Head of Capacity and Flow

Job description

We are proud to provide 'Outstanding' care and be a great place to work.

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust provides safe, compassionate and high quality hospital and community care to the half a million people living in East Sussex and those who visit our local area.

We are one of the largest organisations in East Sussex with an annual income of £700 million and we are the only integrated provider of acute and community care in Sussex.

Our extensive health services are provided by over 8,000+ dedicated members of staff working from two acute hospitals in Hastings and Eastbourne, three community hospitals in Bexhill, Rye and Uckfield, over 100 community sites across East Sussex, and in people's own homes.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated us as 'Good' overall, and 'Outstanding' for being Caring and Effective. The Conquest Hospital in Hastings and our Community Services were rated 'Outstanding' and Eastbourne DGH was rated 'Good' Our two acute hospitals have Emergency Departments and provide 24 hour a day care, offering a comprehensive range of surgical, medical, outpatient and maternity services, supported by a full range of diagnostic and therapy services.

Job overview

Head of Capacity and Flow (Cross site) is responsible for ensuring Trust capacity is used to maximum efficiency whilst maintaining safety and quality at all times. The post holder will be the management lead for the site and patient flow across the sites. This will include both Emergency and Elective flows and ensuring strong oversight of discharge plans on a daily basis. The Head of Site Management will work collaboratively with Divisional teams, departments and external partners to provide assurance that robust systems for site and patient flows are in place and that high quality patient-led services are delivered consistently. In collaboration with Divisional teams the post holder will ensure Trust wide operational priorities are identified and delivered on a daily basis with robust plans from the Division for out of hours particularly.

The post holder will be responsible for the oversight and the patient flow remit will include oversight of timely patient access to assessment areas from ED, access to specialty wards along with close liaison with the discharge hubs. This is a crucial role working closely with teams both internally and externally to deliver key Trust objectives in meeting patient access standards and safe discharge to the community with partners. The post holder will jointly lead the site team, ensuring that all aspects of the service provided meet the objectives established for this team at all times.

Main duties of the job

• To be familiar with and adhere to the policies and procedures of the Trust. • Behave and act at all times in accordance with the Trust Values.
• To achieve and demonstrate agreed standards of personal and professional development within agreed timescales.
• To participate fully in the performance and development review (appraisal) process and undertake Continuing Professional Development as required.
• To participate in surveys and audits as necessary in order to enable the Trust to meet its statutory requirements.
• To be aware of the Trust's emergency planning processes and follow such processes as necessary, in the event of an unexpected incident.
• This job description is not exhaustive. Staff may be required to undertake any other duties at the request of the line manager, which are commensurate with the band, including project work, internal job rotation and absence cover.

Working for our organisation

A wide range of staff benefits are available to our staff including staff development, enrolment in the NHS pension scheme, auto-enrolment to our Temporary Workforce Service, access to onsite nurseries. staff restaurants and accommodation.

In addition to an internal Occupational Health department, all staff also have access to free psychological support through our confidential Employee Assistance Programme. Onsite parking is available from only £50 a year.

There has never been a better time to join East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, submit your application today.

Statement on the Use of AI

We value the individuality that each candidate brings to the application process. While we understand that AI tools are widely available, we strongly discourage applicants from using AI-generated content when applying for jobs with us. We believe that your application should reflect your true skills, experiences, and motivations, which are best conveyed through your own words and unique perspective.

Using AI for your application may not accurately represent your knowledge, skills, and experience and may result in a disconnect between your qualifications and our assessment of your application.

We encourage applicants to take the time to thoughtfully complete their applications; by doing so, you allow us to better understand your true potential and ensure a fair and transparent evaluation of your application. Over reliance on AI-generated content may diminish your chance of success.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see attached Job Description for further details.

For further questions please do not hesitate to reach out.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Relevant clinical qualification BSc or first degree in nursing / health related subject
• Relevant post registration clinical qualification
• Management qualification or equivalent level of experience
• Masters degree or equivalent level of experience and knowledge

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience at a senior level in relevant practice
• Experience of managing site and discharge teams
• Prior achievement in devising effective strategies to manage patient flow
• Evidence of operational and budget management
• Experience of cross organisational working with partner agencies (ie with CCG/LA colleagues and voluntary sector
• Evidence of leading successful teams
• Evidence of professional leadership
• Experience of managing practice performance
• Evidence of implementing innovative practice
• Evidence of working and managing across all disciplines

Desirable criteria

• Previous experience in a comparable NHS role

Skills

Essential criteria

• Good working knowledge of Clinical Governance and patient quality initiatives
• Current knowledge of health policy and national priorities.
• Knowledge of developments in healthcare, including patient safety, patient flows improvement programmes
• Knowledge of workforce/nursing developments, patient flows and discharge
• Excellent interpersonal skills and team work
• Evidence of effective verbal and written communication skills
• Evidence of complex problem solving skills and ability to effectively prioritise own and others workload
• Ability to influence and persuade others in the promotion of quality patient care
• Ability to resolve conflict
• Ability to make decisions and be accountable for them
• Expertise in the management of patient flows (site and discharge)
• Ability to work across professional and organisational boundaries as a key enabler for emergency care delivery
• A working understanding of delivering the NHS constitutional standards (4 hour Emergency Care standard, 18 weeks RTT and prioritising cancer access for patients)
• Ability to compile, analyse and disseminate complex information.
• Ability to plan own and teams workload and manage time efficiently
• Highly motivated
• Positive attitude
• Proactive approach
• Lateral thinking

Patients come first at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.

Our vision is to be:

• The healthcare provider of first choice for the people of East Sussex.

Our mission is to:

• Deliver better health outcomes and an excellent experience for everyone we provide with healthcare services.

Our strategic objectives are to:

• Improve quality and clinical outcomes by ensuring that safe patient care is our highest priority.
• Play a leading role in local partnerships to meet the needs of our local population and improve and enhance patients' experiences.
• Use our resources efficiently and effectively for the benefit of our patients and their care to ensure our services are clinically, operationally and financially sustainable.

Our aims are that all services delivered by the Trust are:

• Safe
• Effective
• Caring
• Responsive and
• Well led

Employer certification / accreditation badges