Associate Director of ICT & Digital Health in Lowestoft

As the Associate Director of ICT & Digital Health, you will take responsibility for the development, implementation, maintenance and support of our network infrastructure and information systems. Additionally, you will oversee the provision of Business Intelligence, Digital Health and technical support by ICT staff to colleagues embracing a customer focused service delivery model. You will also lead on our ICT & Digital Health Strategy, developing ICT policies, budgets and projects that identify opportunities to improve services and reduce costs.

You will bring your proven experience of managing change, facilitating innovation and your approach to supporting continuous improvement to the role through managing our wide-ranging ICT, Business Intelligence and Digital Health services. You will lead, coach and inspire the teams in all aspects of line management responsibility as well as the development of policy and practice to support your colleagues, patients and a range of key stakeholders.

Main duties of the job:

• The post-holder will work across both ECCH (and subsidiary companies as required).
• Manage and supervise contractor and supplier relationships, particularly in relation to individual programmes and scope of work to ensure that all third-party contract and contractors' work is delivered in accordance with the agreed contractual terms and conditions.
• To manage all aspects of team delivery, including performance and attendance and ensuring a climate of continuing development and excellence whilst developing a positive team culture based on ECCH Commitments.
• Ensure that all relevant quality standards are adhered to and that improved cost effective in-house and outsourced service provision is delivered on an ongoing basis.
• Provide expert information technology advice to the organisation.
• Communicate highly complex and technical information to colleagues at all levels, gaining support and buy-in to proposed solutions.
• Responsible for the monitoring and management of relevant budgets as delegated by the organisation.
• Responsible for leadership, development and the coordination of all technical aspects of digital service delivery.
• Lead on the research and development of new technologies and techniques to support the delivery of ECCH's core services.
• Responsible for the development, implementation and monitoring of all ICT-related ECCH policies, including ensuring effective communication and understanding by all ECCH staff and related stakeholders.
• The post holder will deliver sustainable and innovative ICT service models, which will support the achievement of ECCH's strategic objectives.

Core Responsibilities ICT:

• Responsible for the day-to-day management of the ICT operational revenue and capital budgets, as delegated by the organisation.
• Ensure that the ICT operational budgets and any programme budgets are effectively managed and that the operational service and any programme demonstrates value for money and identifies areas of opportunity for potential cost reduction for ECCH.
• Lead in the development, implementation and review of an ICT and Digital Strategies.
• Compiles and delivers relevant reports about ICT services as and when required for ECCH's Board, in addition to any other corporate committee as requested by the Finance Director.
• Supports ICT programme sponsors to ensure timely delivery and communication of all aspects of relevant programmes, as defined by the corporate ICT strategy.
• Responsible for enabling and promoting the environmentally friendly use of ICT within ECCH and meet energy saving targets set by local and national guidance.
• Identifies and recommends appropriate service improvements by initiating & managing an organisation-wide service improvement programme for ICT support.
• Responsible for the ICT Operational Audit & Risk review. Drives the resolution of all IT audit issues, where necessary highlighting new risks and factors for inclusion in the Risk Management register.
• Ensure delivery of agreed services to required service level standards via these channels where appropriate.
• Responsible for cyber security within the organisation, ensuring that all ECCH systems are protected as far as practicable and evolves in line with industry practices and external threats.
• Lead and hold overall responsibility for the development and management of internal and external web platforms and websites, ensuring that they are available, fit for purpose and secure. Work closely with the Communications and Engagement Team around content and branding.

Core Responsibilities Business Intelligence:

• To provide leadership for the Business Intelligence team through the planning, development and delivery of the information elements of the digital strategy.
• Leads on the production and timely submission of information for monitoring ECCH activity including data required for commissioning, statutory/mandatory reporting data extracts and performance monitoring.
• Lead on ensuring that the senior, clinical and operational managers are provided with appropriate Business Intelligence and ad-hoc reporting that helps guide the delivery of the organisation's strategy and define future service provision from an ICT Digital perspective.
• Lead on the continual review of existing systems and reporting procedures to monitor data integrity and ensure data is extracted in an accurate and efficient manner, is consistent with the latest definitions and delivered within required timescales.
• Lead on development of the most appropriate strategy for the development of the Data Warehouse in order to automate reporting to improve clinical, management and strategic decision making by moving to real-time view of services and display of performance dashboards.
• The post holder will also need to manage the expectations of clinical and corporate staff.
• Proactively contribute to a data quality improvement programme including oversight of effective systems administration.
• Strategic insights, emerging and ongoing trend analyses, opportunity identification and proposals that will inform strategic direction.
• To develop statistical analysis on ECCH's performance, highlighting key performance results, trends, forecasts and areas of concern, detailing reasons for variance, including SPC charting.
• Develop new methods of analysis and increase the efficiency of data production and quality through the use of benchmarking techniques and the adoption of both recognised best practice and new innovations.
• Provide interpretation and initiate discussions with operational colleagues to ensure relevant new data requirements are met and that policies are updated accordingly.
• To participate in and lead where appropriate, audits that relate to information and systems to ensure data integrity and accuracy of reporting.

Core Responsibilities Digital Health:

• Oversee delivery and improvements to ECCH's clinical systems environment, ensuring that changes are carried out in a controlled manner and to the agreed standard.
• Work with teams and their leadership to encourage clinical adoption of digital services.
• Providing clinical expertise to the design and development of IT enabled change programmes to ensure they deliver safe, effective, evidence-based services and systems that meet the needs of patients, service users and clinicians.
• Ensuring standardisation of clinical terminology, coding and compliance to ensure that systems and information meet the needs of regulatory compliance.
• Understanding clinical concerns about the use of technology and devising strategies to resolve these and promote best clinical practice.
• Linking with other best practice groups and services across the country in the interests of knowledge transfer and learning from the experiences of others.
• Promote the use of information technology in the clinical setting to improve safety, quality, patient and family satisfaction, efficiency in delivery of care and overall cost reduction.
• Ensure that all aspects of digital services are delivered effectively and to defined service standards with a principal focus on staff and service users, enabling the business to perform its responsibilities, using the most appropriate technologies and applications available, and always striving for excellence in its endeavours.
• Communicate information to colleagues at all levels, gaining support and buy-in to digital related proposals.
• Responsible for the development, implementation and monitoring of digital related ECCH policy, including ensuring their effective communication and understanding by all ECCH staff and related stakeholders.
• Liaise closely with external stakeholders, including acting as ECCH's ambassador within ICS forums.

General Responsibilities:

• Ensures that the performance of team staff are assessed in accordance with agreed standards, procedures and timetables, as defined by the ECCH appraisal and review process.
• Maintains and develop the appropriate skills and competence levels of the teams to ensure the implementation and support of new technologies and services for ECCH, achieving this through formal training, knowledge transfer, experience days, performance management and personal development objectives.
• Ensures that the team receive appraisal and assessment criteria support, using ECCH appraisal process for interim reviews. Ensures that all job descriptions, person specifications, and the selection and evaluation criteria for candidates is relevant and up to date.

Other Responsibilities:

• Post-holders are required to contribute to ECCH's performance against those aspects of the Assurance and Regulatory Frameworks pertaining to their role and to supply evidence of compliance with standards and targets.
• ECCH staff are responsible for protecting themselves and others against infection risks. All staff regardless of whether clinical or not are expected to comply with current infection control policies and procedures and to report any problems with regard to this to their managers. All staff undertaking patient care activities must attend infection control training and updates as required by ECCH.
• All employees are required to act in such a way that at all times their actions safeguard the health and wellbeing of children and vulnerable adults. Familiarisation with and adherence to East Coast Community Healthcare CIC's Safeguarding Children and Adult policies is an essential requirement for all employees as is the participation in related mandatory and statutory safeguarding training.

Please see attached job description for full duties.

Person Specification:

• Master's Degree level or equivalent in Computer Science qualification.
• ITIL v4 Certification or equivalent experience.
• Evidence of Continual Professional Development in relevant field of study.

• Evidence of leading and managing Digital teams, preferably within the healthcare sector.
• Evidence of strong staff management experience.
• Evidence of leading complex programme and project management initiatives.
• Experience of designing and implementing ITIL processes.
• Significant evidence of successfully managing Service Level Agreements.
• Evidence of efficiently managing multiple sub-contract arrangements, including associated suppliers.
• Relevant extensive senior experience in Business Intelligence.
• Substantial recent experience working in NHS Informatics/Performance Management field at a senior level.
• Experience of presenting complex and sometimes challenging messages to large and diverse groups.
• Experience of developing policies and procedures.
• Ability to work within multi-disciplinary teams.
• Detailed knowledge and application of performance management tools and techniques and the development and use of balanced scorecards / dashboards.
• Knowledgeable in risk management and its application to clinical domains.
• In-depth understanding of the ways in which healthcare professionals use information in support of patient care.
• Experience of working with clinicians, managers and other stakeholders outside of the immediate working environment.
• Demonstrable experience of programme management within a structured project environment.
• Extensive experience delivering data warehouse projects.
• Good understanding of SQL Server and associated data warehouse technologies.
• Good knowledge of web content management technologies.
• Good understanding and experience of programming languages.
• Experience of dealing with National NHS organisations such as the Department of Health and CCG's.
• Experience of change management and service redesign.
• Appreciation of the cultural, organisational, professional, and technological issues around IM&T strategies within the NHS.
• Demonstrable success in overcoming resistance to a change in clinical working practices.

• Broad knowledge of information technology, especially the Microsoft suite of business software & systems specific to the NHS.
• Strategic and operational Planning.
• Negotiating.
• Excellent communication skills, able to make and maintain effective work relationships with all stakeholders.
• Excellent organisational skills, able to plan short, medium and long term complex work programmes for self and the team.
• Able to demonstrate an analytical, solutions-based approach to work and team aspects of the role.
• Able to demonstrate effective leadership to team and all relevant stakeholders.
• Knowledge of driving through change and developing an information culture at a senior level.
• Highly developed knowledge of MS SQL Business Intelligence tools including SSMS, SSIS, SSRS.

• Ability to manage fast paced change and transformation programmes.
• Confidence.
• Ability to challenge.
• Personable.
• High level of personal integrity, diplomacy and honesty.
• Ability to work as part of a team and collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders at all levels within and out with the organisation.
• Ability to respond flexibly to meet role requirements and to meet sudden unexpected demands if/when they occur.
• Ability to embrace our Culture, Values and Signature Behaviours: (Compassion - We Listen, We Learn, We Lead | Action - My Accountability, My Responsibility | Respect - Respect Our Resources: People, Time and Money | Everyone - Work Together, Achieve Together).
• Willingness and ability to work across different sites and travel to alternative sites and across the community as required.

• Extensive knowledge of NHS data definitions, standards, data manual and statutory reporting requirements.
• Extensive knowledge of NHS Reporting, data flows, commissioning process, PbR, DH central returns etc and the vital importance of submitting accurate and timely information.
• Knowledge and understanding of NHS policy and its relevance to the work of NHS Performance Management.
• Knowledge of Freedom of Information Legislation, Data Protection Act etc.
• Knowledge of NHS clinical coding.
• Knowledge of Community Services.

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.