Role title: Interim Clinical Lead – Virtual Wards
Terms: £257.50 per session (agreed ICB clinical lead rate)
Responsible to: Group Chief Nurse and Chief Operating Officer, PROVIDE
Accountable to: ICB Medical Director
1. 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.
Virtual wards are intended to provide safe and effective care at home for patients who would otherwise be in a hospital bed, either by reducing avoidable admissions or facilitating earlier supported discharge. There is an opportunity to optimise care and potentially improve outcomes as well as freeing hospital capacity, creating potential staffing efficiencies, and providing more personalised, convenient care for patients.
The NHS Operational Planning guidance sets an “ambition” for virtual ward capacity of 40-50 virtual ward beds per 100k population and £450m additional transformation funding over two years 2021/2-2023/4. This equates to an ambition of 460-480 virtual ward beds by December 2023, across Mid and South Essex ICS.
The current national models include virtual ward services for people with frailty and acute respiratory infections but there is recognition that in some areas clinical leaders have gone further to include heart failure, diabetes, end of life care and the national team is working with national clinical directors to develop the virtual ward pipeline and guidance.
As Interim Clinical Lead for the MSE Virtual Wards, the post holder will work as part of the Regional Virtual Ward Programme Team to assist in the development of the Virtual Ward Strategic Framework whilst also providing clinical input and support to the Virtual Hospital programme.
2. Key Deliverables
Working with the Regional Director for System Improvement and with the MSE ICS Medical Director, as joint SROs for the Virtual Ward Programme, the postholder will support the development of a strategic vision for the transformation of services through the delivery of virtual ward services across the East of England.
With the Regional Head of Virtual Ward Transformation to lead, engage and collaborate with clinicians to support systems and providers to develop plans to deliver the national “ambition” for virtual ward capacity and embedding models through effective use of transformation funding.
With the SROs and Head of Virtual Ward and Transformation Programme and in collaboration with the national virtual ward team, NHS Digital and the National Improvement Team to identify any necessary additional clinical, improvement or operational support for systems or providers in order to achieve the national ambition for virtual wards.
The post holder will work with the MSE ICB Virtual Hospital Programme Leads to provide clinical input and leadership, to support the optimisation and upscaling of this programme across MSE ICS.
3. Person Specification (Essentials)
Qualifications:
- Educated to degree level in a clinical or scientific discipline
Knowledge and experience:
- Knowledge and experience of working in formal clinical networks within the NHS
- Good understanding of integrated models of care across primary, secondary, tertiary and community care
- Track record of delivering change in clinical services
- Senior clinician with an identified clinical leadership role
- Experienced clinician with credibility and the ability to command the respect of all clinical and non-clinical professionals
- Experience of developing, applying and reviewing an evidence-based approach to decision making
Skills, capabilities & attributes:
- The ability to build excellent collaborative networks
- The ability to deal with ambiguity and complexity
- Demonstrate impartiality; acts as a champion for patients rather than for individual organisations
- Excellent leadership skills and the ability to motivate
- Highly developed interpersonal skills, negotiation, persuasion, feedback, partnership working
- Experience of, and ability to analyse and interpret complex data
- Excellent communication skills
- Able to develop effective and mutually supportive relationships with key partners within and without organisations
- Demonstration of strategic and political awareness
- Chairing meetings at which all the business is discussed; everyone’s views are heard; clear decisions are reached
Values and behaviours:
- Demonstrable commitment to and focus on quality, promotes high standards to consistently improve patient outcomes
- Demonstrably involved patients, carers and the public in their work
- Consistently puts clinicians at the heart of decision making
- values diversity and difference, operates with integrity and openness
- Works across boundaries, looks for collective success, listens, involves, respects and learns from the contribution of others
- Uses evidence to make improvements, seeks out innovation
- Actively develops themselves and supports the development of others
- Demonstrable commitment to partnership working with a range of external organisations
- Positive attitude; ability to engage and enthuse others
4. Organisational Duties
On Call Rota
There may be a requirement for post holders to participate in the On Call rota. On Call is for the duration of up to one week and the frequency of this will depend on the number of staff on the rota. Staff on call may be required to attend any ICB building whilst on call – particularly in the case of a ‘major incident’; however generally queries are resolved over the telephone.
Codes of Conduct
The ICB requires the highest standards of personal and professional conduct from all of its employees. All employees must comply with the Code of Professional Conduct appropriate to their professional governing body and to the ICB’s Code of Conduct.
Equal Opportunities
The ICB is committed to equal opportunities that affirms that all staff should be afforded equality of treatment and opportunity in employment irrespective of sexuality, marital status, race, religion/belief, ethnic origin, age or disability. All staff are required to observe this standard in their behaviour to fellow employees.
Safeguarding Children, Young People and Adults at Risk
Safeguarding is a key priority for the ICB. Staff must always be alert to the possibility of harm to children, young people and adults at risk through abuse and neglect. This includes being aware of the adults who may find parenting difficult. All staff should be able to recognise the indicators of abuse and know how to act on them, including the correct processes and decisions to be undertaken when sharing information. The depth of knowledge staff work from must be commensurate with their role and responsibilities (as per Intercollegiate Document 2014). All staff must follow the safeguarding policies, procedures and guidelines, know how to seek specialist advice and must make themselves available for training and supervision as required.
Confidentiality
All employees are required to observe the strictest confidence with regard to any patient/client information that they may have access to, or accidentally gain knowledge of, in the course of their duties.
All employees are required to observe the strictest confidence regarding any information relating to the work of the ICB and its employees. Staff are required not to disclose any confidential information either during or after their employment with the ICB, other than in accordance with the relevant professional codes. Failure to comply with these regulations whilst in the employment of the ICB could result in action being taken.
Data Protection
All employees must adhere to appropriate ICB’s standards/policies in respect of the use of Personal Information, including guidance on the use and disclosure of information. The ICB also has a range of policies for the use of computer equipment and computer-generated information. These policies detail the employee’s legal obligations and include references to current legislation. Copies of the Policy on the Protection and use of Personal Information and other Information Technology can be obtained from the ICB.
Health and Safety
The ICB expects all staff to have a commitment to promoting and maintaining a safe and healthy environment and be responsible for their own and others welfare.
Risk Management
All staff will be responsible for adopting the Risk Management Culture and ensuring that they identify and assess all risks to their systems, processes and environment and report such risks for inclusion within the ICB Risk Register. Employees will also be required to attend mandatory and statutory training, report all incidents/accidents including near misses and report unsafe occurrences as laid down within the policies.
Governance
All staff have a responsibility to be aware of governance arrangements and ensure that the reporting requirements, systems and duties of action put into place by the ICB are complied with.
Policies & Procedures
All employees are expected to comply with all the policies and procedures drawn up by the ICB.
No Smoking Policy
The ICB is a ‘no smoking organisation’ therefore staff are not permitted to smoke whilst on duty. All NHS staff are expected to recognise their role as ambassadors for a healthy lifestyle. As such, staff should not smoke whilst in uniform, in NHS vehicles or on ICB or other health care premises.
Infection Control
All staff must observe the code of practice for the prevention and control of infections (updated 2015) and ensure that they understand and implement their responsibilities in the prevention and control of infection.
Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) Check
If the post is one that requires a disclosure (at whatever level) from the DBS, the organisation retains the right to request that a further disclosure is sought at any time as deemed to be appropriate. Where an appointment has been made and the ICB is awaiting the outcome of a DBS check which subsequently proves to be unsatisfactory, the employment will be terminated.
Criminal Convictions
If, during the course of their employment, an employee is convicted of or charged with a criminal offence (with the exception of a traffic offence) whether it arises from their employment or otherwise, the employee is required to report the matter to the Human Resources Department who will decide on the appropriate course of action. Should an employee be convicted of an offence and receive a custodial sentence, the ICB reserves the right to terminate the contract of employment, after careful consideration of the facts. Failure to report a conviction may itself lead to disciplinary action being taken. Any information will be treated confidentially, except insofar as it is necessary to inform other relevant members of management. Additionally, if driving is part of an employee’s duties and they are convicted of any traffic offence, they must report it to Human Resources Department who will decide on the appropriate course of action.
Mobility
Employees may sometimes be required to attend at other locations or expected to travel to anywhere within the ICB footprint.
Other Duties
This role description is not a definitive or exhaustive list of responsibilities but identifies the key responsibilities and tasks of the post holder. The specific objectives of the post holder will be subject to review as part of the individual’s performance review/appraisal. There may be a requirement to undertake other duties as may reasonably be required to support the ICB in accordance with your grade/level in the organisation.