Healthcare Inequalities Support Specialist
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Support Officer to join the NHS Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Health Inequalities Team. This role will support the Health Inequalities Team and broader NHS to reduce the health inequalities that exist within our system through the coordination of a broad and diverse range of programmes and initiatives.
The NHS Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin ICB Health Inequalities Team are responsible for driving forward, facilitating and having oversight of change in relation to our Healthcare Inequality and Greener NHS Agendas. Our role as a system convenor is to enable the system, through our strategic function, to collaboratively reduce inequalities in access, experience and outcomes from healthcare services in partnership with our broader ICS system partners.
We act as ambassadors for change, focused on ensuring that the outcomes of under-represented communities in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin are at the very centre of local strategy, commissioning and service delivery.
Main duties of the job
The prospective candidate will be working within a newly developed team and will be responsible for providing comprehensive coordination and support to progress and assist the successful delivery of objectives and activities relating to the core ICB function of tackling inequalities in outcomes, experience and access.They must therefore have proven experience in providing project support in a healthcare setting and the ability to solve problems, making adjustments if targets are not being met. The individual will be expected to be highly motivated and have the ability to work on their own initiative, organise their own workload without supervision and work to often tight and dynamic timescales.
The role will require collaborative working with a wide range of key stakeholders from across the Integrated Care System (ICS) and a high degree of computer literacy, including comprehensive knowledge of Microsoft Office applications and the ability to analyse and present information in appropriate formats.
The post holder should be an effective organiser, able to work under pressure at times and demonstrate good team player skills to support projects. They should also have the ability to propose changes which may have an impact across the local health economy.
Working for our organisation
The NHS is the biggest employer in Europe which is full of challenges and opportunities.
NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board is responsible for planning and buying a wide range of health and care services for the whole of Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. These include GP and primary care services, hospital care, community healthcare and mental health services.We also have a duty to monitor these services to ensure they provide a high level of care and are value for money.
We are part of Shropshire Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care System. This means we work closely with our partner organisations across the county, such as the two local authorities, the 50 GP practices, the hospitals, and the voluntary and community sector, to plan and deliver joined up health and care services.
Our Values and Behaviours
We embody compassion, respect, drive, and integrity in our unique role within the STW health and care system. We value diverse contributions, drawing on the expertise and experience of local people, staff and partners, alongside high-quality intelligence to serve our communities effectively.
Agile Working
NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin currently have an agile working policy, with a combination of working from home and an expectation that at least 40% of the working week will be spent working in the office.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities- To work as part of the Health Inequalities Team, supporting processes and projects within the scope of the national Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme and Greener NHS Agenda’s.
- To support the team to ensure the portfolio of tasks is planned, managed and delivered effectively.
- To assist in the development and maintenance of the standards of project management templates and processes within the team, including Programme and Project Plans, timelines, Risk Registers and Highlight Reports. This will require advanced key words skills, use of Microsoft office tools, including the creation and manipulation of documents within excel, and the use of various IT systems as commissioned by the Integrated Care Board e.g. PMO software.
- To maintain effective communication across the team in understanding timescales and milestones which impact upon strategic or programme plans and escalating risk, issues or delays where appropriate.
- To prepare and produce reports and presentations for audiences ranging from members of the public to senior personnel working at a strategic level.
- To support the team to complete system implementation plans, quarterly assurance reports, NHS England returns, evaluation reports and other ad-hoc reporting and presentations, as appropriate.
- To lead on smaller-scale, internal team projects with supervision and support from senior members of the Health Inequalities Team.
- To contribute to the development of Schedule 2N of the NHS Provider Standard Contract, performance monitoring frameworks and Service Specifications alongside the Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Contracts Management Team.
- To support the Healthcare Inequalities Manager through work with local Business Intelligence, Analytics and Data Leads to develop and analyse complex reports which capture the relevant metrics associated with health inequalities, meeting our legal responsibilities to collect, analyse and publish information on Health Inequalities and to enable the effective planning, monitoring and recording of progress against our priorities.
- To act as a source of advice and guidance on the use of data and intelligence to support inequality-focused interventions, including but not limited to datasets developed by local Business Intelligence and Population Health Analytics and a range of nationally available data such as the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities.
- To contribute to the development of key performance indicators and impact metrics for successful assessment of performance.
- To be responsible for timely and accurate information gathering and analysis to support the delivery of identified programmes of work and the development of Business Cases, financial bids or other external applications, for review and approval by the Integrated Care Board (ICB).
- To analyse project or programme data and performance and ensure contingency plans are in place, where necessary.
- To undertake complex audits related to relevant programmes of work which require analysis, interpretation or a comparison of a range of options.
- To recommend decisions on a range of complex issues where there may be more than one course of action.
- Support the organisation and coordination of webinars, events, workshops or other informative sessions (virtual and face-to-face) in terms of pre-planning and on-the-day execution.
- To organise, support and participate in relevant steering group meetings by coordinating diaries of key stakeholders, drafting formal documentation (Agendas, Terms of Reference, Governance Charts) and supporting progress against actions.
- To participate in working groups, programme boards and other forums to provide information and analytical advice to senior managers.
- Monitoring, recording and reporting of decisions, actions, risks and issues to meeting Chairs or Programme Managers, as required.
- To produce clear visual material and data for use in reports, briefings, training and internal/external meetings.
- To undertake scoping and carry out web and publication-based research on strategic and service development/ transformation issues as directed.
- To negotiate with and motivate workstream delivery, including linking in with other initiatives.
- Collate up-to-date sources of information such as developing data sources, training opportunities, regional and national webinars etc. which will be disseminated to system stakeholders.
- Working with a range of stakeholders across the Integrated Care System (ICS) to capture case studies and learn best practice for dissemination and uploading to the local system intranet.
- Maintain and utilise the Prevention and Health Inequalities SharePoint as a central space for guidance and resources and support in disseminating up to date resources, events, publications and updates from the NHS England Health Inequalities and Greener NHS Teams to support local organisations in progressing actions.
- Develop and maintain effective relationships with key system stakeholders from across the Integrated Care System (ICS), ensuring that there is sufficient patient and public involvement in the transformation of, or changes to services with the support of the Integrated Care Board’s (ICBs) Communications and Engagement Team, to meet the ICBs legislative responsibility to involve patients and the public.
- Liaison with a wide range of clinical, administrative and managerial staff to offer advice in support of successful project delivery which applies consideration to existing or potential health and healthcare inequality.
- To review working practices and suggest improvements, ensuring continual quality improvement.
- To provide and receive highly complex, sensitive and contentious information.
- To maintain continuing personal development on subject matter expertise and technical skills to ensure a strong service transformation and outcomes-based ethos is delivered.
Person specification
Knowledge, skills and experience
Essential criteria- Educated to degree level in relevant subject or equivalent level of experience of working at a similar level in specialist area
- Knowledge and expertise of health inequalities, and standard healthcare functions
- Demonstrated experience of coordinating projects or programmes in complex and challenging environments
- Understanding of the public sector
- Evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development
- Comprehensive knowledge of project principles, techniques, and tools, such as Prince 2 Foundation and Microsoft Project
Communication
Essential criteria- Clear communicator with excellent writing, report writing and presentation skills; capable of constructing and delivering clear ideas and concepts concisely and accurately for diverse audiences
- Skills for nurturing key relationships and maintaining networks.
- Skills for communication on complex matters and difficult situations, requiring persuasion and influence
Analytical
Essential criteria- Ability to analyse and interpret information, pre-empt and evaluate issues, and recommend and appropriate course of action to address the issues
- Problem solving skills and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands
Planning
Essential criteria- Previous experience in project management and planning
- Demonstrates excellent organisational skills, and an ability to prioritise and to work to deadlines.
Autonomy
Essential criteria- Highly motivated and able to work on own initiative using personal judgement without supervision, to tight and often changing timescales, whilst demonstrating good team player skills.
** Please Note **
In event of exceptionally high levels of response, we reserve the right to close the post before the date stated above in order to prevent the number of applications received being unmanageable. You are advised to submit your completed application form as soon as possible to have the best chance of being considered.