JOB DESCRIPTION – AILIP IMPROVEMENT ADVISOR POSTS

1. JOB DETAILS
JOB REFERENCE
Job Title
/ Band 8A
Improvement Advisor for Active and Independent Living Improvement Programme.
NUMBER OF POSTS / 3
DEPARTMENT AND Location / Appropriate NHS Scotland location or other as appropriate (hosted within NHS if appropriate)
Immediate MANAGER’S TITLE / Local Board arrangements may be required for hosting arrangements with Senior Manager

1.  JOB PURPOSE

In May 2015 the Minister For Public health announced that the Allied Health Professions National Delivery Plan would be re-freshed and an ‘Active and Independent Living Improvement Programme’ would be established to support the re-fresh. This highly complex, multifaceted programme is a major area of activity for Allied health across Scotland and will impact on the delivery of all health and social care and other relevant partner services in Scotland. This post is key to ensuring that national performance targets are met. The postholder will be a key member of the AHP Team within the Chief Nursing Officers Directorate and will make a major contribution to the formulation and delivery of policies and workstreams outlined in the Active and Independent Living Improvement programme (AILIP).

·  The purpose of this post is to:

·  lead the application of improvement science methodologies to numerous programmes of work within the AILIP across Scotland.

·  support the development of improved performance and service delivery in a range of AHP services across Scotland’s health, social and voluntary sectors.

·  bring expertise in systems improvement, (including the use of data) to contribute to the design and delivery of effective programmes and projects relating to the national policy context of both the quality strategy, the AHP NDP and the emerging AILIP.

2.  ORGANISATIONAL POSITION

3.  SCOPE AND RANGE

This post will operate system-wide across multi professional Allied Health services in Health, social care and third sector agencies. Relationships will therefore be highly complex and span all aspects of health and social care agendas. The post holders will engage with a complex array of networks, groups and individual practitioners in the course of this work at both regional and national levels. This will involve working across structures and boundaries, ensuring explicit linkages are developed and simultaneously aligned with the personal and skills development of staff.

The dimensions for influencing and innovative working extend across all clinicians and clinical disciplines across health and social care. These relationships will exist at internal and external levels across local, regional and national organisations and with all stakeholders.

The post holder will contribute systems improvement expertise (including the use of data) to the Active and Independent Living Improvement Programme, applying this expertise across a range of specialties and systems. This will include expert analysis, interpretation and making comparisons across a range of options as required.

The post holder will monitor and influence the planning and financial management by each allocated region of any allocated funds to ensure delivery of agreed outputs from all improvement activity.

The post holder will work closely with all levels of staff across relevant agencies, including executive staff, clinicians and senior managers.

The post holder will work with SG and other relevant staff in the long term strategic planning required identifying where to focus to achieve the biggest gains in performance, quality, efficiency and productivity. This will involve an ability to apply system improvement expertise, including the knowledge and skills to support teams to use data to improve the quality and efficiency of systems and processes. The post holder must be able to consider competing priorities and make judgements in what will frequently be contentious situations.

The Active and Independent Living Improvement Programme will operate with close links to a range of Directorates within the Scottish Government.

The post holder will work in partnership with other national agencies and stakeholders to ensure areas of crossover are identified and effectively managed.

4.  MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
The main duties for the post holder will involve the following:
·  Using knowledge of national and local datasets and an expert understanding of how to improve processes and systems, the post holder will promote a quality improvement approach and work with NHS, social care and SG staff to identify, investigate and develop solutions to system problems that improve quality, productivity and efficiency. This will involve analysing and presenting data in ways that support staff to understand, improve and manage their systems and processes. Often this will involve challenging current thinking and practice.
·  In undertaking this role, the postholder will work in a corporate manner in a politically sensitive and sometimes highly contentious environment, driving the Active and Independent Living Improvement Programme. The postholder must be able to respond quickly to relevant changes in health and social care policy and ministerial priorities, together with the emergent needs across the health and social care partnership areas in Scotland.
·  Supporting a range of priority improvement projects across health and social care, managing and negotiating with staff groups and effectively planning your time to deliver across a number of projects simultaneously.
·  Applying skills, expert knowledge and experience of improvement to investigate and facilitate solutions to system problems that improve quality, productivity and efficiency. This will include AHP service redesign and supporting long term plans to introduce new innovative ways of working across health and social care sectors.
·  Spreading knowledge and practical experience of improvement science and championing the use of continuous quality improvement approaches and techniques as a way of meeting the current financial challenges whilst maintaining or improving quality. Working with teams to support the implementation of the NDP, building capacity across health and social care.
·  Act as a change agent to enable the successful development and implementation of identified improvement programmes and workstreams within the prioritised improvement plan. Expert knowledge of improvement science will at times differ from the custom and practice of clinical staff and postholders must develop strategies and plans based on their expert analysis of data and provide leadership in supporting changes to introduce evidence based service delivery models
·  Manage the requirements of multiple stakeholders and staff groups to deliver specific improvement programmes that support the application of improvement science to bring about measurable improvements in the safety and quality experienced by individuals across health and social care.
·  Work with and influence key staff and staff groups to bring about changes in the practices of individuals and services who may have a high level of emotional engagement and commitment to existing ways of working. This requires a high level of interpersonal skills and the ability to use different communication techniques and influencing strategies to obtain the required solution.
·  Present complex information on improvement techniques, relevant to various individual work programmes to professional and non-professional groups of varying size.
·  Deputise for the programme manager for the Active and Independent Living Improvement Programme at relevant internal and external meetings and line manage, supervise, develop and support the project leads within boards/regions.
The Improvement Advisor has a key role in championing the use of improvement science as follows:
·  Providing expert advice on the application of improvement science to support staff in testing, implementing and spreading improvements to achieve reliable and safe systems and processes.
·  Supporting the development and implementation of a range of quality improvement tools.
·  Independently drawing on sound evidence base and critically analysing research for its application within an improvement science context.
·  Facilitating the use of improvement methodologies to support staff with the implementation of improvement methodologies and approaches and successfully spreading and sustaining improvements in health and care.
·  Evidence of developing and or implementing an approach to build capacity and capability in improvement science that supports implementation to related improvement programmes. This includes delivering a range of improvement science methodological training to wide and varied audiences across designated partnership areas, and being able to demonstrate skills and experience in coaching, mentoring and advising others in the application of improvement science and methodologies in practice.
·  Overseeing the progress of implementation of designated workstreams including the analysis of highly complex, multi-factorial data emerging from stakeholders including senior clinicians, senior managers, service users and carers and then using coaching and influencing techniques to effect positive change. Expert analysis is required to ensure robust interpretation in the face of introducing changed ways of working and challenging existing customs and practice. Innovative approaches will generate highly complex data with a number of contributory factors influencing the decisions for clinical practice and policy required.
·  Advise on and support senior managers, clinicians and other members of staff with data collection, analysis, and interpretation ensure a measurement framework is in place to support successful implementation and demonstrate reliable, sustainable improvements.
Project / Programme Management
·  Advising on the scope, aims, objectives and key success factors of the programme in association with key stakeholders and ensuring that the Project Charters and programme plans, infrastructure and related project / programme documentation are in place and remain relevant and up to date. This includes working with key stakeholders to develop packages of interventions for targeted improvement and systems of measurement to monitor and determine impact.
·  Programme manage and monitor the delivery and implementation of identified programmes and workstreams to ensure the key measures and aims of the programme are achieved on time and making recommendations to address issues/challenges and barriers to successful implementation.
·  Working autonomously the postholder will be expected to interpret the national themes of the AILIP and ensure implementation of these across the sectors they are working within. The Improvement Advisor is accountable for decisions taken and will identify and prioritise issues or risks associated with the potential delivery failures..

5.  EQUIPMENT & MACHINERY

The post holder will be required to be competent in the use of Microsoft Office packages and have a well-developed understanding of the way in which IT software can support the delivery of efficient systems to discharge job demands.

The post holder will be required to use a P.C. to collect, collate and interpret information and data (generated by self and other people) and process this to create such things as reports, documents, presentations, publications and posters.

The post holder will also be required to use audio-visual equipment such as data-projectors, Lap top computers and overhead projectors for use in meetings and workshops, in addition to delivering formal education and training sessions to mixed audiences of up to 200.

The post holder will have regular utilisation of telephone and teleconferencing/videoconferencing/web ex facilities.

The post holder will be required to use a car and regularly travel between sites across the organisation and to other health boards and national organisations around the country.

The post holder will be required to maintain records of confidential issues which are gathered and acted upon with sensitivity.

6.  SYSTEMS

The post holder has primary responsibility for the security, maintenance and confidentiality of databases and information held on their own computer.

• Electronic data storage e.g. Word, Access, Excel, Powerpoint,

• Personal Development Planning System – eKSF

• Audit and monitoring reporting systems

• Intranet/Internet

• Performance monitoring, report writing, project and programme

management systems

These are used to:

• Develop and maintain communication networks within the Health and Social Care Partnerships and with external organisations, e.g. NES, Scottish Government, HIS, Higher Education Institutes

• Ensure effective and systematic monitoring of developing services through appropriate evaluation techniques e.g. clinical audit, service evaluation, service user experience, and so on

• Electronic systems, including e-health systems such as PACS and FACE. Also the use of web based systems including ISD, knowledge portals, dashboards

• Frequent use of several software packages including Microsoft excel, word, powerpoint, access and measurement programmes (QI Chart Runner data system/SPC data management system)

• Frequent use of electronic email system;

• Frequent use of paper based system of measurements to monitor/improve the quality of the AHP services;

• Frequent use of paper based/eKSF system for the appraisal and personal development of self and staff

7.  DECISIONS & JUDGEMENTS

The post holder has the authority to take decisions required to achieve agreed objectives within the constraints of the programme, national policy and legislation.

Performance objectives will be agreed annually with the programme manager and the Chief Health Professions Officer.

Review of performance in the post will be undertaken through the agreement of performance objectives and individual performance appraisal. Formal appraisal is undertaken on an annual cycle, but there will be informal reviews of current developments and progress on significant issues, giving authority, where necessary, for the post holder to proceed with matters out with the scope of his/her delegated authority.

8.  COMMUNICATIONS & RELATIONSHIPS

In order to achieve objectives, the post holder is required to participate in diverse communication processes to audiences who will have differing expectations and priorities. This involves using a wide range of mediums including written, verbal, formal and informal, individual and group. The post holder will be required to have strong interpersonal skills and regularly demonstrate their proven ability to communicate effectively to the target group, highly complex, sensitive and often contentious information when there are strong opposing views, disagreement or dissent. The ability to influence and manage behavioural challenges in this process is essential.

To continuously develop AHP services the post holder will be required to develop and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders. The complexity of communication and working relationships essential to this post can be demonstrated through the variety of stakeholders with whom the post holder will require to communicate, influence and negotiate. These will include:

• Directors of Health and Social Care Partnerships and Acute

• Health Care Managers

• Clinical Directors

• Frontline staff- all levels

• Finance

• Clinical Improvement/Governance

• Information and Knowledge Management