Deputy Head of Neonatal Nursing

As the deputy Clinical Nurse and Professional Leader for the Single Neonatal Services, the post holder will be responsible for the provision of safe, quality and effective services across the Neonatal Services provided by the Liverpool Neonatal Partnership across two Acute NHS Trusts (Liverpool Women's and Alder Hey Children's Hospital) as well as day to day management of the Neonatal Service.

You will support the Head of Neonatal nursing to ensure the service provides the highest standards of professional practice, budgetary and performance management, and service improvement at all times, driving quality in our services to ensure outstanding patient care is at the heart of all we do.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will deputise for the Head of Neonatal Nursing (HONN) and carry corporate and professional responsibility and accountability for neonatal services across the Liverpool Neonatal Partnership. With the Head of Neonatal Nursing, the post holder will contribute to the development and review of Neonatal services business strategy so addressing and meeting the needs of the public, service's commissioners, the Board's vision and priorities, North West Neonatal Operational Delivery Networks and wider requirements.

Together with the Head of Neonatal Nursing, the deputy HONN supports the Chief nurses at LWH and Alder Hey Children's Hospital with the delivery of wider corporate professional agenda, including the development of innovative strategies to enable a strong and empowered workforce at all levels that is fit for purpose and equipped to deliver excellence in care standards. This also includes securing the workforce for the future.

The deputy HONN will be accountable for the operational management Neonatal care in the Liverpool Neonatal Partnership working with the HONN and Divisional General Manager.

Job responsibilities

1. Develop and lead a strong and effective management and leadership team within the Liverpool Neonatal Partnership.
2. Provide visible and up-to-date professional leadership to Neonatal Matron, Neonatal Nurses and Educators, Nurse Associates, ANNPs and support workers.
3. Develop new and innovative models of Neonatal care in consultation with HONN aligned to evidenced based practice, innovation and changes to neonatal services.
4. Ensure Neonatal Nurses are suitably qualified and maintain professional registration in order to deliver safe care.
5. Ensure safe standards of Neonatal care of the highest quality are delivered so that the clinical governance objectives of the Liverpool Neonatal Partnership and both trusts are fully met.
6. Lead the development of strong and effective management and clinical teams within all areas of responsibility.
7. Create an environment in which neonatal staff feel properly valued and supported in practice.
8. Ensure that clinical governance is given the highest profile within the sphere of responsibility.
9. Be a practicing registered nurse or midwife and establish and maintain own clinical practice pattern.
10. Take overall responsibility for ensuring that neonatal services have a robust risk management framework.
11. Ensure embedding of learning from risk management and clinical governance, serious incidents after action reviews, patient complaints, or clinical risks are reflected in changes to clinical practice.
12. Lead and initiate a regular audit programme of neonatal care and associated standards and ensure that any issues highlighted are addressed and lessons learnt are embedded within the service.
13. Lead work on the extended scope of practice and multi-disciplinary working and evidence-based practice.
14. Facilitate the delivery of all development projects within their scope of corporate and operational management, including initiating and evaluating patient satisfaction surveys.
15. Promote and identify infants health needs.
16. Ensure the service families and babies receive are appropriate, accessible when they need them and are delivered in a manner which respects their privacy, dignity and individuality.
17. Champion user involvement in shaping the neonatal service through active membership of the Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership.
18. Work with the Director of Infection Prevention and Control and team to ensure that the prevention and control of infection is a top priority for the Trusts and Liverpool Neonatal Partnership workforce.
19. Work with Communication Teams as required representing the Trusts and LNP in a variety of media settings (for example, broadcast and written media).
20. Support the delivery of the Annual Business Plan to include the corporate, financial, performance, governance and workforce targets.
21. Prepare the vision and strategy for the Liverpool Neonatal Partnership and its alignment with business planning cycle.
22. Ensure that there is a robust workforce plan for neonatal and support staff in neonatal services which include plans for proactive recruitment (aligned with BAPM nursing standards), retention of staff, succession planning.
23. Meet corporate targets for budget management, patient activity and quality standards required to meet NHS plan.
24. Provide operational day to day support to senior staff within the clinical areas and support teams.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Registered Nurse or Midwife
• Degree in Nursing or health related subject or equivalent
• ENB 998/997 or equivalent teaching
• Qualification in Neonatal Intensive Care (QIS / 405)

Desirable

• Masters level Study

Experience
Essential

• Broad range of clinical experience acquired through a minimum of 3 years practice at a senior level in an acute environment.
• Experience of leading teams and holding colleagues to account.
• Evidence of ability to work across professional teams and organisational boundaries.
• Highly developed communication skills with the ability to communicate on highly complex matters and difficult situations.
• Ability to provide and receive, convey and present highly complex, sensitive and/or contentious information to individuals and large groups.
• Working knowledge of financial processes and working to budget.
• Experience of developing, maintaining, and monitoring information systems to support innovation initiatives.
• Proven experience of audit, benchmarking or research and the ability to use results to inform change and development.

Desirable

• Evidence of operational management in an acute environment
• Teaching Experience

Skills and Knowledge
Essential

• Have an understanding of Clinical Governance and the application to practice.
• Up to date and evidenced based knowledge of current clinical and professional issues.
• Ability to monitor the quality of work in others, to identify their learning and development needs and devise strategies to meet those needs.
• Proven ability to work on own initiative and organise workload allocating work as necessary, working to tight and often changing deadlines.
• Proven ability to make decisions autonomously when required, on difficult issues.
• Proven ability to support staff to maintain an environment conducive to the delivery of excellence in care.
• Able to develop short, medium and long term strategies for the development of the clinical areas.
• Knowledge of BAPM standards of care in relation to neonatal services.
• Computer literate, proven ability to use Word and Excel and email.

Personal Attributes
Essential

• Determination, perseverance and resilience.
• Ability to work in a fast paced, complex environment.
• High emotional intellect and personal integrity.

Employer details
Employer name
Address
Liverpool Women's Hospital / Alder Hey Hospital
Crown Street Liverpool / East Prescott Road Liverpool
Liverpool
L8 7SS