Cancer Improvement Manager

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the South East London Cancer Alliance (SELCA) team as a Cancer Improvement Manager in a 12-month fixed term or secondment capacity.

We are looking for an enthusiastic, self-motivated individual from an NHS clinical, research or senior operational NHS background, with demonstrable experience in the delivery of change management and quality improvement projects.

You will join our small team of Cancer Improvement Managers, each responsible for dedicated management of specified SELCA Cancer Pathway Groups, supporting transformational change across South East London. With a focus on national priorities and local initiatives within the provider organisations, this will involve working with provider organisations and primary care colleagues to design and deliver projects.

The ability to work at a senior level in a cross-cutting multi-organisational setting to facilitate organisational and service change is vital to the success of this role, as is the ability to think, act and work flexibly whilst maintaining a clear view of overall priorities.

We aim to improve cancer services across South East London, and improve the experience of patients with suspected or diagnosed cancer.  The SELCA vision is to provide the very best in cancer service to our patients by improving access, clinical outcomes, patient experience and quality of life for the population of South East London, based on national / international standards and evidence.

Main duties of the job

The key priorities of the role are to:

• Work as part of the SELCA team in supporting delivery of Cancer Pathway Group (CPG) clinical work programme, incorporating NHSE Long Term Plan and National Cancer Programme deliverables.
• Work in partnership with clinical and operational management teams to deliver agreed priorities, and deliver safe, effective and timely access to diagnostics and treatments across SEL.
• Work closely with the Chairs of the relevant SELCA Cancer Pathway Groups to administrate and deliver a programme of timely, relevant and clinically appropriate Cancer Pathway Group meetings.
• To drive improvements in delivering sustaining performance against cancer access standards, particularly for patients with pathways of care that transfer between hospital sites.
• Improve the experience of cancer patients, and enhance their quality of life though promotion of the delivery of excellence in clinical care, research, and education.
• Provide quality assurance of cancer services across the system to reduce variation.
• Ensure that the clinical programme has a central role in reducing unwarranted variation, and addresses inequalities in access, treatment, outcomes and experience for the SEL population.
• Support the implementation of integrated services, pathways, and new models of cancer service, delivered through collaborative work across South East London, promoting a sense of collective responsibility.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Dedicated project management

• To lead the progression and delivery of aspects of the SELCA Clinical Work Programme for two Upper GI Cancer Pathway Groups - OG and HPB (Oesophago-Gastric and Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary).
• To manage a complex and diverse portfolio, flexing to accommodate changing circumstances, but consistently demonstrating measured change and delivery of outcomes.
• To effectively use methodologies and approaches to deliver transformational change, including maximising quality and enhancing patient experience.
• To adapt existing or design new approaches, to enable the delivery of excellent models of care for cancer patients.
• To ensure that Cancer Pathway and Cross-cutting Groups have a central role in reducing unwarranted variation and addresses inequalities in access, treatment, outcomes and experience of cancer patients.
• To capture and share learning from other Cancer Alliances to contribute to best practice thinking on future delivery models and approaches.
• To monitor compliance to ensure that changes made to services conform to best practice.
• To provide timely  updates and outcomes to Programme Leads and the Senior Leadership Team within SELCA,  producing clear documentation of work outputs and storing these appropriately on the required project management system and network drives.
• To complete appropriate reports and feedback for submission to the boards of appropriate NHS partner organisations, including data and financial analysis, and rationale for change in service provision across one or more of the organisations.
• To support the development of new local protocols and guidance development across South East London, and to influence and ensure adoption across organisational departments and services.
• To meet predefined objectives through independent working and leadership styles across a range of environments including the ability to manage conflict, negotiate and drive change.

Stakeholder Management

• To successfully bring together diverse and complex stakeholder groups, including those with differing agendas, to achieve mutual agreeable outcomes and deliverables.
• To manage, motivate, persuade and influence multiple stakeholders and partners to ensure the timely completion of work across multiple NHS and voluntary organisations.
• To advocate professionally on behalf of SELCA.
• To work effectively with diverse patient groups to involve and engage users and carers in the delivery of service and pathway transformation and improvements.
• To liaise with all relevant stakeholders to negotiate the scope, size and timings of projects, and understand the level of project management and support required.

Delivery / Technical Aspects

• To deliver significant change in a measurable way, ensuring transformational changes are accurately recorded, effectively implemented, and fully sustainable.
• To support the SELCA Cancer Pathway Group Programme Lead and wider management team in elements of programme management and in reporting to the regional and national teams.
• To effectively implement service improvement using appropriate techniques and approaches.
• To lead on the development and delivery of audit activities to measure service change and sustainability involving data collection and analysis, ensuring that data is collected consistently.
• To present evidence and recommendations for service change to a range of audiences, including senior stakeholders, patient representative groups, and public groups.

Management of Resources

• To contribute to the development and process of SELCA budget planning for relevant areas, highlighting specific concerns relating to capacity and need within their area of specialty.
• To accommodate and delegate responsibilities amongst a cohort of project managers or service staff to support delivery changes across multiple services.
• To work flexibly within the team as required.