Service Lead – Learning Disabilities

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

This is an exciting new post for a clinical professional with experience in working with people with Learning Disabilities. The post holder will be responsible for co-ordinating the delivery and development of the multi-disciplinary service which has strong mental health and social care partnerships in the boroughs of Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark. This person will continue working with the team in transforming the service and defining its core business and objectives in the challenging NHS environment ensuring the voice of this vulnerable service user group is heard. You will lead a team of experienced motivated individuals who have a wealth of knowledge about their local populations and national recognition in providing and advocating for people with learning disabilities.

The post holder will also have opportunities to lead on Trust-wide improvement projects, engage with our local commissioners, maintain strong health and social care, SLAM, and learning disability board partnerships with Lambeth Southwark and Lewisham.

To deliver in this role, you will need experience of working within multi-professional teams and with people with Learning Disabilities. You will have a strong proven track record of inclusive leadership and staff management. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds.

Closing: 05/05/2024 at Midnight

Proposed Interview date: 21/05/2024 in the afternoon

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work clinically within the service and hold the role of Service Lead.

This role provides high-level, effective, visible, strategic, operational clinical leadership. This role will ensure that the service is equitable, safe, cost effective and responsive to local and national standards of practice, and performance is maintained to the highest quality.

The post holder will be a role model for integrated working, inspiring and supporting staff to manage change positively and deliver a seamless and efficient service. The post holder will be responsible for engaging, negotiating and collaborating with a range of different professional groups, partners and stakeholders, within and outside the organisations to deliver well led, person centred care for adults with learning disabilities. Critical to this will be the ability to develop the working culture and practices to embed and sustain integrated and inter-professional working.

The post holder will be accountable for the provision of clinical and professional supervision, leadership and advice for all staff. The post holder will be responsible for the provision of operational and clinical supervision to the senior clinicians in the learning disabilities team, and supporting/contributing to clinical leadership in the wider directorate.

About us

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust comprises five of the UK's best known hospitals - Guy's, St Thomas', Evelina London Children's Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield - as well as community services in Lambeth and Southwark, all with a long history of high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation.

We are among the UK's busiest, most successful foundation trusts. We provide specialist care for patients including heart and lung, cancer and renal services as well as a full range of local hospital and community services for people in Lambeth and Southwark.

We have a long tradition of clinical and scientific achievement and - as part of King's Health Partners - we are one of England's eight academic health sciences centres, bringing together world-class clinical services, teaching and research.

We have around 22,700 staff, making us one of the largest NHS Trusts in the country and one of the biggest employers locally. We aim to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve and continue to develop new and existing partnerships with local people, patients, and neighbouring NHS organisations, local authorities and charitable bodies and GPs.

We strive to recruit and retain the best staff as the dedication and skills of our employees lie at the heart of our organisation and ensure that our services are of the highest quality, safe and focused on our patients.

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description for complete details and key responsibilities for this role.

Person Specification

Qualifications/ Education

• Registered Health Professional CLDN/RN (Adult) or Speech and Language Therapist or Physiotherapist or Occupational Therapist or other relevant clinical professional.
• Post graduate level qualification to Masters or equivalent experience.
• Audit, QI and Research: experience in creating and utilising data and research findings.
• Evidence of training in first line management and leadership e.g. disciplinary/ grievance, recruitment and selection, change management.
• Post qualification courses or portfolio of evidence demonstrating comprehensive understanding of relevant clinical area to include management and leadership.

Professional/ Statutory Registration

• Registered Professional
• Substantial post qualification senior clinician experience within a health care setting, as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Experience of working with people with Learning Disabilities.
• Demonstrable previous success in leading and delivering change and performance by engaging clinical teams in strategic direction and delivery plans, establishing clear work priorities with them, delegating effectively, ensuring a capability to deliver, monitoring performance and giving feedback.
• Proven ability to analyse complex problems and to develop and successfully implement practical and workable solutions to address them.
• Ability to think and plan strategically, tactically and creatively, and to priorities work programs in the face of competing demands.
• Knowledge and ability to implement principles of clinical governance including audit, risk management, supervision, clinical effectiveness, continuing professional development, quality standards and outcomes.
• Experience of managing and configuring budgets and the skills to monitor, assess and act on financial information.
• Previous experience of successfully delivering national and local infection control policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of Health, Social care and statutory requirements, policy and functions and the skills to ensure the service is statutorily compliant in practice, ensuring legal and audit requirements are met.
• Knowledge of safeguarding procedures and functions, and the ability to ensure these are followed and managed effectively.
• Ability to collaborate constructively with internal and external partners to create the conditions for successful partnership working.
• Experience of working in community settings.

Skills/ Knowledge/ Ability

• Well-developed leadership and influencing skills with the ability to enthuse, motivate and involve individuals and teams, and have them understand the Trust's and your performance expectations.
• Evidence of high levels of expertise in clinical care and management of people with learning disabilities and complex co-morbidities and long-term conditions.
• Sound knowledge of relevant National Service Frameworks, guidelines, strategies and initiatives and the ability to appraise, interpret and implement in practice.
• Ability to rapidly synthesise and analyse complex information and present options, appraisals, recommendations and reports.
• Skilled in word processing, spreadsheets email, databases and using the internet.
• Able to give formal presentations to multi professional groups, people with learning disabilities, carers, partnership agencies etc.
• The ability to implement sound performance and reporting mechanisms for service activity, quality and outcomes and recognise and respond early to variances.
• Able to demonstrate tact and sensitivity with staff, colleagues and the public.
• A clear understanding of the changing NHS environment.

Additional Information

• Able to work flexibly and respond to changing demands and priorities.
• The ability to work under extreme pressure and achieve deadlines.

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.

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

Depending on experience in line with the agenda for change