Quality Improvement Lead

Engage with staff and patients to ensure everyone knows about QI and feels empowered and energised to see improving care as a key part of their role.

Build improvement capability through a programme of QI education to enable staff to lead, champion and coach QI activities and initiatives within their teams.

Support teams to deliver focused QI projects and programmes which are co-designed with patients, service-users and the public.

Embed consistent and rigorous improvement methods when addressing all practical problems and strategic opportunities within the organisation.

The post holder will provide expertise in improvement methodology and measurement. They will be responsible for the delivery of a trust-wide QI education programme, provision of support and guidance to staff members conducting QI projects, promoting engagement in QI, monitoring QI activities and outputs and promoting the spread of learning from QI activities to other departments.

The post holder will play an instrumental role in providing corporate leadership and support for a portfolio of improvement projects, promoting clinical engagement in QI amongst our staff and ensuring that learning from QI projects is shared and spread.

The post holder will work with senior leaders in the organisation to develop and enable quality improvement within the Trust.

Main duties of the job:

• Support ongoing development and implementation of the Quality Improvement (QI) strategy and review on a yearly basis.
• Lead on the Whittington Health QI programme.
• Contribute and collaborate on Quality Account Priorities and goals, actively leading on relevant projects that form part of the Quality Account Priorities.
• Provide leadership and improvement expertise for an allocated set of QI projects to maximise engagement, impact and learning.
• Design and deliver teaching in QI on a Trust-wide basis, building organisational QI capacity and capability with other key staff.
• Act as an organisational expert on key elements of the IHI Model for Improvement QI methodology, including use of data and measurement in QI.
• Promote co-design and co-production of QI projects with patients, clients and services users, and foster service-based QI collaborations.
• Seek opportunities to represent the Trust QI function at internal and external events and networks; develop relationships with external QI collaborations and networks.

Working for our organisation:

We have an excellent reputation for being innovative, responsive and flexible to changing clinical needs. We are treating more patients and are dedicated to improving services for our patients.

Our vision: Provide safe, personal, coordinated care for the community we serve.

Our goals: We have six key strategic goals to support people to live longer, healthier lives, including:

• To secure the best possible health and wellbeing for all our community
• To integrate and coordinate care in person-centred teams
• To deliver consistent, high quality, safe services
• To support our patients and users in being active partners in their care
• To be recognised as a leader in medical and multi-professional education and population-based clinical research
• To innovate and continuously improve the quality of our services

Detailed job description and main responsibilities:

• Provide operational QI leadership and expertise across the trust with responsibilities including: leading the QI programme, monitoring and evolving the initiative, defining project boundaries, ensuring patient and public engagement, promoting financial efficiency, using robust data for diagnosis and solution development, planning QI workshops and communication plans, maintaining QI project registers, building QI faculty networks, and collaborating with the Quality Governance team.
• Act as an organisational expert on data and measurement for QI: provide guidance on data use for improvement, coach leaders on data analysis, and support publication of QI work using data.
• Manage QI projects across ICSUs: provide leadership and coaching, design structures to support high-priority projects, create learning events, attend meetings, and work with clinical leaders to define objectives, track metrics, test changes, manage risks, and report progress.
• Design and deliver Trust-wide teaching in QI: develop capacity, teach improvement science and measurement, co-produce teaching materials, evaluate and develop training packages, and adapt Model for Improvement resources.
• Support development and deployment of the QI strategy: prioritise improvement, integrate QI into ICUs’ plans, ensure patient-centred projects with representation, engage stakeholders, and present sensitive information to diverse audiences.
• Represent the QI Programme at internal and external events: coordinate materials, collaborate with Quality Governance and network members, coach and share findings in forums.
• Staff management and development: support staff development, identify training needs, facilitate collaborations, monitor work quality, supervise staff and students, and maintain PDPs.
• Financial Management: assess training needs and procure cost-effective courses, model costs/benefits of QI projects, and manage procurement of supplies.
• General responsibilities: plan and prioritise work to deliver key objectives with awareness of sensitive information.

Person specification:

• Experience relevant to Quality Improvement.
• Experience in teaching Quality Improvement.
• Experience of working with managers and clinicians at a senior level.
• Well-developed leadership skills.
• Practice change through evidence or research base.
• Experience of change management.
• Experience of multi-disciplinary working.
• Innovative approach to practice.
• Adaptable and responsive to change.
• Understand quality assurance and clinical competencies.

• Masters level education or equivalent experience.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Evidence or experience of Quality Improvement.
• Formal education in Quality Improvement.
• Highly developed leadership, negotiation and coaching skills.
• Teaching qualification.

• Knowledge and understanding of Quality Improvement.
• Ability to analyse data for QI activity planning and provision.
• Knowledge of current evidence-based practice and professional issues.
• IT skills and ability to support IT system implementation and reporting.
• Influencing, facilitating and negotiation skills.
• Advisory capability for revision of systems and processes affecting documents.
• Ability to develop and interpret strategic and operational service plans.
• Ability to audit and monitor the Quality Improvement strategy and policies.
• Ability to write comprehensive reports for assurance committees and the Trust board.
• Demonstrable leadership skills and knowledge of Quality Account.

• Ability to work to tight deadlines and prioritise.
• Take responsibility for professional development.
• Interest and enthusiasm for developing the role.
• Motivational, influencing and negotiating skills at all levels.
• High level of interpersonal skills.
• Innovative and adaptable to change.
• Extensive professional network and collaboration ability.
• Team player with effective relationship-building.
• Self-motivated and organised; maintain own PDP.

SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN AND ADULTS: To comply with safeguarding policies, staff have a duty to safeguard and promote welfare. This includes familiarity with relevant child and adult protection procedures, information sharing protocols, reporting lines, required training, and professional boundaries. Whittington Health is committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults.