The Neurosciences Service Manager will operationally manage their specialties to deliver high quality, effective and efficient services. This will build on recent successes around quality, activity, cost savings and efficiencies. The post holder will report to the General Manager and work in partnership with senior surgical and nursing colleagues within Neurosciences wider trust, to ensure delivery of the portfolio of Neurosciences activities within a financially sustainable model. The Service Manager will be responsible for a complex programme of interdependent projects across a number of specialties and the development of financially affordable solutions to capacity and quality constraints and the integration of services across the health economy. This will enable the development, delivery and maintenance of performance targets and plans. Working in partnership with clinical staff, commissioners, managers and service users, the post holder will lead the redesign of services and business processes, and be responsible for facilitating the involvement of all stakeholders to ensure timescales are met and service benefits realised. The Service Manager will ensure that robust activity and financial management systems are in place during the planning period to maintain business continuity. Specifically the post holder will work with their Lead Clinicians, Business Managers and Matrons, ensuring that operational performance and access targets are met, and take the lead in developing effective business processes and systems within the department to enable the sustained delivery of key operational targets. The post holder will be responsible for administration and clerical function within Department. The post holder will deputise for the General Manager as required. Awareness of strategic direction and ensure local business plans take account of the overall direction of the Trust Ability to communicate and network effectively, negotiate and influence others taking into account the multi-professional and organisational cultures Highly developed communication skills to enable the development of workforce and capacity planning and ensure that departmental business plans and continually changing service plans and schedules are updated to meet service needs Ability to produce a range of documents to varying audiences, both internal and external to the Trust some of which is of a confidential, sensitive or contentious nature Possess change management skills to include service reconfiguration Ability to establish processes and systems within the Directorate to develop and monitor financial and business plans across specialist services working collaboratively with other Directorates Core Knowledge and Understanding Demonstrates an understanding of both the NHS culture and of the cultures of the different health professional groups Sound understanding of the NHS modernisation agenda to include priorities from the Department of Health, Monitor, Healthcare Commission, National, Local and Trust Targets Work within the Trusts Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instructions and Clinical Governance arrangements Work within the Trusts Capital and Corporate Planning procedures Understanding and experience of effective information analysis, data interpretation and presentation, and software applications essential for communicating business, finance and workforce plans Good sound knowledge and understanding of writing comprehensive business cases Work within the Trusts HR guidance and toolkits for HR processes to include workforce planning, recruitment and selection, honorary contracts, investigations. Understanding of Trust Policies and Procedures eg HR/Risk Management/Clinical Governance Understanding of Commissioning, contracting and service agreements to include payment by results Understanding of management and operational arrangements in the Trust Key Responsibilities 1. Business Delivery and Operational Service Delivery To lead on the delivery of operational service targets within the Clinical service Unit to ensure that income is maximised and targets achieved. To line manage the Business Manager where appropriate, and have overall accountability for the performance of the patient administration function, ensuring services are managed within agreed budgets. To ensure the development of effective business systems and procedures within the Directorate. To ensure that robust activity and financial management systems are in place to maintain business continuity during planning and commissioning of the service plans. To monitor contract activity and ensure that systems are in place to deliver planned contract activity. To ensure that appropriate risk management strategies are developed and that the Leeds Cancer Centre risk register is updated regularly to reflect the current issues facing the service. Delegated budget holder To be involved in budget setting for services To create, collate, interpret, analyse, data to turn into useful information to enable Clinical Service Unit to monitor and control performance and quality along with changes in financial activity modelling. This includes the use of formulae. Participate and deliver quality assurance checks and visits within the clinical environment e.g. wards, outpatients etc. with matrons to review the environment, equipment and ensure it meets the necessary standards. Participate in quality assurance of facilities for example, when commissioning/relocating services, to ensure that facilities comply with national guidelines and legislation. Service Development To take lead responsibility for developing a robust project management framework to support the delivery of service change, including the preparation of a detailed project plan, key outcomes, deliverables and timescales. To ensure that the project is delivered within the available resources and to the agreed timescales, providing regular highlight reports to the Clinical Service Unit, General Manager and the Primary Planning Group. To play a leading role in the primary planning group ensuring that the work of various sub groups are on track, that the project as a whole is coordinated and that significant issues/problems are raised in a timely manner, enabling early remedial action if required through the development of options and recommendations to mitigate risk. To propose changes to processes, procedures and patient pathways. To lead on developing new processes and procedures, supporting development of clinical protocols and models of delivery at regional level. To identify areas of improvement within the service and lead on the development of required changes to impact on access, quality, performance and finance. Sometimes these service developments will have a national profile. To be involved in the development and creation of policies, some of which may impact on other Regional organisations and units, District General Hospitals etc. To implement and performance manage adherence to Trust and departmental service policies. To ensure active engagement and ownership of key stakeholders in the project liaising with key professions including clinicians, managers, nursing, service users and planners. To act as a change agent, consulting with all involved parties, gaining agreement and approval for new ways of working. Ensure new patterns of work are monitored and evaluated. To establish and maintain an effective communications strategy, to ensure that all stakeholders are fully informed. To take the lead on the development of revised finance and activity plans, working closely with clinical and finance colleagues to identify the costs of the agreed packages of care, and a revised pricing structure. To represent the Trust in discussion with commissioners about revised packages of care, activity levels and prices, including the Yorkshire Cancer Network in the development of care pathways to support all cancer patients. To work with the service heads to develop business cases for equipment or staffing bids required as part of the centralisation. To develop a marketing strategy for the new unit. To ensure training and induction packages are in place for all staff groups. General Management To deputise as appropriate for the General Manager To attend and contribute as a key member at the Clinical Service Unit Team meetings Investigate complex complaints in line with the Trusts Complaints Procedure and ensure that all complaints are used positively to improve service deficiencies Research/Audit Activity To contribute to staff surveys, Clinical Service Unit patient experience surveys etc to identify areas of improvement. To regularly conduct audits such as secretarial audits, outpatient follow ups, re-admissions, monthly key performance indicators, length of stay, theatre utilisation, delayed discharges. Support the setup of clinical trials, work with clinical and research teams to monitor the recruitment of patients and ensure the business process that co-ordinates the R&D programmes are effective.