Operational Lead Specialist Services

NHS; Lowestoft; On-site; GBP 53,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

The NHS is seeking a senior leader to provide operational leadership and enhance patient care through community health services. This role involves managing clinical teams, ensuring high-quality outcomes, and developing effective clinical pathways in collaboration with various stakeholders. The ideal candidate will have significant leadership experience in healthcare, strong communication skills, and a commitment to improving patient outcomes.

Benefits

NHS employee benefits

Opportunity to become a shareholder

Qualifications

• Significant experience in a leadership role in health and/or social care.
• Evidence of managing significant change programmes in a healthcare setting.
• Ability to lead and empower individuals to create high-performing teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide strong operational leadership and ensure high standards of clinical care.
• Build productive relationships with partners and stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with Nursing and Midwifery Council standards.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Relationship Management

Clinical Governance

Education

RGN plus certificate/Diploma/Degree in District Nursing or equivalent

Degree or Equivalent in Allied Health Professions

Evidence of formal Leadership or Management Qualification

Tools

MS Word

Excel

Outlook

Job description

Job summary

We are excited to be recruiting to this new position. This role is for you if you have an open mindset, collaborative leadership style and are excited by the opportunities for improved patient care offered by the move towards neighbourhood health services.

This is an excellent role to develop and transition the skills you developed as a clinical team or service lead, responding to competing and conflicting priorities but with an absolute focus on delivering high-quality outcomes and patient experience.

Main duties of the job

Providing strong operational leadership, you will both lead the teams to deliver high standards of clinical care, ensuring that the patients needs are at the focus of all care delivery and support their transformation in line with ECCHs ambitions and strategy.

The services included in your portfolio are Specialist Community Diabetes Nursing team, Dietetics, High Intensity Users (HIU), Podiatry and TB Services.

In leading and transforming this portfolio of services, you will build productive positive relationships with our partners, deliver seamless transfers of care, make the most of our community assets, drive out inequalities from service provision and promote sustainability as we deliver the best possible outcomes and customer experience for our service users.

This role is part of the ECCH service leadership team that provides the 7/7 'Manager of The Day' function. This role includes responsibilities such as acting as a point of escalation internally and as a system partner contact.

About us

ECCH is well established health care provider and has been successfully delivering NHS care within the community since 2011. We provide a range of NHS, community health and social care services predominantly across the easterly region of the Norfolk/Suffolk borders.

We are aligned to NHS terms and conditions, and offer many employee benefits, to find out more about us visit our website - www.ecch.org. We are a social enterprise and staff owned organisation which means staff can opt to be shareholders and have a real say in how ECCH is run and evolves to deliver healthcare for the future.

At the heart of our ambition, we work in partnership with and for the community to become the provider and employer of choice for community healthcare.

We encourage you to apply as early as possible as this job may close earlier than the advertised closing date once enough applications have been received.

As the post holder, you will report directly to the Deputy Director Specialist Services and you work alongside fellow Operational Leads who oversee a variety of other specialist services, namely; MSK, Neurology, ESD, Wheelchair Services, SaLT, ME/CFS.

You will also work closely with peers delivering the primary care home service (community nursing and therapy) and our inpatient services.

We are a friendly, supportive and well established team and are looking forward to welcoming you.

Details Date posted

22 May 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£53,755 to £60,504 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

B9849-057-25

Job locations

Hamilton House

Battery Green Road

Lowestoft

Suffolk

NR32 1DE

Job description Job responsibilities

As a senior leader the post holder will support, and deputise for, the Deputy Director of Specialist Services/Operations as they discharge their duties aligned to this portfolio and in relation to Contractual and Quality Assurance arrangements.

Placing strong emphasis on relationships with our community and stakeholders, the role will include working with N&W ICB, NCH&C and GY&W partners to develop and deliver effective and efficient clinical pathways.

The post holder is expected to take and build on the service design laid out in our contracts, account for the place-based demographics and the N&W ICS agenda in order to fulfil ECCHs ambitions as described in our Organisational strategy.

Communication

To work in partnership with key stakeholders to manage change and develop services in line with locality need, ECCH strategic direction and STP/ICS ambitions.

Create, develop and enhance relationships and partnerships with all locality stakeholders including but not limited to Primary Care, voluntary agencies, charities and patient groups.

Be accessible for staff, service users, families and carers and act as a point of clinical expertise.

Patient Care

Promote a climate of best practice, underpinned by the key principles of governance.

Responsible for leadership of the service area and management of service, ensuring they are suitably trained, informed and competent to carry out the full range of their duties, and that mechanisms are in place for regular and effective supervision, appraisal, objective setting and personal development planning. Where necessary identifying training needs and ensuring they are met.

Responsible for providing an effective clinical learning environment, in collaboration with other senior clinicians for staff in service area and across other services.

Contribute to MDT decisions regarding care based on their knowledge and expertise.

Responsible for ensuring care is delivered in a patient centred framework involving service users, families and carers.

Responsible for ensuring that tasks and responsibilities are effectively, fairly and evenly distributed within the service area via teams to provide effective and responsive care for service users and carers.

Responsibility for ensuring safe staffing levels are maintained according to service budgets and safe staffing requirements to ensure patient safety, supported by effective e-rostering practice. Management of the team and effective recruitment, escalating any concerns where appropriate.

Responsibility for ongoing review and setting of appropriate skill mix within budgets provided.

Responsible for ensuring systems are in place to allocate new caseloads and efficient use of resources is maintained to ensure caseloads and the management of caseloads remain safe.

Clinical

Ensure effective and robust clinical leadership and risk management processes are present in clinical areas within the service and reflected in patient records.

Lead the implementation of clinical effectiveness, effective monitoring and relevant audit protocols in services.

Ensure that all clinical practice is compliant with the Nursing and Midwifery Council/HCPC standards and Code of Conduct within service areas.

As senior clinician in the service areas, personally identify own learning, training and developmental needs through appraisal and supervisions processes, including compliance to statutory and mandatory training requirements and ensure that professional revalidation and CPD is maintained.

Professional

Demonstrate an awareness of national and local policies and their implications for healthcare and work with colleagues in order to develop strategies to manage these.

Understanding of financial position in own service areas as budget holder; work with finance team to ensure best use of financial resources.

Responsible for the effective monitoring of the service areas budgets, ensuring effective and efficient use of resources.

Ensure direct reports and their teams understand and work within appropriate Human Resources policies and staff management procedures for all services.

Establish clear governance procedures within the service areas to ensure communication, learning and best practice is embedded and maintained.

Contribute to the review, development and implementation of service wide policies and protocols across all services.

Support and facilitate audit activity and implement recommendations. Lead and Support service evaluation and audit systems, implementing outcomes and findings.

Ensure that the team practices within ECCH policies, protocols and standards, including NICE guidance where necessary, including the reporting and investigation of complaints and incidents and management of HR processes, including performance and disciplinary issues.

Ensure effective systems are in place to embed learning and continuous improvements from incidents and complaints.

Conduct and complete, when allocated as part of the Leadership Team process, the investigations of complaints or staff issues, participate in the risk management process, critical incident reporting, evaluation, dissemination and change in practice.

Responsible for ensuring that service user and carer feedback contributes to the development and improvement of the service.

Responsible for the operational management of aligned Services including recruitment.

Organisational

To develop, review, implement and monitor service standards and protocols in line with Clinical Governance Strategy.

Provide positive cultural leadership to effectively manage and facilitate positive cultural change to improve patient care and integrated working in service areas, as a member of the Operations Leadership Team.

Provide visible leadership, promoting ECCH values and intentional culture and acting as a role model within the environment, creating and establishing a caring environment.

Ensure regulatory requirements are met and adhered to and that fundamental standards of care are embedded into practice across the service areas. Ensure that CQC compliance across all service areas is monitored and maintained.

All roles within East Coast Community Healthcare CIC (ECCH) require staff to demonstrate our Values and Signature Behaviours in the care and service they provide to patients, service users, stakeholders and colleagues. All members of staff should consider these as an essential part of their job role.

Our Values outline the core behaviours that we can all achieve and are summarised as an acronym within the word CARE. These stand for: Compassion, Action, Respect and Everyone.

Underpinning our Values are our Signature Behaviours which highlight by taking the right actions we continue to build a strong culture. Our four Signature Behaviours are: Compassion - We Listen, We Learn, We Lead| Action - My Accountability, My Responsibility | Respect - Respect Our Resources: People, Time and Money | Everyone - Work Together, Achieve Together.

Job description Job responsibilities

As a senior leader the post holder will support, and deputise for, the Deputy Director of Specialist Services/Operations as they discharge their duties aligned to this portfolio and in relation to Contractual and Quality Assurance arrangements.

Placing strong emphasis on relationships with our community and stakeholders, the role will include working with N&W ICB, NCH&C and GY&W partners to develop and deliver effective and efficient clinical pathways.

The post holder is expected to take and build on the service design laid out in our contracts, account for the place-based demographics and the N&W ICS agenda in order to fulfil ECCHs ambitions as described in our Organisational strategy.

Communication

To work in partnership with key stakeholders to manage change and develop services in line with locality need, ECCH strategic direction and STP/ICS ambitions.

Create, develop and enhance relationships and partnerships with all locality stakeholders including but not limited to Primary Care, voluntary agencies, charities and patient groups.

Be accessible for staff, service users, families and carers and act as a point of clinical expertise.

Patient Care

Promote a climate of best practice, underpinned by the key principles of governance.

Responsible for leadership of the service area and management of service, ensuring they are suitably trained, informed and competent to carry out the full range of their duties, and that mechanisms are in place for regular and effective supervision, appraisal, objective setting and personal development planning. Where necessary identifying training needs and ensuring they are met.

Responsible for providing an effective clinical learning environment, in collaboration with other senior clinicians for staff in service area and across other services.

Contribute to MDT decisions regarding care based on their knowledge and expertise.

Responsible for ensuring care is delivered in a patient centred framework involving service users, families and carers.

Responsible for ensuring that tasks and responsibilities are effectively, fairly and evenly distributed within the service area via teams to provide effective and responsive care for service users and carers.

Responsibility for ensuring safe staffing levels are maintained according to service budgets and safe staffing requirements to ensure patient safety, supported by effective e-rostering practice. Management of the team and effective recruitment, escalating any concerns where appropriate.

Responsibility for ongoing review and setting of appropriate skill mix within budgets provided.

Responsible for ensuring systems are in place to allocate new caseloads and efficient use of resources is maintained to ensure caseloads and the management of caseloads remain safe.

Clinical

Ensure effective and robust clinical leadership and risk management processes are present in clinical areas within the service and reflected in patient records.

Lead the implementation of clinical effectiveness, effective monitoring and relevant audit protocols in services.

Ensure that all clinical practice is compliant with the Nursing and Midwifery Council/HCPC standards and Code of Conduct within service areas.

As senior clinician in the service areas, personally identify own learning, training and developmental needs through appraisal and supervisions processes, including compliance to statutory and mandatory training requirements and ensure that professional revalidation and CPD is maintained.

Professional

Demonstrate an awareness of national and local policies and their implications for healthcare and work with colleagues in order to develop strategies to manage these.

Understanding of financial position in own service areas as budget holder; work with finance team to ensure best use of financial resources.

Responsible for the effective monitoring of the service areas budgets, ensuring effective and efficient use of resources.

Ensure direct reports and their teams understand and work within appropriate Human Resources policies and staff management procedures for all services.

Establish clear governance procedures within the service areas to ensure communication, learning and best practice is embedded and maintained.

Contribute to the review, development and implementation of service wide policies and protocols across all services.

Support and facilitate audit activity and implement recommendations. Lead and Support service evaluation and audit systems, implementing outcomes and findings.

Ensure that the team practices within ECCH policies, protocols and standards, including NICE guidance where necessary, including the reporting and investigation of complaints and incidents and management of HR processes, including performance and disciplinary issues.

Ensure effective systems are in place to embed learning and continuous improvements from incidents and complaints.

Conduct and complete, when allocated as part of the Leadership Team process, the investigations of complaints or staff issues, participate in the risk management process, critical incident reporting, evaluation, dissemination and change in practice.

Responsible for ensuring that service user and carer feedback contributes to the development and improvement of the service.

Responsible for the operational management of aligned Services including recruitment.

Organisational

To develop, review, implement and monitor service standards and protocols in line with Clinical Governance Strategy.

Provide positive cultural leadership to effectively manage and facilitate positive cultural change to improve patient care and integrated working in service areas, as a member of the Operations Leadership Team.

Provide visible leadership, promoting ECCH values and intentional culture and acting as a role model within the environment, creating and establishing a caring environment.

Ensure regulatory requirements are met and adhered to and that fundamental standards of care are embedded into practice across the service areas. Ensure that CQC compliance across all service areas is monitored and maintained.

All roles within East Coast Community Healthcare CIC (ECCH) require staff to demonstrate our Values and Signature Behaviours in the care and service they provide to patients, service users, stakeholders and colleagues. All members of staff should consider these as an essential part of their job role.

Our Values outline the core behaviours that we can all achieve and are summarised as an acronym within the word CARE. These stand for: Compassion, Action, Respect and Everyone.

Underpinning our Values are our Signature Behaviours which highlight by taking the right actions we continue to build a strong culture. Our four Signature Behaviours are: Compassion - We Listen, We Learn, We Lead| Action - My Accountability, My Responsibility | Respect - Respect Our Resources: People, Time and Money | Everyone - Work Together, Achieve Together.

Person Specification Qualifications Essential

• RGN plus certificate/Diploma/Degree in District Nursing or equivalent & Professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
• Or
• Degree or Equivalent in an Allied health Professions & Registration with the Health Care and Professions Council (HCPC).
• Evidence of formal Leadership or Management Qualification or willing to undertake.
• Evidence of significant postgraduate/registration study and qualification relevant to professional background.

Desirable

• Evidence of Research undertaken.
• Clinical teaching or supervision qualification (or willing to undertake)
• Community based specialist practitioner qualification.
• Evidence of significant CPD in management / leadership.

Skills and Knowledge Essential

• Evidenced current knowledge and application of national and local policies relating to clinical quality, long term conditions and specialist area of practice.
• Ability to use IT packages, including MS Word, Excel and Outlook to a competent standard.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• The ability to lead and empower individuals to create resilient, high performing teams.
• Evidenced management of relationship management skills across a wide spectrum of stakeholders, including ability to manage conflict effectively.

Personal Attributes Essential

• Ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• High levels of personal credibility, presentation and self-awareness.
• Ability to work effectively in an environment with competing demands.
• Excellent standard of attention to detail.
• High standards of personal integrity and ability to assess and provide impartial advice and decisions.
• Ability to embrace our Culture, Values and Signature Behaviours:
• (Compassion - We Listen, We Learn, We Lead| Action - My Accountability, My Responsibility | Respect - Respect Our Resources: People, Time and Money | Everyone - Work Together, Achieve Together).
• Willingness and ability to work across different sites and travel to alternative sites and across the community as required.

Desirable

• Project management methodology.

Experience Essential

• Significant experience of working in a leadership role in health and/or social care to a high standard.
• Extensive experience of all elements of supervisory management including people management, financial/budgetary management and service delivery to set KPIs or service outcome standards.
• Evidence of experience of managing significant change programmes in a health care setting.
• Evidence of ongoing experience working as a senior clinician in relevant field of practice.
• Proven ability to influence and negotiate in a variety of settings.

Desirable

• Experience of a broad range of clinical settings.
• Evidence of research awareness and methodology.

Person Specification Qualifications Essential

• RGN plus certificate/Diploma/Degree in District Nursing or equivalent & Professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
• Or
• Degree or Equivalent in an Allied health Professions & Registration with the Health Care and Professions Council (HCPC).
• Evidence of formal Leadership or Management Qualification or willing to undertake.
• Evidence of significant postgraduate/registration study and qualification relevant to professional background.

Desirable

• Evidence of Research undertaken.
• Clinical teaching or supervision qualification (or willing to undertake)
• Community based specialist practitioner qualification.
• Evidence of significant CPD in management / leadership.

Skills and Knowledge Essential

• Evidenced current knowledge and application of national and local policies relating to clinical quality, long term conditions and specialist area of practice.
• Ability to use IT packages, including MS Word, Excel and Outlook to a competent standard.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• The ability to lead and empower individuals to create resilient, high performing teams.
• Evidenced management of relationship management skills across a wide spectrum of stakeholders, including ability to manage conflict effectively.

Personal Attributes Essential

• Ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• High levels of personal credibility, presentation and self-awareness.
• Ability to work effectively in an environment with competing demands.
• Excellent standard of attention to detail.
• High standards of personal integrity and ability to assess and provide impartial advice and decisions.
• Ability to embrace our Culture, Values and Signature Behaviours:
• (Compassion - We Listen, We Learn, We Lead| Action - My Accountability, My Responsibility | Respect - Respect Our Resources: People, Time and Money | Everyone - Work Together, Achieve Together).
• Willingness and ability to work across different sites and travel to alternative sites and across the community as required.

Desirable

• Project management methodology.

Experience Essential

• Significant experience of working in a leadership role in health and/or social care to a high standard.
• Extensive experience of all elements of supervisory management including people management, financial/budgetary management and service delivery to set KPIs or service outcome standards.
• Evidence of experience of managing significant change programmes in a health care setting.
• Evidence of ongoing experience working as a senior clinician in relevant field of practice.
• Proven ability to influence and negotiate in a variety of settings.

Desirable

• Experience of a broad range of clinical settings.
• Evidence of research awareness and methodology.

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).

Additional information 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

East Coast Community Healthcare CIC

Address

Hamilton House

Battery Green Road

Lowestoft

Suffolk

NR32 1DE

Employer's website

https://www.ecch.org/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details Employer name

East Coast Community Healthcare CIC

Address

Hamilton House

Battery Green Road

Lowestoft

Suffolk

NR32 1DE

Employer's website

https://www.ecch.org/ (Opens in a new tab)