Directorate Manager Intermediate Care & ASC in Plymouth

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a highly experienced Adult Social Care leader to join LWSW as Directorate Manager for Adult Social Care Urgent Care & Hospital Discharge Services. This role provides strategic & operational leadership across the Discharge to Assess (D2A) Service & the Integrated Hospital Discharge Team (ASC function). You will ensure adults are supported to leave hospital safely, receive timely assessments in the most appropriate setting, & achieve the best possible outcomes for independence & wellbeing.

Working across organisational boundaries, you will lead multidisciplinary teams & collaborate closely with acute hospitals, community services, primary care, local authority services, independent-sector providers & wider system partners. You will play a key role in shaping & delivering integrated discharge pathways that support flow across the health & care system, while maintaining a strong focus on person-centred care.

You must have extensive senior operational management experience at this level within an ASC role, alongside a strong understanding of ASC legislation & hospital discharge processes. In addition to the portfolio described above, the postholder will undertake core responsibilities of an ASC senior manager & provide leadership cover across services as required. You must be able to lead with credibility & influence effectively at both strategic & operational levels.

Main duties of the job

• Provide leadership & management for all Service managers, Team managers, Matrons & other direct reports/managers within adult, frailty & specialist services (AFSS).
• Accountable to Head of Service for delivery of all operational performance indicators within AFSS (contractual, financial, resources & staff).
• Develop effective working relationships with key partners, Primary Care Networks, Education, People who use our services, Commissioners, Acute Trust, Local Authorities, voluntary sector & staff in order to deliver continuous improvement in AFSS pathways.
• Continually review services & pathways, working with key stakeholders to effectively redesign services & pathways in order that they meet the needs of people, & carers & enable designated services to achieve key performance indicators.
• Manage & deliver services which meet the needs of local people by working to ensure performance standards are met/applied to a high standard across defined populations.
• Implement effective processes for monitoring & managing activity, providing assurance via LSW governance structure for safe & effective service delivery.
• Ensure all complaints, incidents, SIRIs & HR processes are investigated and/or managed appropriately.

This role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route. Please note that we may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline. All staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7 day service.

About us

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of Devon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, and health hubs. As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values, kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and collaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, while empowering staff and those we serve.

We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, in shaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the right time and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people lead healthy, independent lives. We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, training pathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the Care Certificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorship programs ensure a smooth transition into our organisation. Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mental health, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities. If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during the application process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.

Job responsibilities

• Communication and Key Working Relationships

External: Service Users, colleagues in primary care, education, public, voluntary, private sectors acute providers, social care, CCG and NHSE regarding the development of service plans and quality standards. Establish effective communications and working relationships with other services, departments and external agencies, to support the development of services and patient pathways and organisational boundaries in order to support partnership working across Plymouth city, Wider Devon and as part of the NHSE Southwest region.

Internal: Members of the LSW senior Management Team regarding both operational and strategic elements for adult, frailty and specialist services and linking into any relevant community and/or specialist services when needed, e.g. to support transition from children's services to adult provision. Trade Unions and Staff Organisations regarding partnership working as delegated and developing effective communications. Other managers/officers within LSW responsible for Human Resources and policy/operations of Community Service.

Leadership, Policy and Service Development

• To provide the leadership of several service areas including the Service management team with delegated accountability for delivery of the Service contract, key targets, including the outcome measures, performance and operational financial sustainability on behalf of LSW.
• To be part of the LSW Management Team overseeing the delivery and development of services within LSW.
• To be a member of the LSW Management Groups, including senior management team meetings, operations team meeting etc. as required.
• Deputise for Head of Service at relevant meetings as required.
• Build relationships at a local level which deliver the vision for integrated health, education & social care within adult, frailty and specialist services as part of the local system.
• To take lead responsibility for specific projects and prepare and deliver reports and presentations as appropriate to operational and senior management within LSW and externally when required.
• Work with strategic and operational professional leads, service manager, families/carers to ensure, policies, protocols and service development plans are formulated, developed and implemented as part of the wider system delivery and in partnership.
• To promote the principle that people who use our services, and their families / carers, should be at the centre of all we say and do in all contacts and interactions with staff, people who use our services, families/carers, partner organisations and members of the public.

Financial and Physical Resources

• To hold and be responsible and accountable to the Head of Service and Adult Social Care Lead for several devolved health and social care budgets in line with locally managed services.
• To deliver on financial balance and to include financial recovery as required in line with strategic financial plans for Community Service, this includes efficiency savings and financial sustainability.
• To ensure that risk management policies and procedures are implemented, in the defined area, and that risks are managed/mitigated locally or escalated to an appropriate level in the organisation.

Support, Management and Development of Staff

• To be responsible for managing a diverse, multi-disciplinary/multi-agency staff group across a range of service functions.
• To provide effective leadership to all designated teams in order to achieve effective integration and operational management of services.
• To actively work with direct reports to support workforce planning, recruitment and staff development.
• Support staff in identifying and addressing training and development needs in collaboration with the team leaders and the Professional Training and Development Department.
• To implement and maintain the appraisal and supervision standards for the staff in accordance with the organisational policies and procedure and approach.
• Ensure that appropriate action is taken to deal with issues of discipline, grievance, poor performance and sickness in conjunction with team managers.
• To ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of all staff, in reference to the relevant HR and operational policies.

Communication and Relationship Skills

• Lead on service redesign and organisational change with internal and external stakeholders.
• To represent LSW at appropriate forums, local, national and regional to support delivery of service strategies and to promote the organisation.
• To communicate highly complex information to staff, partner organisations and the public. This will involve communicating internally with staff groups and in public forums on behalf of LSW.
• To support Head of Service in liaison with local and national commissioners in order to influence their decisions and enable positive outcomes for provision within Community Service.
• To ensure that people who use our services, and their families/carers, are appropriately involved at all stages of service development and delivery.
• To foster and develop partnership approaches with a number of key partners in order to ensure that services are developed and delivered in a co-ordinated way that is responsive to need and that places individuals at the centre of the care they require.

Decisions and Judgements

• To demonstrate analysis and understanding of highly complex policy, guidance and legislation and interpret to ensure that Best Practice and governance requirements are applied locally.
• Respond appropriately to evidenced outcomes and ensure this is applied to service development and delivery at locality level.

Information Resources

• To utilise performance management information with staff and others as the basis for continuous service improvement.
• To ensure that agreed IT systems are fully implemented and utilised.
• To contribute to the development of appropriate information systems where gaps exist.
• To ensure that clinical governance and other quality assurance systems are in place to ensure patient safety and service quality.

Research & Development

• To learn and understand research in order to inform opportunities for development and improvement to ensure integrated services provide, meet or exceed national standards for performance and innovation where possible.

Freedom to Act

• To operate with a significant degree of autonomy across a wide range of service areas (including health and social care) under the direction of Head of Service, as required to deliver the objectives of LSW.
• To fully deputise for the Head of Service and in their absence, make decisions on their behalf.

Effort and Environment

• Frequent travel across the service/organisation area and some attendance at countywide venues.
• Occasional periods of prolonged concentration may be required when analysing performance information, scrutinising delivery plans, writing reports and formulating future strategies in the context of competing priorities.
• Day to day leadership responsibilities may require the post holder to deal with personal staff issues.
• Ability to demonstrate independence of thought.
• Ability to work effectively in periods of mental/emotional challenge or challenging environments.
• Take responsibility for and able to manage own health and wellbeing.
• Ability to switch tasks as a result of managing a number of strands of work as a result of interruptions and/or arising situations requiring urgent attention.
• To be able to manage highly sensitive information.
• To communicate a range of complex, sensitive and contentious information in a range of formats includes one to one meetings, formal and informal meetings, written reports and electronic communication including small databases.

Communications and Working Relationships

• Head of Service
• Support services within LSW
• Service area Managers
• GPs
• Consultants
• Other Directors and Non-Executive directors
• LSW Commissioners
• Professional leads
• Other Health and Social Care managers
• Education
• VCSE (voluntary community and social enterprise)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR ALL POSTS

The post holder is required to comply with all relevant policies and procedures pertinent to their post. Current versions can be found on the intranet or via your manager. The areas listed below are those Livewell Southwest currently places particular emphasis on. Failure to follow correct policies and procedures may result in disciplinary action.

Risk Management

In accordance with the Risk Management Strategy, employees will participate, whenever required, with the risk management process. They will support line managers by attending mandatory and statutory training, completing incident/accident forms for every adverse event or near miss that occurs, report all defects and complaints, and communicate any dangerous situation to individuals potentially at risk.

Health and Safety at Work

You must co-operate with those in authority and others in meeting the statutory requirements and in following policies and procedures. A copy of the Health and Safety Policy is available from the intranet or from the Risk Management Department. You are reminded that in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 you have a duty to take reasonable care to avoid injury to yourself and to others affected by your work activities. You will be notified where your post carries a requirement for immunization. You may be required to be able to undertake physical intervention training and participate in physical intervention as part of a physical intervention team and Basic Life Support (BLS).

Person Specification

Skills

• Essential: Ability to prepare and present reports for consideration at senior forums.
• Ability to manage contentious and emotive service redesign and organisational change with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to evaluate varied courses of action regarding clinical governance, risk management and service improvement in order to achieve the most effective outcome.
• Able to communicate effectively verbally, adjusting language, style and content as appropriate to the audience, including highly complex, sensitive or contentious information where there may be barriers to understanding.
• Facilitation and influencing skills.
• Able to perform where high levels of concentration are required despite high levels of interruptions.
• Work to tight and conflicting deadlines.
• IT skills including use of Microsoft Office.

Experience

• Essential: Demonstrable management experience working at senior manager level.
• Evidence of effective leadership and management of people, ideally within a Health and/or Social Care environment.
• Evidence of leading and implementing service change and contributing to long term strategies.
• Ability to analyse and evaluate service requirements dependant on client need and organisational context often in highly complex and contentious situations.
• Experience of incorporating patient/user views into the provision of services.
• Significant experience of using audit and analytical skills in option appraisals/service planning.
• Experience of conducting negotiations relating to highly complex matters with other senior managers both internal and external to the organisation.

Desirable

• Accomplished chairperson for meetings local to organisation and county-wide.
• Business case planning.
• Commercial or clinical experience in business development.

Additional Requirements

• Essential: A qualified professional registered with professional body.

Knowledge

• Essential: Knowledge of operational management roles in more than one area/service.
• Knowledge of Health and Social Care system including relevant legislation, guidance and policies.
• Knowledge of Performance management.
• Financial management and business acumen.
• Up to date knowledge of national and local policy within the NHS, Local Authority and other public sector bodies.

Desirable

• Knowledge of both Adult and Children's Social Care.
• Understanding of complaints procedure.
• Understands and familiar with the scheme of delegation.
• Experienced in quality assuring Care Act assessments and placing appropriate challenge without increasing risks to service users.

Qualifications

• Essential: Masters Level qualification in a health related subject with demonstrable management experience working at senior manager level or equivalent level of knowledge gained through significant experience at senior health and/or Social care management level and undertaken recognised management training.

Desirable

• Relevant level of CPD.

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.

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer details

Employer name: Livewell Southwest

Address: 200 Mount Gould Road Mount Gould Plymouth Devon PL4 7PY United Kingdom

Employer's website: https://www.livewellsouthwest.co.uk/