Head of Improvement
Job overview
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust's (MFT) mission is "Working together to improve the health and quality of life of our diverse population by building an organisation that excels in quality, safety, patient experience, research, innovation and teaching, that MFT attracts, develops and retains great people and is recognised internationally as a leading healthcare provider".
Having recently brought together a single Improvement Team, as part of MFT's new operating model, we are looking to recruit an experienced Head of Improvement to join us on the next phase of our improvement journey and to support the organisation to improve health outcomes and experience for our patients/carers and staff.The role will be aligned to one of the six clinical groups within MFT, leading a small team of Improvement Advisors and Support Officers and working in collaboration with corporate and Clinical Group teams to plan and deliver agreed improvement priorities, develop the capacity and capability for improvement within their clinical group as well as leading a high-priority improvement programme across the organisation.
At MFT our people are our greatest asset, and this post will play a supportive role in the development of the skills and infrastructure to build a culture of continuous improvement within the whole quality management system.
Main duties of the job
The Head of Improvement is a key member of the Improvement Leadership Team. Championing improvement and transformation, you will set the tone for change by spurring enthusiasm for the overall improvement agenda. You will bring your improvement and leadership knowledge and experience to lead the delivery of the clinical group's improvement programme, which targets measurable enhancements in service quality, operations, workforce efficiency, and financial performance, train staff on improvement methodologies, set and monitor goals, and ensure objectives are achieved.
Leadership responsibilities include managing the Clinical Group Improvement Team, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and ensuring alignment with MFT’s strategic goals and values. The role also involves engaging with stakeholders to set the direction of improvement programmes, managing complex analysis and decision-making, and contributing to the development of communication strategies.Promoting patient and carer involvement in improvement initiatives and ensuring that improvements align with MFT’s values and mission are also critical components of this role.
Applicants will be improvement experts having gained experience ideally in an NHS organisation. An enthusiastic individual with an inquisitive mind, we are looking for candidates motivated, by pace, scale, and creativity who like to question the way things are done and who can identify innovative ways to develop systems, processes, and people to achieve effective levels of performance, effectiveness and engagement.
This role offers an outstanding opportunity to an experienced improvement leader who can support the Trust's teams to help create the change and translate our improvement and transformational aspirations into practical actions and results for our people.
Working for our organisation
MFT is one of the largest NHS Trusts in England with a turnover of £2.8bn & is on a different scale than most other NHS Trusts. We’re creating an exceptional integrated health & social care system for the 1 million patients who rely on our services every year.
Bringing together 10 hospitals & community services from across Manchester, Trafford & beyond, we champion collaborative working & transformation, encouraging our 30,000 workforce to pursue their most ambitious goals. We set standards that other Trusts seek to emulate so you’ll benefit from a scale of opportunity that is nothing short of extraordinary.
We’ve also created a digitally enabled organisation to improve clinical quality, patient & staff experience, operational effectiveness & driving research, and innovation through the introduction of Hive; our Electronic Patient Record system which launched in September 2022.
We’re proud to be a major academic Research Centre & Education provider, providing you with a robust infrastructure to encourage and facilitate high-quality research programmes. What’s more, we’re excited to be embarking on our Green Plan which sets out how MFT continues to play its part in making healthcare more sustainable.
At MFT, we create and foster a culture of inclusion and belonging, provide equal opportunities for career development that are fair, open, and transparent, protecting your health and wellbeing and shaping the future of our organisation together.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities- To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience you’ll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the ‘Supporting Documents’ heading. So that you’re even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, you’ll need to take time to read the ‘Candidate Essentials Guide’ that sits with the Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides you with details about the Trust, our benefits and outlines how ‘we care for you as you care for others’. Most importantly, it also contains critical information you’ll need to be aware of before you submit an application form.
Diversity Matters
MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating, and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post.As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, email our team at [email protected].
We’re looking forward to hearing from you!
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria- Master’s Degree and/or equivalent level of knowledge acquired through practical experience in the delivery of organisational improvement/transformation
- Relevant accredited improvement training or evidence of applied improvement science to work.
- Coaching qualification
- Project management qualification
Skills/Knowledge
Essential criteria- Clear evidence of leading and driving major Improvement programmes with successful outcomes using improvement methodologies, including delivering a significant improvement programme in a health or care setting
- Evidence of delivering training
- Experience of analysing, interpreting, and reporting on information to identify and manage opportunities for improvement and identifying solutions to identified problem/areas for improvement
- Significant experience of working with senior and external stakeholders
- Successful track record of delivering in complex environments.
- Ability to plan and implement a major programme from conception through to completion
- Knowledge of the NHS and care sector