Improvement Practice Facilitator

Job overview

The Improvement Hub takes a leading role in working with the Clinical and Corporate Divisions to facilitate the delivery of the Trust’s Improvement Priorities, contributing to the aims of the wider Pennine Lancashire Integrated Care Partnership.

The main purpose of this role is to work as an Improvement Practice Facilitator in the delivery and application of the Improvement Practice at ELHT ( Improving Safe, Personal and Effective Care (SPE+), facilitating, leading and monitoring progress of specific improvement projects, which form part of the Trust’s overall Improvement Programme. The role will also assist in the delivery of training to support capacity and capability building of improvement skills across the organisation.

Main duties of the job

• Lead the planning and organisation of a range of specific improvement projects in line with agreed Improvement priorities and programmes. This will entail planning the delivery and scheduling of new and ongoing improvement projects which may impact across or within Departments, Directorates and Divisions. The nature of the projects is dictated by the Departments/Directorates/Divisions who register their improvement ideas but will also include some Trust-wide projects e.g. linked to the Trust Quality Strategy or other key improvement programmes.
• Coach and advise staff on the most appropriate improvement methodologies to use.
• Monitor overall progress of specific improvement projects which form wider programmes, supporting performance improvement or adjustment to plans where required and reporting progress to relevant forums across the organisation.
• Utilise Improvement A3s and other relevant project management methods/tools to provide assurance on progress and/or to escalate concerns, working with senior Improvement Hub team members to ensure this is collated and presented appropriately on the Executive Improvement Wall and through other Divisional cascade mechanisms.

Working for our organisation

Responsibility for Human Resources:

• Provide supervision for clinicians in training (e.g. medical students, Trainee Assistant Practitioners, FY2s etc) in delivery of their quality improvement projects to meet their educational requirements.

Responsibility for Financial Resources:

• Work with teams to determine the financial efficiencies to be realised from improvement projects in order to contribute towards the Trust’s Waste Reduction Programme initiative.
• Monitor improvement project budgets and/or realisation of financial efficiencies identified from improvement projects as relevant to each project.

Responsibility for patient care:

• Assist patients/relatives during incidental contacts

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Planning and Organisation:

• Lead the planning and organisation of a range of specific improvement projects in line with agreed Improvement priorities and programmes. This will entail planning the delivery and scheduling of new and ongoing improvement projects which may impact across or within Departments, Directorates and Divisions. The nature of the projects is dictated by the Departments/Directorates/Divisions who register their improvement ideas but will also include some Trust-wide projects e.g. linked to the Trust Quality Strategy or other key improvement programmes.
• Coach and advise staff on the most appropriate improvement methodologies to use.
• Monitor overall progress of specific improvement projects which form wider programmes, supporting performance improvement or adjustment to plans where required and reporting progress to relevant forums across the organisation.
• Utilise Improvement A3s and other relevant project management methods/tools to provide assurance on progress and/or to escalate concerns, working with senior Improvement Hub team members to ensure this is collated and presented appropriately on the Executive Improvement Wall and through other Divisional cascade mechanisms.

Analysis and Judgemental Skills, Information Resources, Research and Development:

• Manage complex, sensitive and contentious information appropriately (covering areas related to delivery/performance, quality, cost and people from across relevant services within the organisation) as relevant to improvement work being undertaken.
• Analyse and interpret complex service performance information, which at times may be conflicting, to identify current state performance against agreed national/local standards. Utilise this analysis to be able to work with stakeholders to generate improvement ideas and compare benefits of improvement options.
• Responsible for recording into and maintaining appropriate information systems relevant to the overall Improvement Programme and specific improvement projects.
• Utilise a range of research tools and methods to undertake surveys or audits relevant to each improvement project in order to determine the current state and from which to enable the identification of improvement opportunities and to re-audit/re-survey as appropriate determine whether these have been achieved.

Knowledge, Training and Experience:

• Provide specialist advice on all aspects of Improvement and act as an approachable source of improvement knowledge to all staff.

COMMUNICATION

• Provide and present a range of complex, sensitive, conflicting or contentious information to key stakeholders (e.g. sensitive information about performance and change related in the main to performance of services within the organisation covering factors such as delivery (service performance), quality (service outcomes), cost (service cost) and people (patient and staff experience) to small groups of staff and patient representatives involved in an improvement project) in order to inform understanding of the current state, and to facilitate the identification and agreement of improvement opportunities/future state and from which to form a basis for measuring the improvements agreed and made.
• Develop positive relationships with teams (including clinical and managerial teams) to motivate them on improvement project delivery and make links with other improvement initiatives, as appropriate.

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

• Working with other team members, deliver training sessions for staff (clinical and non-clinical) and other key stakeholders on various aspects of the improvement practice as part of the agreed Improvement Practice training plan. This is inclusive of leading Level 1 (Awareness) to 3 (Lead) training of the Improvement Practice training pyramid.
• Provide coaching and support to individuals undertaking improvement projects.
• Complete core mandatory training and participate in Improvement Hub Team monthly training sessions as required. Team training sessions will be designed around the personal and team development needs identified.

Person specification Qualifications Essential criteria

• Practice Coach as defined by NHSI&E Vital Signs Programme or a combination of long/short courses in improvement science and evidence of continuing professional development in the field of improvement science.
• Evidence of continuing personal development and or/ formal Improvement Practice/ methodology training/ qualification (in-house or external courses) equivalent to Post-graduate diploma (or relevant experience).
• Educated to Degree level (any degree) or equivalent experience

Experience Essential criteria

• Experience of delivering improvement initiatives at an organisational level
• Experience of facilitating change using improvement methodologies
• Experience of coaching, facilitating and/or mentoring
• Experience of using measurement and data for improvement (e.g. Run Charts; Statistics process control charts)
• Experience of leading change in complex systems

Desirable criteria

• Experience of delivering training and education programmes

Knowledge Essential criteria

• Specialist knowledge of improvement methodologies, such as Model for Improvement and Lean at post graduate diploma level or equivalent
• Ability to analyse, interpret and present a range of complex facts/data
• Knowledge of facilitation and coaching skills
• Ability to quickly develop a good rapport with key stakeholders and gain respect from the wider multi-professional team
• Good IT and keyboard skills, including working knowledge of MS Office 365 e.g. word, excel, powerpoint, teams
• Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills
• Able to assist patients and relatives during incidental contacts

Personal Essential criteria

• Ability to cope under pressure and meet challenging deadlines
• Ability to work autonomously and be self-motivating
• Able to work collaboratively as a member of a team
• Able to work flexibly and adapt to suit the changing requirements of the organisation

Other Essential criteria

• Access to a Vehicle for work purposes and able to work across sites
• Evidence of continual development and enthusiasm to learn

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