Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London, Essex, Kent and Medway. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.
The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for three consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.
Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video
Job overview
Are you a dedicated and experienced pharmacy technician looking to take the next step in your career? Do you have a passion for leadership, workforce development, and driving improvements in healthcare? If so, we want to hear from you!
As a Workforce Lead Pharmacy Technician, you will play a crucial role in shaping and enhancing the pharmacy workforce, ensuring that our team delivers high-quality patient care in line with NHS standards. You will lead initiatives to develop and upskill staff, promote a culture of continuous improvement, and support the implementation of training and development strategies.
Working alongside a counterpart Clinical Services Lead Pharmacy Technician and Workforce Development Lead Pharmacist the post-holder will work in ward and dispensary environments, whilst also collaborating with partner organisations across North East London, to ensure all members of our Pharmacy Team have the skills necessary to take advantage of the opportunities available to them in the advancement of our profession.
Main duties of the job
You will need to be a GPhC registered pharmacy technician with a good knowledge of medicines optimisation and a passion for developing others and driving improvements in healthcare. Excellent communication, organisational, and problem-solving skills are required to deliver the key responsibilities of the post and experience in leadership, education or workforce development is advantageous.
Working for our organisation
Starting with NELFT
NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust.All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop in sessions focussing in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes.The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.
Probationary Period
This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).
High Cost Area Supplement
This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £4,551 to a maximum of £5,735).
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Key Responsibilities:
1. Lead and manage workforce development and training programmes for a variety of pharmacy staff, including Pre-Registration Pharmacy Technicians, Pharmacy Assistant Apprentices’ and aspiring Accuracy Checking Pharmacy Technicians.
2. Design, deliver, and evaluate training programmes to ensure staff competencies are maintained and developed, in line with relevant regulatory and professional standards, including CQC requirements.
3. Support recruitment, onboarding, and retention efforts within the pharmacy team and promote pharmacy as a career
4. Provide management, leadership, mentorship, and guidance to pharmacy technicians and pharmacy assistants
5. Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to improve service delivery and patient outcomes
Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role and working at North East London NHS Foundation Trust. We encourage you to refer closely to this when completing your application.
We welcome your application even if you do not meet all the criteria listed in the person specification. Any development needs to help you succeed in the role, can be discussed at the interview stage.
References
Please ensure that the references are from your most recent employer and one of these must be your direct Line Manager or Supervisor. You must provide professional email addresses for all referees as we will contact them as soon as an offer has been made. Please note we do not request references prior to interviews. Additionally, ensure that any gaps in your employment history are clearly indicated. All applications made through NHS Jobs account will be processed by TRAC System. Please note that some emails may go to your spam/junk mailbox so make sure you check this regularly.
Use of AI
Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used, then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.
If you like the sound of working with NELFT, don’t waste a moment and apply now!
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
6. GPhC registered pharmacy technician and NVQ2
7. Accredited Checking Technician Qualification
Desirable criteria
8. Management and/or leadership course
9. Educational supervisor course or equivalent
Experience
Essential criteria
10. Experience working in hospital and dispensary environments
11. Management experience
Desirable criteria
12. Experience working in mental health
Values
Essential criteria
13. Demonstration of trust values
14. Demonstration of continued professional development
Benefits
We believe in bringing your authentic and best self to work, in order to deliver the best care to our patients. We are committed to supporting our employees holistically. Here is a snapshot of what is on offer at NELFT:
15. A long-standing and award-winning approach to equality and diversity with supportive networks for ethnic minority staff, staff with disabilities or long term/chronic conditions and LGBT staff.
16. A commitment to supporting colleagues to achieve a work life balance, through flexible working opportunities and our effortsto support our working parents and carers. This has resulted in us being recognised as a ‘Top 10 Family Friendly Employer’ from the Working Families Charity.
17. Proactive health and wellbeing support, including access to our employee assistance programme, staff psychological support, individual wellbeing conversations and a network of health and wellbeing ambassadors.
18. Detailed information about our wellbeing and benefits offer can be found in this link.
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s a job share, part time hours or another flexible pattern.