Dental Clinical Strategy Lead

Job summary

The Dental Strategy Clinical lead will work as part of a dynamic team providing leadership and expertise to design, develop and implement strategic plans to improve dental provision across Kent and Medway. Successful candidates would be expected to engage with dental practices, community and acute providers and the wider ICB team to improve the quality and effectiveness of the dental provision in the county. From 1 July 2022, NHS Kent and Medway assumed delegated responsibility for dental, general ophthalmic services and pharmaceutical services. The Clinical lead will carry out a critical role in shaping and supporting the ICB by helping to ensure high quality, safe and efficient improvements to dental care are completed in line with the Kent and Medway Primary Care Strategy and broader Integrated Care System and Southeast regional strategies. We are looking for someone who is passionate about improving the quality of NHS dentistry and how dentistry is integrated into the wider primary care and integrated care systems. We are looking to recruit a strategic dental lead at a Kent and Medway system level to help inform our strategic approach to the future commissioning of NHS dental services and to further develop the opportunities for collaboration and development among General Dental Service contractors.

Main duties of the job

1. Provide solution focused, dental clinical leadership and dental clinical expertise to inform the future commissioning of primary dental care services.
2. Play a critical role in shaping and supporting the ICB by inputting to the development and implementation of local system plans to progress the ICB's approach to the commissioning of NHS dental services and the design and implementation of the Primary Care Strategy for Kent and Medway.
3. Engage with and represent the General Dental Service providers in the commissioning of high-quality NHS dental services.
4. Work with dental practices, the Kent Local Dental Committee (LDC), the Kent, Surrey, Sussex Local Dental Network (LDN), the ICB Primary Care Commissioning Team, the Southeast Pharmacy, Optometry and Dental (SE POD) Commissioning Hub Dental Team and other NHS providers across the wider ICS to drive innovation and continuous improvement to improve the quality and effectiveness of NHS dental services and to improve access to NHS dental care enabling a more consistent offer of high quality, patient-centred services to be delivered to people living in Kent and Medway.
5. Provide dental advice and expertise to support ICB and SE POD Hub staff when responding to dental communications (for example when responding to media enquiries or addressing complaints).
6. Work with the SE POD Commissioning Hub Dental Team and the ICB POD Team to develop and improve communications with the Dental profession across Kent and Medway.

About us

Would you like to work flexibly? In the NHS, we are reminded every day of how important life is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us, for our patients and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement which will not mean sacrificing time for personal interests or family commitments. We aim to support you to work flexibly in a way that will suit you and us.

We work with staff to agree objectives through regular supervision, annual appraisal, and access to training opportunities.

We are committed to equal opportunities and diversity. In order to reflect the diversity of our population, we positively encourage applications from all areas of the community regardless of gender, race, faith, disability, age or sexual orientation.

Person Specification

Qualifications and experience

• Registered dental practitioner with current General Dental Council registration.
• Currently on the NHS performers list as a registered dentist.
• A practicing performer who works a minimum of 2 clinical sessions per week, ideally in Kent and Medway.
• Experienced clinician with credibility and the ability to command the respect of clinical dental teams and non-clinical professionals.
• Extensive knowledge of specialist areas, acquired through post graduate diploma or equivalent experience or training plus further specialist knowledge or experience to master's level equivalent.

Attributes

• Able to persuade board and senior managers of the respective merits of different options, innovation, and new market opportunities.
• Ability to build trusted relationships with dental clinical teams in Kent and Medway and across the Southeast.
• Ability to develop effective and mutually supportive relationships with key partners across Kent and Medway and across the Southeast.

Competencies

• Must be able to provide and receive highly complex, sensitive or contentious information, negotiate with senior stakeholders on difficult and controversial issues, and present complex and sensitive information to large and influential groups.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration.

Employer details

Employer name: NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board
Address: Gail House, Maidstone, ME15 6NB