DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES To accept delegated responsibilities from the Associate Chief Nurse for Patient Experience, Workforce and Education, to ensure the management and delivery of excellent service results, providing leadership and acting as a role model for the staff and services within the portfolio. To deliver commissioned levels of service within allocated resources and develop action plans to manage variances, in partnership with the Associate Chief Nurse for Patient Experience, Workforce and Education. To ensure effective processes and procedures are in place to monitor and track performance indicators. To ensure the performance indicators relevant to specific work areas are reported both internally, externally and within allocated deadlines. To provide regular reports on activity levels, performance against quality standards, financial and performance management issues, highlighting variances and creating action plans to resolve. To ensure that all relevant performance standards are met within the Directorate, introducing or facilitating the introduction of new technology and working practices as appropriate. To support the Associate Chief Nurse in the preparation of business plans and so undertake long term strategic planning for designated services and prepare proposals for the planned growth of the services within the portfolio, or that support other services inside or outside the Directorate. These should take into account activity, outcomes, benefits (clinical and non-clinical) and income potential. To ensure information returns required by the Trust, Commissioners, NHS England and other partner organisations are delivered and are timely, accurate and presented to a high standard. To access and interrogate data and sources of information in order to identify opportunities for the Meet PEET team to have an impact and work with specialties and others across the Trust in addressing barriers and challenges to patient access or experience of our health care service. To support the equalities programme through a range of actions, including, but not limited to, developing new projects, working in collaboration with external organisations in the voluntary sector and community, utilising feedback from patients and the community to identify changes and building on existing programmes of work. To prepare reports on the relevant services within the portfolio for the Board of Directors/Executive Management Committee (EMC) as and when required. To use research and experience elsewhere in the NHS to inform service development and support the implementation of all relevant NICE Guidance. To produce business cases for service development ensuring that implication of service changes or development have been accurately assessed for submission to the appropriate corporate body. To undertake full service reviews as and when required, and to produce information for monthly performance reviews. To represent the Associate Chief Nurse at meetings as requested and as appropriate. To undertake project work on behalf of the Associate Chief Nurse as required. To investigate complaints in areas of responsibility providing responses as appropriate. To assist in the implementation of improvements as a result of learning from relevant sources of information, for example, Datix Incident Reporting forms and complaints, so that adverse experiences and incidents are reduced in severity and frequency. To ensure a robust communications mechanism is in place, and information is delivered and received in a timely manner within the Directorate and across the Care Groups and Trust as appropriate. To take responsibility for any personal and professional development. MANAGEMENT OF RESOURCES HUMAN RESOURCES To actively manage the staff within the Directorate to achieve high attendance, low absenteeism and low turnover as per Trust objectives and standards. To ensure delivery of the Trusts appraisal system within the defined area of responsibility, ensuring that every member of staff has measurable objectives and a personal development plan, which is commensurate with the needs of the service and underpins the Trusts strategic plans. To ensure active application of the Trusts Sickness Absence Management policy. To deal promptly with matters relating to performance and support within the context of the Trusts Performance Management policy and the policy for Maintaining High Professional Standards for Medical and Dental Staff. To undertake exit interviews and develop a strategy to improve recruitment and retention and eliminate dependence upon agency staff. To ensure delivery of the Trusts Human Resources and Workforce policies. To participate in national and local Human Resources and Workforce Initiatives. To ensure learning environment and culture exists within the services and support the Trusts Training and Development Strategy. To ensure an annual training and development plan is completed and actioned for the areas that fall within the Directorate Managers remit. To ensure the statutory, essential skills and other training (including equipment training) is completed and that attendance and non-attendance records are maintained. To lead the recruitment and retention process of staff as appropriate, effectively inducting new staff in accordance with the Trusts induction programme both corporate and local. To devise, develop and implement skill mix reviews and other workforce planning strategies for the service. To create cohesive and flexible teams who identify strongly with other teams in the Associate Chief Nurses team structure and Trust. FINANCE To have responsibility for the management of budgets within the Directorate. To ensure financial systems are in place to monitor and achieve budgetary control in those areas included within the portfolio, and to take any remedial action identified as necessary. To work closely with the Director of Finance for Corporate Services and the Associate Chief Nurse to agree the annual budget for the services within the portfolio, identifying opportunities for cost improvement programmes, service improvement programmes and cash releasing efficiency savings, providing the Associate Chief Nurse with accurate costings of cost pressures and service developments. To exercise control over staff and non-staff expenditure. To contain expenditure within budget and develop annual cost improvement plans. To achieve income-related targets. To ensure opportunities to increase income for the Trust under Payment by Results are pursued in conjunction with other colleagues/departments/services. To review monthly budget statements with Heads of Departments, Co-ordinators and other senior staff as appropriate, agreeing action to contain expenditure within budget. PHYSICAL RESOURCES To provide on-going review of facilities with colleagues within the Directorate to ensure optimum use of resources. To oversee capital development programmes for the services within the defined area of responsibility, in close liaison with the Head of Estates. FREEDOM TO ACT The postholder will have significant autonomy in the delivery of the above Service and be responsible for his/her professional actions. The postholder will hold sole responsibility for a range of duties. The postholder will participate in a Trust-wide capacity under the direction of the Associate Chief Nurse and deputise at meetings when required.