Borough Team Leader

Job overview

START is a community mental health service located within The South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust working with people experiencing homelessness across Southwark, Lambeth, Lewisham and Croydon.

The post holder will be responsible for the day to day management of a borough based team within START. They will work with the Trust Homeless Service Lead to deliver care in accordance with Trust policies and procedures. They will take responsibility for the management, including supervision and appraisal of Band 6 Care Coordinators ensuring the delivery of high quality, evidence based practice. They will coordinate multidisciplinary working, maintaining excellent communication and working relationships with all team members and ensure effective interface and continuity of care between disciplines and services. They will also be responsible for the development and maintenance of positive professional relationships with housing, social care and third sector colleagues in the relevant borough. They will act as Care Coordinator for a small caseload of no more than 10 complex cases, reporting on their management to the Service Lead.

This is a rare opportunity to take on the role of Borough Team Lead for the Croydon START Team.

Main duties of the job

Key Responsibilities:

Management of Care and Practice

Management of Financial and Material Resources

Management of Clinical Standards

Management of Human Resources

Management of Information and Communication

Management of the Environment

Personal Development and Freedom to Act

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

Management of Care and Practice

• Ensure all clinical practice is developed using an up to date evidence base.

• Oversee a referral and discharge pathway that ensures flow within the team in order to ensure timely step down from acute care and high support placements and access to local rough sleepers.

• Maintain team performance against Trust indicators and work with the CSL to address deficiencies.

• Carry out audits of clinical care using the Perfect Ward system and address areas of weakness.

• Develop effective interfaces with other teams and services in the borough, both statutory and third sector.

• Ensure systems are in place to collect Service User and Carer feedback.

• Ensure all staff receive regular supervision and appraisal and are offered essential and mandatory training.

Management of Financial and Material Resources

• To support the Service Lead to ensure team finances are managed within the allocated budget including recruitment of staff

• To support the Service Lead in communicating to all staff how they can contribute to the efficient management of financial and material resources

• To work with the Service Lead to identify and deal with cost pressures which may have an impact on the financial expenditure of the team.

Management of Clinical Standards

• Set, monitor and evaluate overall standards of care and practice in the team in liaison with the Service Lead, Community Matrons and General Manager.

• To participate and contribute to the team senior management team with Consultant, Lead Psychologist and  Service Lead.

• To support the Clinical Service Lead to ensure that all staff are aware of the standards of professional behaviour expected by the Trust.

• To work closely with the multidisciplinary team and involve them in all relevant day to day decisions, strategy and business planning, and maintain close liaison with the Service Lead when difficulties arise.

Management of Human Resources

• To support the Service Lead to maintain the efficient use of staffing resources in the team, ensuring that staffing levels are safe, appropriate and contain the necessary skill mix.

• The post-holder will ensure that each member of staff for whom they have management responsibility is fully aware of their responsibilities and has a personal development plan which is based on a balance between the needs of the individual and the service.

• To support the Service Lead to manage the overall development of the team, encouraging staff to contribute their views and ideas as appropriate.

• Implement all Trust policies and Human Resource Management in respect of those staff for whom they have management responsibility, and ensure that those staff are aware of how to access this information.

Management of Information and Communication

• Develop and maintain procedures that result in good communication between the multidisciplinary team and other agencies, in particular those referring to the team such as third sector colleagues.

• Attend meetings and forums, representing the team at various levels both within the Trust and with external agencies, ensuring that all staff are kept fully briefed on any new developments etc. The post-holder may be required to participate in specific inter-agency work relevant to the service.

• Ensure that all communication (verbal or written) between the team and other departments or agencies is of a high standard both in its content and presentation.

• Ensure that all written and electronically stored information is accessible only to authorised personnel and is stored in accordance with the GDPR.

• Ensure that administrative staff are aware of the importance of the collection of statistical data and ensure that this is collected and stored in an accurate and timely fashion.

Management of the Environment

• Support the Service Lead to ensure that the Health and Safety at Work Act is adhered to by all staff and that all staff receive any training necessary in order to meet the requirements of the Act. (eg. fire safety training, first aid, etc.).

• In the absence of the Service Lead ensure local response in managing incidents by using the Trust Incident Policy and implementation outcomes to change and improve practice.

Personal Development and Freedom to Act:

• Ensure that they are fully aware of current developments and practice in their clinical area.

• Acknowledge their own limitations and discuss/identify their training and development needs with their line manager.

• Make effective use of supervision with their line manager on a regular and agreed basis in being aware of the need to reflect on their practice both as clinician and manager.

• Manage their own time efficiently.

• Be aware of and adhere to all Trust Policies and act as a role model to other staff and meet the required professional standards for ongoing registration.

• Recognise emotional and mental effort required to fulfil the post.

Other Responsibilities

The post-holder will also be responsible for:

• Deputising for the Service Lead as required.

• Establishing and building on excellent working relationships between other services within and external to the Directorate.

• Implementation of the complaints procedure including investigation, response, and resolution.

• The creation and maintenance of an environment which is conducive to learning and which meets the educational standards required by Educational Institutions whose students are placed in the team.

• Participating in projects within the team and Trust as required by the senior management of the Directorate.