THE FORUM FOR HEALTH AND WELLBEING

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title:Engagement Manager (Communities of Health)

Salary scale: SP 38 £34,148 per annum inclusive of OLW

Responsible to:Director

Responsible for:Communities of Health Development Officer, Communications and Marketing Officer and Patient Group Training & Support Officer, Development Officer (Capacity Building and Engagement)

Hours of work:36 hours per week

Duration:Up until end of May 2016, with a possibility of an

extension.

JOB PURPOSE

The Engagement Manager is responsible for the management and development of a range of services that ensure that Newham residents are effectively engaged in the commissioning decisions of Newham Clinical Commissioning Group, (CCG).

This includes:

  • Delivering a GP Practice Patient Participation Group (PPG) development programme; the Patient Forum and the Third Sector Health and Social Care Network.
  • Overseeing the effective development of the Communities of Health (CoH) accreditation programme
  • Giving effective support to patient, service user, carer and resident representatives in general and an on-going Community Reference Group (CRG) which helps review the CCG’s annual commissioning strategy.
  • The postholder will also manage the capacity building work within the CoH programme.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Engagement in Decision Making

Develop and implement a strategy, in partnership with Newham CCG that ensures that Newham residents are engaged at every level of decision making. Developing annual delivery plans and ensuring meeting of outputs and outcomes as set out in The Forum for Health and Wellbeing’s (The Forum) contract with the CCG. This work will include:

  • Support and development of Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) in every GP practice in the borough. This includes:
  • developing systems for engaging a diverse range of patients and ensuring that those patients understand their role and how to run effective meetings;
  • working with patient groups to develop their priorities and working with both practices and Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) to agree how those priorities can be met.
  • engaging PPG’s in their clusters and local commissioning within these cluster areas.
  • Development of the Communities of Health(COH) Accreditation and Award programme so that it meets the needs both of clinicians and of the local community. This will include:
  • managing the Development Officer who assists organisations to secure accreditation;
  • the development of accreditation standards to meet evolving clinical and quality needs.
  • ensuring the effective promotion of the programme to a diverse range of third sector and social interest, private and other relevant organisations.
  • Working with the CCG to embed and develop the nationally recognised patient and public engagement model that has been developed and which ensures engagement at every level of CCG decision making. This will include:
  • ensuring the recruitment, development and support of diverse and able patient and service user representatives.
  • the provision of opportunities for those representatives to feedback and gather views through the organisation of a range of events and supporting the CCG to reach out to a range of communities, particularly those that are seldom heard.
  • facilitating continued dialogue between representatives and ensure the development of briefings, information fact sheets and the effective use of social media.
  • To develop and support the Patient Forum. By facilitating the Patient Forum it will give Newham residents, patients and carers the chance to share experiences, influence decisions and give feedback to the CCG about local healthcare and to find out about changes and innovations in local health services.
  • To develop and support the Community Reference Group (CRG).The Commissioning Strategic Plan (CSP) outlines the proposed direction, priorities and investments for Newham Clinical Commissioning Group (NCCG). The Community Reference Group helps review this plan and the commissioning Intentions for Newham.
  • Development of a Health and Social Care network for third sector organisations to ensure a co-ordinated voice and a mechanism by which third sector organisations can be kept informed and engaged and through which third sector representatives can be selected/elected.
  • The Engagement Manager will work closely with the Patient and Public Engagement (PPE) Manager within the Newham CCG to build on the PPE work outlined above.

Capacity Building Communities of Health Organisations

Through the management and support of the Development Officer ( Capacity Building and Engagement), the Engagement Manager will ensure the provision of capacity building for CoH groups, with the aim of developing and supporting voluntary and community organisations to fundraise for and provide a comprehensive range of health promoting services.

Other Management Duties

  • Act as the initial contact point for the Communities of Health engagement project, attending and contributing to all relevant strategic meetings and providing advice and guidance to the CCG on engagement, including training of GPs and other clinicians/staff.
  • Maintain effective records and provide monitoring reports for the CCG, the Forum Director and Board; and work with the Director to ensure the effective evaluation of the programme.

•Ensure the effective provision of induction and on-going supervision and appraisal to all Community of Health staff and ensure the effective supervision of volunteers as necessary.

•Develop strategic partnerships, in consultation with the Forum Director, and relevant stakeholders that enable you to collaborate with other organisations on community engagement activity.

•Ensure the effective promotion and marketing of the Communities of Health Programme, including the effective use of social media, ensuring Communities of Health and the services of the accredited organisations are well known to local residents and that the programme has a national presence as a recognised example of best practice.

•To regularly advise the Director of the progress of projects, rapidly alerting them to any key successes or areas of challenge.

Equal Opportunities

The Forum has a strong commitment to achieving equality of opportunity in both services to the community and the employment of staff and expects all employees to understand and actively promote its policies in their work.

Other Tasks

To carry out other tasks appropriate to the level and duties of this post.

Essential requirements:

  • Educated to degree level or relevant experience with evidence of professional development.
  • Proven experience of leading successful community engagement projects, including experience of commissioning and co-creating and managing local community initiatives with local residents.
  • Successful experience of working with a range of stakeholders, including proven experience of engaging seldom heard communities and of working successfully with local government, health commissioners, third sector providers and academic institutions.
  • Comprehensive knowledge of effective engagement and good communication practice and of how to translate best practice into innovative, effective and practical solutions.
  • Understanding of the wider legislative frameworks that drive Patient and Public Engagement in the NHS/public sector.
  • Knowledge of the health and social care system.
  • Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to enthuse a range of stakeholders and motivate them to undertake joint action for the benefit of Newham residents.
  • Strong organisational and planning skills, the ability to prioritise in the face of competing demands.
  • Proven success in delivering work to tight deadlines, personally and through leading others.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills, enabling the post holder to influence at all levels and to work effectively as part of a team.
  • Experience of managing staff and volunteers, enabling them to work to clear targets and maximise their own personal development.
  • A demonstrable understanding of health inequality issues and effective resident and service user approaches to tackling these.
  • An entrepreneurial and problem solving approach within a high profile project that faces competing demands.
  • Experience of events management
  • Ability to work independently and on your own initiative.
  • Prepared to work evenings and weekends.
  • A clear commitment to equality of opportunity.

Desirable requirements:

  • Supervisory or management qualification.
  • Knowledge of third sector issues and understanding of the role of the patient and public voice in health and social care.
  • Proven marketing and promotion skills.

1