Discharge Facilitator

BERKSHIRE HEALTHCARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST; Reading; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

27 days' annual leave + buy/sell

NHS pension scheme

Learning & career development

Cycle to Work & EV leasing

Wellbeing tools

Staff discounts

Job summary

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a proactive Discharge Facilitator to join the Hospital Discharge Team at Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading. You will coordinate patient discharges from hospital, working with clinical teams and community partners to ensure safe, timely transitions and optimal patient flow.

The role requires strong communication, planning and problem-solving skills, plus the ability to work autonomously across services.

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent experience in health or social care context.
• Evidence of continuing professional development (CPD).
• Experience in a health or social care environment.
• Ability to challenge stakeholders while maintaining relationships.
• Knowledge of hospital discharge process or equivalent.
• Ability to work autonomously with individuals.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate timely discharges and improve patient flow.
• Monitor discharge activity and report on performance.
• Maintain up-to-date Discharge Ready List and ensure information accuracy.
• Communicate with clinical teams, discharge colleagues, and community partners.
• Provide performance reports and liaise with system partners.
• Participate in Saturday service rota as required.

Skills

Communication

Relationship-building

Problem-solving

Organisation

Time management

IT skills

Autonomous working

Teamwork

Education

Degree or equivalent

Job description

Join our Hospital Discharge Team based at Royal Berkshire Hospital and play a vital role in helping patients move safely and smoothly from hospital to the next stage of their care. As a Discharge Facilitator, you will work alongside hospital and community partners to coordinate timely discharges and improve patient flow across the system. We are looking for a proactive and organised individual with excellent communication, relationship-building, and problem-solving skills. You will thrive in a fast-paced environment, confidently manage competing priorities, and work autonomously to overcome barriers to discharge while maintaining high standards of patient care and safety. This is a rewarding opportunity to make a real difference to patient outcomes, work across organisational boundaries, and contribute to continual innovative Quality Improvement initiatives that support people to recover in the most appropriate setting. This is a fixed term role for 12 months. External secondments will be considered with the approval of the substantive employer. This role is based at Royal Berkshire Hospital; the Discharge Facilitator will support patients through the transition from hospital care to the next stage of their recovery or ongoing support. The role involves working closely with clinical teams, discharge colleagues and community partners to coordinate arrangements for patients who are ready to leave hospital, ensuring plans are progressed efficiently and in line with service standards. The post holder will monitor discharge activity, facilitate effective communication with system partners, and ensure all relevant information is accurately recorded including maintaining an up-to-date Discharge Ready List and providing performance reports.

The successful candidate will take a proactive approach to overcoming delays, coordinating actions across multiple agencies and helping to ensure patients receive the right support in the most appropriate setting. Working independently and as part of a wider multidisciplinary team, they will balance competing priorities, respond to changing operational pressures and contribute to service Quality Improvement initiatives aimed at enhancing patient flow across the health and care system. The role includes participation in Saturday working as part of the service rota.

• Educated to degree level or equivalent experience with relevant experience in a health or social care environment
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Experience of working in a community services setting
• Ability to effectively challenge stakeholders while maintaining effective relationships
• Knowledge of hospital discharge process
• Ability to work autonomously with individuals
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with an ability to network and build relationships at all levels
• Time management skills
• Ability to pay attention to detail where accuracy is vitally important
• Demonstrates ability to work effectively within a team
• IT skills
• Evidence of excellent planning and organisational skills - and ability to prioritise workload.

• Compassionate - Motivated to positively impact the wellbeing of self and others.
• Curious - Listening, learning and exploring new ideas and ways of working to continually improve what we do.
• Inclusive - Valuing diversity and championing equity by ensuring everyone feels recognised. able to contribute and committed to actively addressing unfairness.
• Perseverance - Demonstrates resilience and flexibility even during periods of uncertainty, to achieve goals that contribute to high-quality care and services.

Our Trust's vision is "To be a great place to get care, a great place to give care." This vision guides everything we do - for our patients, their carers, their families, our staff, and our partners. To achieve it, we are committed to a strong set of values that underpin the way we work:

• Caring for and about you is our top priority - we put people at the centre of everything we do.
• Committed to providing good quality, safe services - we strive for excellence in care and in our ways of working.
• Working together with you to develop innovative solutions - we collaborate with patients, carers, colleagues, and communities to deliver care that makes a difference.

At Berkshire Healthcare, we foster an inclusive workplace where everyone belongs.

We welcome talent from all backgrounds and offer guaranteed interviews to disabled applicants and armed forces community members who meet the minimum criteria.

Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are

• Caring for and about you is our top priority.
• Committed to providing good quality, safe services.
• Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions.

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated "outstanding" by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.

Benefits

• Flexible working options to support work-life balance
• 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
• Generous NHS pension scheme
• Excellent learning and career development opportunities
• 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
• Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
• Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
• Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
• Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
• Free parking across Trust sites

No agencies, please.

Please note we may close positions before the advertised date.