Job summary
Help shape the future of antimicrobial stewardship at Birmingham, Black Country and Solihull ICB Cluster. We are recruiting to a newly created Senior Prescribing Advisor Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) role, leading initiatives to optimise AMS governance and tackle antimicrobial resistance.
The role will support the development of our cluster antimicrobial stewardship strategy and strengthen AMS governance throughout the organisation. The postholder will help shape antimicrobial stewardship activity within the ICB and drive collaboration across the local system.
Working closely with the Medicines Commissioning and Clinical Policy team and other AMS stakeholders (e.g. local microbiologists, infection prevention colleagues, diagnostics leads and primary care),you will lead stewardship initiatives, develop strategy to influence prescribing practice and support quality improvement to optimise antimicrobial use and patient outcomes.
We are looking for a pharmacist with knowledge of national AMS priorities and drivers alongside expertise, leadership skills and a passion for improving medicines use.
Informal enquiries are welcomed from candidates interested in learning more about this role.
This is a fixed term, part time role of 20.5 hours per week.
Main duties of the job
The postholder will provide clinical leadership for antimicrobial stewardship, support organisational compliance with national antimicrobial policies and targets, and contribute to the development of antimicrobial stewardship governance and strategy within the ICB cluster.
The postholder will lead on developing a single cluster governance structure for AMS, with representation from key stakeholders across the system.
The role will support development of strategy to deliver national priorities relating to antimicrobial resistance and stewardship, including relevant UK antimicrobial resistance strategies and NHS England antimicrobial stewardship programmes. The strategy will consider services commissioned from General Practice, NHS trusts, urgent care, community pharmacy and other locally commissioned services.
About us
Birmingham, the Black Country and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) brings together the NHS, local councils and voluntary sector partners to support 2.7 million people. Our vision is to make the area the healthiest place to live and work by improving life chances and reducing inequalities.
As an employee, you will demonstrate our system values, champion inclusion and help address health inequalities so everyone can thrive. In return, the ICB offers a supportive, ambitious and inclusive workplace, with opportunities to develop and work with partners to deliver meaningful change.
The ICB is committed to a workforce that reflects the population of Birmingham, the Black Country and Solihull. We promote equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from everyone who meets the role criteria, regardless of age, gender, disability, race, religion or sexual orientation.
The ICB is a registered Disability Confident Employer. We welcome applications from disabled people and will shortlist suitable applicants who meet the essential criteria.
This vacancy is open only to employees of BBCS ICB. Successful internal applicants will remain employed by their current ICB and their work base will remain unchanged
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the full job description and person specification attached
This NHS E funded12 month fixed term post will deliver agreed outcomes in line with the MOU between NHS E and the Cluster ICBs, primarily to improve AMS governance across the organisations.
The postholder will be responsible for strategic and operational management of the Antimicrobial Stewardship workstream including the related strategic plan. You will work with partners across the sector and wider to ensure delivery of strategic objectives.
As a senior member of the team, you will be required to deputise for Deputy Chief Pharmacist/Associate Director of Commissioning & Clinical Policy and/or AMS Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) as appropriate.
In carrying out your role, at least one of the agreed strategic anchors should be at the core of everything you do:
- Commissioning for Value and Outcomes
- Accelerating Neighbourhood Health at Pace
- Making the Best Use of Digital Solutions in our Pathways
- Financial Discipline / 2% Productivity
- Advancing Health Equity
- Integrated Partnership
You will be accountable for:
- Leading the operational delivery and development of the Cluster ICBs Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS)programme, ensuring the safe, effective, and evidence-based use of antimicrobials across the organisation.
- Leading on the development and operationalisation of the BBCS Cluster AMS governance structure and AMS strategy
- Ensuring delivery of local, regional and national AMS reporting as required
- Monitor AMS risks and ensure inclusion on the appropriate risk registers
- Oversight of delivery of the Cluster ICBs AMS priorities, including progress monitoring.
- Development of the Cluster ICBs programme of work to support AMS within general practice and other providers in primary care
- Co-ordinating and aligning system wide priorities to support delivery of the National Action Plan 2024-2029 targets related to human health.
- The role includes responsibility for antimicrobial governance, clinical leadership of Antimicrobial Stewardship initiatives, development of antimicrobial prescribing policy, and education of healthcare professionals.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Significant relevant post registration experience.
- Good understanding of the current national AMR & AMS agenda and how this influences the work in the ICB/ICS
- Relevant experience contributing to antimicrobial stewardship initiatives or antimicrobial prescribing improvement programmes.
- Evidence of strong analytical and problem-solving skills
- Experience analysing prescribing data, audit results, or quality indicators to support service improvement.
- Involved in budget setting and working knowledge of financial processes
- Evidence of ability to make significant and successful contributions at a senior level
- Experience of developing robust operational and strategic plans and strategies
- Clear and in-depth understanding of national NHS strategy and policy, and ability to translate this into strategic and operational outcomes
- Experience in building and nurturing strong and positive relationships with a range of stakeholders
- Knowledge of IT platforms relevant to the role
- Experience of managing potentially challenging, sensitive or contentious situations and/or characters
Desirable
- Experience of working in the NHS in addition to another sector
- Specialist knowledge of clinical pharmacy practice in primary care, including relevant experience working in a primary care setting
- Experience of directly line managing a team
- Comprehensive experience of project principles techniques and tools such as Prince 2 and Managing Successful Projects
- Previously responsible for a budget, involved in budget setting and working knowledge of financial processes.
- Experience of directly line managing a team
- Previous experience working as antimicrobial stewardship lead
Qualifications
Essential
- Pharmacy degree (currently 4-year masters course) + 1 year pre-registration.
- Registered with General Pharmaceutical Council [of Great Britain] as a pharmacist
- Evidence of continuing professional development
- Relevant clinical diploma/post graduate qualification or equivalent evidence of clinical experience.
- Evidence of professional and personal development at senior management level
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Ability to manage a complex workload under pressure and to delegate appropriately in order to deliver deadlines
- Standard keyboard skills
- Ability to engage and listen to others to inform professional practice
- Maintains emotional resilience and maturity
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal
- Able to present complex and sensitive information to large and influential groups
- Ability to influence and persuade others
- Ability to lead, empower and motivate colleagues and stakeholders
- Must be able to provide and receive highly complex, clinical, sensitive, or contentious information, negotiate with senior stakeholders/clinicians on difficult and controversial issues, and present complex and sensitive information.
- Evidence of excellent written communication skills
- Problem solving skills and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands.
- Ability to analyse highly complex facts and situations and develop a range of options.
- Takes decisions on difficult and contentious issues where there may be a number of courses of action.
- Strategic thinking ability to anticipate and resolve problems before they arise.
- Demonstrated capability to plan over short, medium, and long-term timeframes and adjust plans and resource requirements accordingly.
- Must be able to prioritise own work effectively and be able to direct activities of others.
- Must be able to use initiative to decide relevant actions, with the aim of improving deliverables and compliance to policies
- Experience of identifying and interpreting national policy. Appreciate the implications and adaptations needed for ICB-adoption
Mobility
Essential
- Ability to travel to sites across the cluster as required
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Ability to lead, empower and motivate colleagues and stakeholders
- Openness and honesty
- Respectful of others with the ability to listen and provide feedback constructively, acknowledging individual contributions
- An effective team player
- Caring and considerate in all environments
- Professionalism
- Good timekeeping
- Negotiate on difficult and controversial issues including performance and change.
- Used to working in a busy environment
- Adaptability, flexibility, and ability to cope with uncertainty and change.
- Willing to engage with and learn from peers, other professionals, and colleagues in the desire to provide or support the most appropriate interventions.
- Ability to move between details and the bigger picture.
- Professional calm and efficient manner
- Effective organiser, influencer, and networker
- Demonstrates a strong desire to improve performance and make a difference by focusing on goals
- Putting the long-term health, social care, and well-being needs of the population first (system first)
- Working collaboratively with other leaders to achieve excellence in everything we do in BBCS.
- Holding yourself and others to account for delivering better outcomes
- Being inclusive, supportive, and empowering at all times
- Engaging and enabling those working towards the aims we have as a collective
Autonomy
Essential
- Able to use initiative to decide relevant actions and make recommendations, with the aim of improving deliverables
- Ability to make decisions autonomously when required, working to tight and often changing timescales
- Problem solving skills and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands
- Ability to analyse complex facts and situations and develop a range of options
- Takes decisions on difficult and contentious issues where there may be a number of courses of action.
- Strategic thinking ability to anticipate and resolve problems before they arise
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Essential
- A demonstrable understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion with evidence of personal impact in these areas
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).
Employer details
Employer name
Black Country Integrated Care Board
Address
Black Country Integrated Care Board
Wolverhampton Civic Centre
St Peter's Square
Wolverhampton
WV1 1SH
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://blackcountry.icb.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
Senior Prescribing Advisor - Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) in Wolverhampton employer: Black Country Integrated Care Board
The Black Country Integrated Care Board is an exceptional employer, dedicated to fostering a collaborative and inclusive work culture that prioritises the well-being of its employees. Located in Birmingham, this role offers unique opportunities for professional growth and development while making a meaningful impact on health outcomes in local communities. With a strong emphasis on teamwork and innovation, employees are empowered to lead initiatives that address health inequalities, ensuring a rewarding and fulfilling career path.
Contact Details:
Black Country Integrated Care Board Recruitment Team
