HCA Development Support Manager - Band 7

Role to be offered as a Secondment only.

The Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (ICS) brings together key health, care, community, and voluntary sector organisations across the area. One such example of our collaborative work is our HCA Academy, an ICS initiative between organisations which will model a one workforce cross system approach to the recruitment, education and experience of Healthcare Assistants (HCA).

We are offering an exciting opportunity to play a key role in leading this programme by developing and supporting the training, induction and ongoing clinical excellence of our healthcare assistants. Are you an enthusiastic and motivated individual who will work collaboratively as part of a supportive team, to develop and provide teaching and training whilst inspiring and developing others? You will help ensure our newly recruited HCAs are onboarded with the skills that they need to deliver outstanding care, as well recognising their full potential through career progression, education and structured pastoral support.

You will be responsible for leading the clinical agenda of the HCA Academy, working collaboratively as part of a supportive corporate team and the wider Education Teams across the MSE ICS. You will provide dedicated clinical induction education, practice development and skills training to the Health Care Assistant staff working within wards, departments, and the community, ensuring our patients get the kind, safe quality care they deserve.

Main duties of the job

• Experience of clinical education and development and will be able to provide strong, skilled, professional guidance and leadership in the support of practice education and development of our HCAs.
• Provide support to managers, professional leads, practice-based supervisors and teachers within the clinical environment.
• Responsible in leading the planning and preparing a training environment conducive for learning and teaching.
• Plan, develop and deliver all aspects of the HCA orientation and inductions for all newly recruited HCAs, helping them transition into the workplace by providing support and role modelling, demonstrating reflective practice and encouraging work-based learning.

• Management of a small team.
• Prepare and present information relating to practice based education to a mixed audience with differing levels of knowledge, presenting ideas in a way that promote understanding through a variety of media and communication aids.
• Supporting HCAs with working in health and care and understanding escalation and accountability.
• Provide pastoral and confidential support to learners on sensitive and personal issues and be the point of escalation in relation to pastoral concerns.
• Ability to travel independently and effectively across sites and across Trust boundaries.

SECONDMENT UNTIL 30 SEPTEMBER 2025.

PLEASE ENSURE YOUR NHS EMPLOYER/EMPLOYER WILL ALLOW YOU TO BE RELEASED ON SECONDMENT.

Your base will be Brentwood Community Hospital and some working from home.

INTERVIEW: 29 APRIL 2025

About us

Mid and South Essex ICB is a statutory organisation responsible for the planning and delivery of local health and care services, across Mid and South Essex and is part of the wider integrated care system. Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) are partnerships of health and care organisations that come together to plan and deliver joined up services and to improve the health of people who live and work in their area. The headquarters for the organisation is Phoenix Court, Basildon, but there is a hybrid model of working, which includes working across Mid and South Essex and home working.

We are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We know through experience that the different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger and more creative work environment that delivers better patient outcomes. We welcome applications regardless of peoples age, disability, sex, gender, identity and gender expression, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity, religion or belief. We have policies and procedures in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including the consideration of reasonable adjustment for people who have a disability. We would also encourage applicants to raise any personal circumstances they would like us to be aware of so that we can consider possible adjustments.

Unfortunately, the organisation does not have a Sponsorship licence.

Date posted: 09 April 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 7

Salary: £46,148 to £52,809 a year plus, fringe London allowance

Contract: Secondment

Duration: 5 months

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: D9708-MSE465

Job responsibilities

ROLE PURPOSE / SUMMARY

The Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System will comprise the Integrated Care Board (ICB), which is the statutory body for the NHS, and the Integrated Care Partnership (ICP), which is a committee of the ICB, and brings together key health, care, community and voluntary sector organisations across the area.

The ICS has a bold ambition to deliver improved outcomes for our 1.2m population through our four Alliances, and we are placing clinical and professional leadership and the voice of our residents at the heart of realizing this ambition.

The HCA Academy is an Integrated Care System (ICS) initiative between Essex Partnership University Hospital Trust (EPUT) and Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust (MSEFT) and will model a one workforce cross system approach to the recruitment, education and experience of Healthcare Assistants (HCA), establishing a career framework that supports retention in the role and will offer a supported progression into apprenticeships for our population.

The HCA Development Support Manager will be responsible for leading the clinical agenda of the HCA Academy, working collaboratively as part of a supportive corporate team and the wider Education Teams across the MSEICS. They will provide dedicated clinical induction education, practice development and skills training to the Health Care Assistant staff working within wards, departments, and the community, ensuring our patients get the kind, safe quality care they deserve.

A key part of this role will be to improve retention of our HCA workforce by providing pastoral support and guidance as well as identifying learning opportunities to upskill and develop existing and newly recruited HCAs. The HCA Development Support Manager will plan, design and deliver education and learning to our Healthcare Assistant staff as part of the centralised recruitment hub initiative.

They will provide strong, skilled, professional leadership and guidance in the support of practice education and development of all registered and unregistered care staff, students and apprentices that fall within the remit of the HCA Academy.

They will lead and influence the quality of the clinical learning environment by providing support to managers, professional leads, practice-based mentors and teachers. The role aims to continuously improve the quality of the practice learning experience by providing additional opportunities for skills development.

The HCA Development Support Manager will have responsibility for the line management and supervision of the HCA Induction Academy team and will be responsible for deputising for the Placement Capacity Expansion Lead in their absence in relation to any clinical guidance and responsibility within the HCA Academy.

To work with students and apprentices across all disciplines on all clinical (excluding medical) courses offered within the Trust.

COMPETENCY BASED KEY DELIVERABLES

• Responsible for decisions made during the course of duties, seeking guidance and escalating issues where appropriate.
• Contribute to the delivery of one or more strategic plans, enabling key milestones to be delivered and raising any issues associated with the delivery of plans and workstreams.
• Management of a small team.
• Responsible for one or more budgets and/or income streams of delivery.
• Can demonstrate and deliver business acumen in their area of responsibility ensuring value for money, understanding the business of partners and the driving factors for delivery in multiple sectors.
• Plan, develop and deliver all aspects of the HCA orientation and inductions for all newly recruited HCAs.
• Inducting new recruited healthcare assistants and helping them transition into the workplace by providing support and role modelling, demonstrating reflective practice and encouraging work-based learning.
• Prepare and present technical and complex information relating to practice based education to a mixed audience with differing levels of knowledge, presenting ideas in a way that promote understanding through a variety of media and communication aids.
• Supporting healthcare assistants with working in the NHS and understanding escalation and accountability.
• Provide advice and clinical support with achievement of the Care Certificate.
• Ensure that all staff are aware of and adhere to all trust policies and procedures.
• Ensure that the standards and values required for learning, development and assessment are embedded and sustained into clinical practice.
• Provide pastoral and confidential support to learners on sensitive and personal issues and be the point of escalation in relation to pastoral concerns.

Clinical / Practice Education Responsibilities

• Ensure that professional nursing standards are maintained in accordance with NMC Code of Professional Conduct.
• Responsible for planning and preparing a training environment conducive for learning and teaching.
• Identify strategies and resources to improve the support offered to mentors and practice teachers in their supervision of learners within practice placements, ensuring that learners experience a diverse range of inter-professional learning opportunities.
• Maintain awareness in clinical educational developments and promote evidence-based practice to ensure that all training delivered is monitored against current best practice guidelines.
• Comply with Health and safety at work Act and be aware of its implications.

Communications and Relationships

• Demonstrate effective communication and interpersonal skills especially when learners are experiencing problems either personal or professional and escalate concerns.
• Develop communication networks and close working relationships with managers, ward and department areas.
• Work with academic representatives from education providers within the education network and develop and manage strong partnership with other external stakeholders actively disseminating developments in practice and research findings.
• Contribute to the development of all staff to communicate effectively with members of the multidisciplinary team, patients and their friends and family.
• Maintain and influence working relationships with all members of multi-professional teams, including nursing and medical staff, allied health professionals, social care staff and support workers within the learning environment.
• Provide feedback to learners regarding their clinical practice as appropriate.
• Offer professional advice and support to HCA staff in respect of the development of their career and further development.

Research and Audit

• Critically evaluate research before applying this to clinical practice and initiate the use of evidence based practice.
• Utilise and evaluate tools to measure the impact of education, practical developments and service improvement projects.
• Maintain accurate records of training delivered, and themes from pastoral visits and feedback using an appropriate forum.

Managing Resources and People

• Day to day management of the HCA Education and pastoral support assistants.
• To identify the learning needs of the team and support them to address them.
• Ensure performance issues are dealt with in an appropriate and timely manner and in line with Trust disciplinary procedures where formal action is necessary.
• Ensure that education and induction activities are delivered within the agreed budget.
• When needed support with draft business cases as required for financial expenditure and resources and being accountable to work within these approved limitations.
• Advise in relation to the purchasing of training or education resources that will enhance learning environments and experience.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to travel independently and effectively across sites and across Trust boundaries to attend meetings, etc.

Due to the nature of this project, the above duties are not exhaustive and may evolve to meet the dynamic needs of participating organisations.

Person Specification

Knowledge / understanding Essential

• Knowledge of relevant systems and procedures.
• Understanding of policies and practices within required field of work.
• Understanding of the current issues impacting on the NHS.

Experience Essential

• Substantial experience of working at a senior level supporting and training new members of staff within a clinical environment.
• Experience of leading, managing and delivering projects involving stakeholders.
• Experience of managing incoming and outgoing information requirements, handling correspondence/queries which may be highly complex, sensitive or highly confidential.
• Experience of developing policies/practices/systems.

Other Essential

• Possess a positive attitude and be self motivated.
• Ability to travel to attend meetings and attend for work at several locations, including home, for the purpose of hybrid working.

Skills Essential

• Proven level of developed interpersonal and communication skills with staff at all levels both written and verbal.
• Ability to provide and receive highly complex, sensitive and contentious information.
• Advanced IT skills in Microsoft applications including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
• Excellent data analysis and interpretation skills involving highly complex data, with outstanding analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to provide informative reporting to Senior Management by understanding and ongoing development of complex spreadsheet and or modelling tools.

Qualifications Essential

• Educated to Degree Level.
• Knowledge of specialist areas acquired through post graduate diploma or equivalent experience or training.
• Management qualification or equivalent level of on the job experience.
• Evidence of continuing personal development.
• Professional NMC Registration.
• Experience of research and audit methodology.
• Experience of evaluation and quality enhancement processes.
• Trained to deliver Basic Life Support Training or willingness to obtain.

Partnership Working / Leadership Management Essential

• Can demonstrate partnership working and the understanding of how and when partnerships should be built, in order to effect solutions that span across multiple stakeholders.
• Provide effective, inclusive and compassionate management, ensuring all voices are heard and creating and nurturing a culture where staff feel safe to speak up.
• Role model core behaviours including equity and diversity and maintaining a professional image at all times.
• Good communicator, with ability to liaise with colleagues at all levels.
• Able to persuade and influence in areas of conflict.

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name: NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board

Address:

Brentwood Community Hospital

11 Crescent Drive

Brentwood

Essex

CM15 8DR

Employer's website: (Opens in a new tab)