Uel Clinical Support Associate

**AGENDA FOR CHANGE: JOB DESCRIPTION**

**Post title**:Clinical Support Associate

**Directorate/department**:Theatres, UHS Estates Limited

**Agenda for Change band**:Band 6

**Accountable to**:Senior Clinical Support Specialist

**Main purpose**

UHS Estates Limited (UEL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of University Hospital
Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS). The company is responsible for the design and construction of new buildings, and the ongoing provision of services, including estates maintenance, soft facilities management and the management of equipment, consumables and materials.

The post holder will provide clinical knowledge within a defined area of responsibility, in relation to clinical equipment, consumables, surgical instrumentation and other devices used within the operating theatre setting. Working as part of the UEL Theatres team, the post holder will give advice to both UEL Theatres colleagues and members of the multi-professional teams across all Theatres within University Hospital Southampton. They will lead change/improvement projects and processes independently, as agreed with Clinical Services and the UEL Theatres Senior
Leadership Team. The scope of this role covers all UHS sites and partners and will also include close working and liaison with third party providers such as Sterile Services
(delivered under contract) and Wessex Procurement Limited (WPL), as well as suppliers and contractors and will be a major contributor to negotiations and achieving value for money across the system.

**Key working relationships**:
▪ UEL Theatres Team - materials
▪ UEL Contracts Manager
▪ Clinical/Multi-disciplinary teams within Theatres across UHS
▪ UHS Theatre Matrons
▪ UHS Theatres Scheduling Manager
▪ Consultant surgeons and anaesthetists
▪ Sterile services & other third-party providers/partners
▪ Clinical Engineering and Medical Equipment Library teams
▪ Procurement Managers WPL
▪ Finance Team.

**General duties**:
**Leadership**

1. To assist the development and implementation of new policies, protocols and guidelines; maintaining and sustaining these to become embedded in day-to-day practice

2. To lead as an effective role model and foster by example, professional standards

3. Act proactively to identify risks to UEL Theatres, finding workable solutions and escalating issues as appropriate.

4. Highlight and action areas of concern in relation to stock, equipment, instrumentation and data accuracy.

5. Able to work under pressure to meet patient driven deadlines and to prioritise work on tasks and projects and to guide other team members.

6. Proactively lead change initiatives and improvement projects, linking with colleagues in UEL Theatres, WPL Procurement, Clinical/MDTs within UHS and other partner organisations.

7. Commitment to respond appropriately to any untoward incidents, complaints or problems within the service.

8. Lead in negotiations with third party suppliers to drive quality and cost effectiveness, interpreting complex data sets and ensuring clinical buy-in.

9. Provide leadership and advice, internal and external to UEL, and advise the
UEL Theatres Senior Leadership Team and assist with the delivery of cost saving in relation theatre equipment, instrumentation and consumables.

10. Line manage the UEL Loan and Equipment lead.

**Operational management**

11. Provide support to the Clinical Support Specialist and the wider

Leadership team within UEL Theatres.
12. Utilise a variety of IT tools and platforms to draw complex data streams together to inform work plans and strategies.
13. To identify and implement change in response to clinical and organisational demands or innovations, supporting relevant staff through the change process.

15. Support on trials and tender processes as applicable to areas of responsibility, working in collaboration with the MDT, procurement, clinical engineering and other partners or stakeholders.

16. To oversee the ordering of new/renew existing instruments are required within parameters of agreed annual budgets.

17. To arrange the leasing of specialist loan equipment in collaboration with company representatives, acting with autonomy in negotiations.

18. To promote and support cost effective solutions for theatres/recovery in line with budget controls and allocations.

19. To support the management of the surgical instrument base to cover the requirements in conjunction with the Sterile Services provider; including supporting the loan kit and equipment lead.

20. Complex judgement skills will be required when looking for alternatives of consumables due to stock shortages or price increase and negotiating skills when alternatives are sourced for clinical agreement.

21. Act as a positive role model and set the highest standards for best patient care by influencing staff, demonstrating sound clinical judgement whilst giving advice to other professionals with their own scope of practice.

22. Work within UEL Theat