NHS 111 Operational Shift Lead

Purpose of the Role

To coordinate the real-time call centre operational shift delivery in a proactive manner, under the guidance of the Operational Performance Management team. To monitor, manage, lead and coach the teams within the call centres to ensure provision of an efficient, high quality and safe service at all times. Ensure adherence to National Quality Requirements and organisational Key Performance Indicators through proactive and innovative management and ensure adherence with all contract requirements. Work online to a safe and effective standard maintaining own skills and competence. To liaise with key stakeholders and represent DHU in a timely and professional manner as and when required.

Values, behaviours and principles

The post holder is expected to lead by example in terms of role modelling the behaviours associated with our values.

We are always:

· Compassionate – we show kindness, consideration and understanding in everything we do – and demonstrate our caring nature to our patient, people and communities

· Accomplished – we are available day and night – a response, adaptable, professional NHS partner, providing the best advice, care and treatment for every individual

· Respectful – we recognise the value that individual and team difference bring – welcoming views, listening, being honest, and learning from others’ experiences

· Encouraging – we believe everyone matters, so we inspire confidence in other – promoting ‘speaking up’, fostering career-long learning and development, and supporting improvement ideas

Key Areas of Responsibility & Accountability

• Hold responsibility for management of the overall call centre performance ensuring pro-active delivery against the NHS 111 service level agreements
• Provide an exception summary of times when performance levels are not achieved via the operational shift lead report.
• Escalate issues and concerns to the operational performance management team promptly or, in their absence, a member of the NHS 111 senior management team/director on call.
• Monitor the telephony answering performance and take immediate corrective action when required in a professional manner.
• Ensure effective and efficient resource management and productivity at all times.
• Provide real-time proactive performance management to support to call centre staff on shift.
• Assist call taking staff with NHS Pathways queries when requested or through proactively identifying staff on shift that may need support.
• Be proficient in interpreting and applying performance data to gain a reliable picture of individual and organisational performance and take proactive action to address any performance issues in real-time.
• Ensure adherence to the National Quality Requirements and Key Performance Indicators relative to the service whilst leading the shift.
• Demonstrate and contribute to embedding the DHU Vision and Values across the organisation.
• Support management of complaints and compliments received on shift in a timely and professional manner when required.
• Maintain own call taking proficiency demonstrating in-depth knowledge of Adastra and NHS Pathways systems.
• Contribute proactively to continuous quality improvement through own practice and through support to others
• Contribute to the compilation and update of the Balanced Scorecard
• Demonstrate knowledge of how to resolve problems that may arise during the shift i.e. smartcard management, telephony systems and log in problems.
• Amalgamate records in real time on all shifts.
• Provide professional, proactive leadership to the call centre to ensure robust clinical governance
• Liaise with and maintain professional working relationships with support services i.e. IT Service Desk and Rota Teams reporting any issues to a line manager.
• Work closely with the clinician responsible for clinically leading the shift to support effective deployment of nurse/clinician resource to appropriate roles.
• Ensure that effective contingency plans are applied in the call centres to meet unexpected increases in demand and that any performance alerts are escalated in an appropriate and timely manner.
• Follow correct contingency processes for all planned and unplanned downtime ensuring any paper records are inputted in a timely manner once systems are restored.
• Within the remit of the operational shift lead role, liaise professionally and knowledgably with external stakeholders who contact the NHS 111 service in real time.
• Utilise interpersonal and managerial skills to motivate and engage staff with delivering a high quality service to patients.
• Ensure provision of floor walking support when needed and ensure operational shift leads are floor walking to support staff at the site they are currently working on all shifts.
• Maintain up to date knowledge of DHU processes and procedures including for HR issues where individual staff may need real time support in the absence of a NHS 111 Team Manager.
• Raise any issues identified on shift with the individual’s team manager to ensure ongoing and consistent support is provided.
• Instigate and facilitate reflection and/or debriefing of challenging calls when necessary.
• Assist with assessment centres to support recruitment of high quality new employees
• Ensure contact with new employee staff members at earliest opportunity to assist them with queries and to welcome them to DHU.
• To be aware of organisational requirement to maintain good budgetary control and escalate any areas for cost savings identified.
• Escalate any identified risks to the service via organisational policy and appropriate channels
• Ensure the general appearance of the call centre is tidy at all times. Ensure relevant and timely information is available to staff on noticeboards and within call centre pods.
• Demonstrate professionalism and service knowledge when participating in stakeholder engagement and liaison
• Work within and promote the DHU Vision and Values
• Maintain own competence through continuing development
• Seek feedback on own performance from direct reports and line managers
• Contribution to the development of own Balanced Scorecard
• Participate in regular performance review with the NHS 111 Operational Performance Manager using the agreed competency framework appropriate to individual scope of practice
• Participate in the provision of coaching, mentorship, training and the continuing development of call taking staff
• Offer appropriate advice on care practices, delivery and service development within the parameters of own role
• Participate in the ongoing individual and own personal development within the organisation ensuring maintenance and review of own personal development plan.
• Adhere to all DHU policies, procedures, protocols and other relevant memoranda as appropriate
• Attend training and meetings as and when required to do so by Senior Management
• Maintain strict confidentiality in relation to all issues concerned within the service and adhere to DHU policy ensuring staff are aware of their obligations under the Freedom of Information Act, Information Governance and the Data Protection Act.
• Communicate outstanding issues to your immediate reports or Operational Performance Manager before going off duty. In relation to serious issues, these must be reported to the NHS 111 Senior Operational Performance Manager, NHS 111 Programme and Operations Director or, in their absence, the director on call.
• Notify the appropriate senior manager immediately of any circumstances which may affect the provision of a high quality service.
• Maintain and ensure maintenance of a tidy work environment at all times
• Organise and prioritise effectively own work schedule and work schedule of immediate reports, to ensure operational excellence with minimum supervision
• Deal with matters raised under the Incidents and Complaints Procedure/Protocol and use the procedure/protocol when answering queries and complying with requests from the Integrated Governance Team for investigation and information requests within the specified timeframe, i.e. 5 days for statements.
• The post holder is required to take responsible care for the health and safety of him/herself and other persons who may be affected by his/her acts or omissions at work. The post holder is also required to co-operate with DHU to ensure that statutory and departmental safety regulations are adhered to.
• DHU is an equal opportunities employer and the post holder will be expected to comply with all relevant policies and procedures in this area together with all other policies and procedures as initiated by DHU.
• DHU is a non-smoking organisation and you are therefore required not to smoke in any of the buildings where DHU’s business is carried out
• Communicate with staff within Derbyshire Health United Ltd and related organisations
• Communicate with Clinical, Non Clinical and managerial staff within participating Clinical Commissioning Groups
• Communicate with staff in primary and secondary care services
• Communicate with staff within local authority Social Services
• Communicate with Out of Hours and other related services within the health economy
• As you will expect the organisation may change from time to time and you will be expected to meet the operational requirements.
• Any other reasonable duties as required from time to time.

It is expected that this position will cover 24/7 shifts working according to the needs of the service and a minimum of three out of four weekends.

It is expected that the post holder will be able to travel to all DHU sites and external meeting locations across the country on request.

Person Specification

The job holder will have the relevant qualifications, experience and skills to excel in this job role, as further explained in the table below.

Experience

• Accredited NHS Pathways User essential
• Accredited NHS Pathways Coach essential
• Previous leadership experience is desired, preferably at a management level and within a real time service delivery environment
• Previous experience of working within a call centre and/or healthcare environment providing telephone triage/assessment preferred
• Previous experience of working with staff in a busy service environment
• Able to assertively and professionally manage challenge and deliver difficult conversations and feed back
• Experience of communication with a variety of people
• IT experience (e.g. Word/Excel and other packages) as well as email systems and other electronic media
• Management of staff rostering and rota systems
• Knowledge of telephony systems

Skills and Knowledge

• Excellent interpersonal/ communication skills with a variety of media and all levels of staff with the company as well as external agencies
• Demonstrable knowledge of how to engage with people and support them to work to high standards
• Ability to prioritise and deliver competing demands to a good standard
• Ability to contribute to and manage change
• Able to professionally mange challenge and display competent negotiation skills
• Ability to delegate appropriately
• Knowledge of the skills required in order to effectively manage people
• Ability to interrogate and apply data from a variety of sources to support performance management
• Decision maker
• Able to communicate assertively and supportively
• Able to demonstrate responsibility for leading shift
• Ability to use initiative
• Accurate record keeping
• Excellent telephone manner
• Problem solving skills
• Effective time management – strong organisational skills
• Ability to maintain strict levels of confidentiality

Job Circumstances

• Commitment to role
• Able to work unsocial hours
• Flexibility to meet service/rota needs
• Ability to travel to all sites on request
• Full driving licence

Personal Qualities

• Proven team player
• Diplomatic
• Sense of humour
• Ability to work under pressure
• Conscientious, reliable and resourceful
• Professional attitude to employment
• Pro-active
• Self-starter

Diversity

DHU believe our workforce should be as diverse as the range of services we offer, and the communities we serve. We are committed to valuing and encouraging diversity throughout our workforce, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. As part of our mission we are dedicated to eliminating discrimination.

DHU Healthcare is a ‘not-for-profit’ community interest company providing a diverse range of services to the NHS frontline, including urgent and emergency care, primary care, out of hours services and NHS111. We operate 365 days a year, 24 hours a day across a wide geographical area including Derbyshire, Northamptonshire; Nottinghamshire; Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland; Lincolnshire, Milton Keynes, Bath, North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire – a population totalling around ten million. A socially conscious organisation, we provide compassionate, safe, high-quality care to our patients and the communities we serve and offer a supportive work environment to our 2,000 people. You can find out more about us at Our profile :: DHU Healthcare