety, patient experience improvement using key national and local sourced data and information e.g. GIRFT and model hospital and other key research evidence or respected sources of improvement data.

Recruitment and retention of clinical workforce and career pathways

Building trusted relationships with partners and communities

Work with local places and partners including NHS Foundation/ NHS Trust Nurse Directors in Community, Mental Health and Acute care to support strong professional leadership is in place across the ICS. 5 Build partnerships with provider collaboratives, public health, local government, other partners, and local people to deliver better access, improvements in life outcomes and reductions in health inequity. As a member of the ICB senior leaders team negotiate, lead, support, facilitate and influence place based and system leaders across health and care to ensure that progressive transformational change can be achieved which meets the population needs of the ICB s 14 places. Develop and maintain strong relationships with local patient communities, their representatives, ICS partners and specifically clinical and care professional leaders across health and social care at all levels of the system.

Leading for social justice and health equality

As a member of the ICB senior team foster a culture in which equality, diversity, inclusion and ally ship are actively promoted in all aspects of the ro. Support the delivery of population health management approaches to normalise and encourage patient and public involvement in service design and strategic and operational decision making. Support innovation in clinical outcomes, reducing health inequalities and achieving better life outcomes across the ICS. Ensure that quality and service delivery improvements are targeted on improving outcomes and/or inequalities in access to healthcare provision for the population of the ICB.

Driving high quality, sustainable outcomes

Working as part of the wider ICB senior team oversee the quality of all health services including implementing a safer just culture, safer systems and safer care. Work as part of place-based teams to support the Executive Directors of place based delivery to ensure that place based arrangements relating to Quality and Clinical Governance are effective and provide assurance to local quality groups and the ICB Quality and Safety Committee. Provide professional input, including robust and considered challenge into decision making at all levels and across the ICS. Promote continuous quality improvement through learning, improvement methodologies, research, innovation, and data driven improvement initiatives both at a strategic and operational level. Escalate and address as appropriate underperformance at place or system in a timely manner and promote continuous quality improvement through learning, improvement methodologies, research, and innovation.

Providing robust governance and assurance

Demonstrate and support the development of a strong culture of public accountability, probity, and governance, supporting the development of appropriate and compliant structures, systems, and process to minimise risk and promote the freedom to speak up. Where services are commissioned across the places within the ICB as part of the senior leadership team ensure clinical and professional leadership is provided to ensure robust delivery of quality services and an increase in outcomes for patients. Support the identification of performance risks and issues, help to develop a quality assurance framework for the system with appropriate outcome measures that allow for early identification, escalation, and support for areas of concerns. Support the development of robust governance arrangements that comply with legislation and support and monitor professional standards, code of conduct and best practice and that action is taken where performance falls below expected standards. Provide professional advice in the investigation of clinical complaints, serious incidents, and associated matters.

Creating a compassionate and inclusive culture

Promote and demonstrate a culture of inclusive, professional leadership, being visible as a collaborative clinical, professional, and organisational leader and role model, engaging health and care professionals across places, primary and social care and through provider collaboratives. Act as a role model providing mentoring and supportive relationships to others in clinical and care professional leadership roles and ensure that clinical and professional leaders are supported to do their roles, given opportunities to develop and that the talent management and development of clinical and care professional leaders is embedded at all levels of the system Ensure that staff within your reporting structures and the wider organisation are actively encouraged to develop their skills, knowledge and experience through opportunities that are available across the system. Manage and lead on any complex and sensitive employment issues delegated by the Executive Chief Nurse/Chief Medical Director or within the post holders sphere of responsibility. Act as a champion for patients and their interests and involve public and patients in policy development and decision-making

Qualifications

Essential

• Evidence of sustained personal & professional development
• Registered professional with post registration qualification, at degree level
• Current professional Registration
• Masters level qualification or equivalent experience

Skills

Essential

• Significant experience of provision of executive leadership across and within organisations
• Able to work for long periods of intense concentration using VDU and highly complex data sets
• Manage highly distressing situations, dealing with members of the public, patients and partners
• and very senior leaders in a variety if settings including public forums
• Advanced keyboard skills to ensure accuracy in report writing with detailed statistical analysis

Disposition

Essential

• Highly developed verbal & report writing skills
• Open participative engaging communication & influencing skills
• Capable of meeting deadlines & understanding the balance between regulatory management, flexible management and holding to account
• Highly developed influencing skills with the ability to shape development across the health and social care system
• Demonstrable commitment to inclusive working practices and leadership

Desirable

• Demonstrable experience of implementing and leading nursing and quality professional leadership across systems

Personal Attributes

Essential

• Team player committed to corporate effectiveness
• High level of confidence
• Integrity
• Trustworthy
• Approachable/builds effective working relationships
• Resilience
• Strategic thinking ability

Work-Related Circumstances

Essential

• Ability to participate in the ICB on call rota

Experience

Essential

• Substantial experience in a very senior nursing position with a demonstrable track record of success in a large and complex NHS organisation.
• A proven track record of leadership, driving standards of care and delivering change within an organisation is essential.
• Experience in dealing with the complex field of litigation, regulation & improvement.
• Knowledge and substantial experience of leading the nursing agenda within an NHS organisation.
• Knowledge and experience of leading organisational clinical quality, clinical governance & risk management agendas.
• Demonstrable track record of achievement in quality and patent safety.
• Experience in the management of complex projects.
• Experience of effective partnership and working with internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience of Implementing governance frameworks.
• Knowledge and experience of staff management.
• Knowledge and experience of financial management.

Desirable

• Whole systems management
• Experience at a very senior level within provider, commissioning and
• oversight and assurance / regulatory organisations
• Experience of working in the CQC

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.

UK Registration

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