Quality & Effectiveness Manager

Job/Role Summary

• Responsible for developing, delivering and evaluating the Trust’s quality and effectiveness strategy and governance strategy.
• Identifying and addressing quality priorities for the organisation.
• Advising the lead Director for Quality, SMT and senior managers/clinicians in relation to the identification and delivery of key quality priorities for the Trust and assisting managers, clinicians, health and social care professionals in delivering a high quality service to users and their families.
• Joint operational responsibility for governance in the Trust.
• Development of annual governance plan and identification of key quality priorities.
• Multiprofessional audit.
• User consultation and involvement.
• Chair of Trust policy committee.
• Promotion of evidence based practice including development, co-ordination and ratification of clinical and social care guidelines, and care pathways.
• Quality improvement initiatives.
• Project management of Trust-wide accreditation programme (HQS).
• Responsibility for managing the Quality & Effectiveness Department and for ensuring that the annual corporate quality programme is delivered.

Specific qualifications and experience required

• Possess a professional qualification in health/social care and have worked in a profession which provides direct health or social care to patients/clients e.g. medicine, nursing, social work, allied health professional, pharmacist, dentist.
• Educated to masters level.
• Two years middle management.
• Be able to demonstrate knowledge, experience and involvement in developing or supporting quality/service improvement initiatives such as audit, evidence based practice/clinical effectiveness initiatives, governance and user consultation/satisfaction mechanisms.
• Be able to demonstrate leadership, management and project management skills.
• Be able to use own initiative and work to agreed timescales and outcomes.
• Be able to demonstrate effective influencing and facilitation skills and good written and verbal communication skills.
• Have effective presentation skills and training skills.
• Have good computer skills i.e. word processing and email.
• Hold a current full driving licence valid in UK with access to a car on appointment – this criteria will be waived in the case of an applicant whose disability prohibits driving but who is able to organise suitable alternative arrangements.

Career Milestones

My clinical background is in nursing having attained a BSc Hons RGN in Nursing Studies. My clinical experience involved working in medical wards in both Bangor Hospital and the Ulster Hospital. I held a previous post as a Quality & Research Coordinator involved in quality initiatives but also in nursing research and this post helped me in developing the skills I required for my current post. During project management experience in relation to the Commission for Health Improvement I had the opportunity to participate and drive review within my Trust. This led to further opportunities working towards a Health Quality Service (HQS) trust-wide accreditation. During this time I was involved in establishing and developing policy frameworks and processes within the Trust and gained valuable skills and experience in relation to the development of Trust-wide policy documents. Over the years I have gained experience in relation to presentations at all levels with all professional groupings which have been beneficial for my current post. I have had the opportunity to gain experience and competence in relation to the development of Trust wide strategy documents e.g. quality, audit and governance strategies and to work on a multiprofessional basis with all staff across the organization gaining a trust-wide over-view of all services. I found participation in the Beeches/Kings Fund leadership course for senior nurses a challenging yet beneficial piece of development.

What attracted you to this job?

• Interest in quality.
• Interest in research.
• At the time post advertised I was heading up a Nursing research Group in the Trust which was relevant to the developing interest I had in this area.

Enjoyable aspects of the job/role

• The job is challenging and provides an opportunity to work with multiprofessional staff and senior managers across the organization.
• Everyday brings something different.
• I work with a good team of staff within my own department.

Important success factors

• Support from the Chief Executive and Director of Nursing.
• Political awareness in terms of dealing with different managers and staff at different levels of the organization and awareness of their agendas.
• Working with a good team of staff within the Quality & Effectiveness Department who are hard working, dedicated and portray a positive image to other departments/services thereby enhancing the reputation of department.

Advice for those considering the type of job/role?

Be aware of the challenges such a post would bring – need to be aware of and being able to manage competing priorities, demanding priorities and timescales, need to be politically aware in terms of competing agendas, need to be able to ensure work-life balance. The job provides great opportunities to learn about how an organization operates, the various departments and services, which exist, and working with all levels of staff. You will need to have a good understanding of quality improvement methodologies including audit, how to develop and implement strategies, project management skills, leadership and good interpersonal qualities.

Key skills that can be gained within this job/role?

• Ability to have an insight into how an organization operates.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills.
• Effective project management skills.
• Awareness of leadership and management skills and their application to practice.
• How to work with and be aware of different issues around multiprofessional working.
• Policy development.
• Strategy development.
• Time management skills.
• Political awareness.

Career Profiles