Performance Lead in North East

The post holder will support the development, implementation and continuous improvement of a robust performance management framework aligned to Our Journey To Change, ensuring delivery of regulatory and contractual priorities. This includes supporting effective reporting systems to enable accountability and achievement of standards. The post holder will be expected to provide assurance, highlight variances and bring performance issues to the attention of the Senior Performance Manager. This will be facilitated by collating data from various sources and will involve direct communication with managers and clinicians. They will ensure that reports produced represent an accurate reflection of performance and meet timescales imposed, analysing and interpreting the information when required. The post holder will engage and share information on their work with colleagues in the Team to promote joined up work and sharing of best practice. They will assist and deputise, where appropriate, for the Senior Performance Manager. The post-holder will be allocated a specific service area or focused work within the team; however, will be expected to interchange when required.

Main duties of the job:

• Support the development and delivery of a suite of timely performance reports for all levels of the organisation as directed by the Senior Performance Manager.
• This includes working directly with managers and clinicians to ensure processes are in place which gives the Trust Board appropriate assurances on delivery of its key performance targets, including the development of action plans to improve performance.
• Present performance information appropriate to the intended audience and proactively support the delivery of standards by sharing good practice, identifying areas of risk and alerting the relevant managers of any issues.
• Support the development of performance information at Care Group/speciality level by providing support to staff to enable them to access and use performance information in their roles.
• Use a range of descriptive and analytical statistical techniques.
• Support the development and implementation of multi-agency performance frameworks where the Trust is the main provider by ensuring effective processes are in place to monitor and manage performance.
• Ensure all external mandatory performance returns represent an accurate reflection of performance and meet timescales imposed, analysing and interpreting the information where necessary.

Job responsibilities:

• Patient contact will be an incidental part of this post and will generally occur when patients are involved or observed by the post holder as part of a service development/improvement event.
• Support the development, implementation and promotion of a robust corporate performance management framework which is aligned to and underpins the Our Journey To Change and forms part of the Trust's Performance Management Framework.
• Support the retention of business and constructive stakeholder relationships by providing regular reports on performance to commissioners and partners.
• Provide quality, comprehensive and professional performance management advice and support to the Trust.
• Support services and directorates with designing and managing a range of complex performance systems, including developing dashboards, routine monitoring of KPIs, development of performance reports and development of metrics to support the business planning process.
• Represent Strategy and Transformation Directorate as required at both internal and external meetings including deputising for the Senior Performance Manager.

Responsibilities for information:

• Support the implementation and management of corporate performance systems, supported by ICT, which increases the effectiveness of the performance management framework.
• May be required to take on the role of Information Asset Administrator, or to deputise for the holder of this role.

Policy Development:

• Provide advice on the interpretation of national policy and health related assessments to identify performance management implications for the Trust, ensuring they are communicated effectively to the Senior Performance Manager.
• Comment on policies and procedures which may include representing Strategy and Transformation Directorate on corporate groups developing or being consulted on such development.

Service Development Responsibilities:

• Undertake complex analysis of performance data to identify benchmarked performance and trends, assessing where service improvement activity is required.
• Preparation of complex performance information can involve simultaneously achieving conflicting deadlines, requiring multitasking over periods of intense and prolonged concentration.
• Make judgements involving complex facts or situations, requiring the analysis, interpretation and comparison of a range of options.
• Provide support for service reviews, service redesign and service improvement projects where required.
• Identify specialist performance management tools and techniques that actively promote a range of improvement tools, including benchmarking, to promote a culture of excellence.
• Responsible for designing and/or taking part in Strategy and Transformation process/service improvement activity, including monitoring of progress against milestones and outcomes.

Responsibilities for financial resources:

• Observe personal duty of care in relation to equipment and resources used in the course of their work.

Responsibilities for physical resources:

• Safeguard equipment issued, such as laptops, to enable performance of role.

People management, training and development:

• Influence individuals and groups of clinical and non-clinical managers by facilitating discussions and presenting on complex, sensitive and often contentious information with a view to overcoming through negotiation, persuasion and reassurance significant barriers to acceptance.
• Provide support and development to increase the ability of individuals and teams to access, interpret and use performance management information.
• This includes provision of training both formally and informally to staff across the organisation to increase knowledge and awareness of the performance management agenda.

Research, Audit & Governance:

• Provide support and guidance on the use of qualitative research for performance reporting and providing analysis from a variety of sources including survey results.
• Engage and work with the Clinical Audit Team to ensure they can support the Trust's performance requirements including the delivery of performance information.

Freedom to Act:

• Guided by general health, organisational or broad occupational policies, but in most situations the post holder will need to establish the way in which these should be interpreted.
• Work to objectives set by the Senior Performance Manager, but have regard to the operational requirements of Strategy and Transformation Directorate.
• Expected to negotiate deadlines that allow satisfaction of objectives of the Corporate Performance Team and the wider Directorate but where this is not possible to alert those post holders in an appropriate and informed way to allow for negotiations around conflicting priorities to take place.
• Plan own day-to-day work, allocating time efficiently to ensure deadlines are met, prioritising work through forward planning and discussions with the Senior Performance Manager to resolve capacity and scheduling issues.
• Electronic diaries will be used to facilitate this, and the post holder is also responsible for communicating their work priorities, issues and locations to the Senior Performance Manager and others within the Strategy and Transformation Directorate.

Communication:

• Communicate to a high standard using written reports and verbal presentations (including the use of electronic and non-electronic visual aids) providing clear explanations and transmitting factual information.
• Communicate effectively with a wide range of people, including Directors, Clinicians and managers at all levels.
• Must be able to persuade others to take action that they would not otherwise have taken.
• This includes using negotiation skills effectively, seeking win-win agreements (understanding and empathy with others positions, views and needs), and taking the Trust values and compact into account.
• Must be able to deal with situations of conflict in a calm and professional manner, while continuing to state the needs of the organisation and the evidence behind their views.

Other requirements:

• May be required to undertake other duties commensurate with the role and/or band as required by business need, not specified in the job description.
• May be required to work in locations other than those specified in the job description as required by business need.
• Act professionally in emotionally charged environments, for example, when imparting information, either welcome or unwelcome, at all levels of the Trust and our partner organisations.
• Maintain confidentiality of information at all times.
• Act at all times in the best interest of patients/clients.

Person Specification:

• Educated to degree level (or significant experience coupled with achievement that indicates degree-level ability) in a performance management role.
• Experience in a performance management role.
• Experience of performance management frameworks and processes in a large complex organisation.
• Experience with Microsoft applications.
• Experience of influencing people who were not directly line managed to take action.

Skills & Knowledge:

• Specialist knowledge of performance management frameworks, processes and improvement tools.
• Highly developed analytical skills to analyse a range of complex performance issues and results which require interpretation and comparison.
• Ability to make judgements on whether performance appears reasonable in order to determine whether further action or intervention is required to achieve targets.
• Excellent IT skills, particularly in relation to creating, formatting and manipulating databases and spreadsheets.
• Excellent numeric skills.
• Excellent communication skills including the ability to present performance information both verbally and in writing.
• Good organisational skills with the ability to prioritise and meet deadlines.
• Ability to influence and negotiate with managers and clinicians.
• Knowledge of the NHS performance agenda.
• Knowledge of regulatory bodies and their requirements, e.g. Care Quality Commission.
• Awareness of the environment in which a Foundation Trust operates.
• Understanding of statistical concepts.

Personal Attributes:

• Ability to work either in a team or under one's own initiative.
• Strong interpersonal skills with an ability to maintain good relationships.
• Motivation and enthusiasm for the role.
• Reliable and Flexible.
• Able to work within and model the Trust's values/behaviours.
• Demonstrating personal responsibility and sound personal organisation, able to prioritise and collaborate at appropriate times.
• Able to work independently with minimal direction and supervision, within a set framework/boundaries.
• Innovative, with a desire to maximise opportunities for developing the efficiency and effectiveness of the individual, the team, the directorate, and the Trust.
• Able to face varying demands - frequently requiring intense concentration and effort to deliver multiple objectives/conflicting priorities.
• Able to challenge poor performance in a constructive way - to act as a critical friend.
• Able to think strategically and balance "big picture" requirements against more urgent and detailed operational detail.
• Evidence of commitment to self-development.

Other:

• Mentally able to regularly concentrate for prolonged periods of time when checking and analysing data including physically able to work most of the day at a computer workstation.
• Ability to travel independently in accordance with Trust policies and service need (this is likely to involve travel to sites across the whole area served by TEWV, but other destinations may also be necessary).
• Able to work from home.

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.