Divisional Support Manager

Job overview

The Divisional Support Manager provides operational and management support to the Plastics Speciality, working closely with the Service Manager, Specialty Business Manager/Senior Divisional Support Manager, Clinical Directors, Clinical Leads and Matrons. The role helps the Division and speciality, achieve its operational objectives while maintaining effective patient flow across urgent and emergency/unplanned care, outpatient, day-case and elective pathways.

A significant part of the role involves using and reviewing data to evaluate systems and processes, support service improvement and ensure the delivery of a caring, high-quality service. This includes contributing to the achievement of local and national patient-access standards and activity targets.

Main duties of the job

The main duties can be summarised as:

• Operational and performance management: Support the delivery of service targets, monitor capacity and demand, identify capacity pressures and help arrange additional activity where necessary. This includes national operational standards relating to UEC, RTT, Cancer and Diagnostics.
• Leadership and communication: Develop effective relationships with clinicians, nursing teams, managers and other colleagues; support the management of inpatient, outpatient and waiting-list pathways; keep managers informed; and deputise for the Service Manager when appropriate.
• Service improvement: Work with Divisional and corporate colleagues to improve systems, processes and patient pathways, using activity and audit data to identify opportunities for improvement.
• People management: Provide line-management support to administrative teams, manage performance issues, hold regular team meetings, support staff rotas, appraisals, return-to-work processes and recruitment.
• Governance and risk: Promote effective risk management, support risk assessments and Health and Safety requirements, and assist Clinical Leads, Matrons and management colleagues with investigating complaints and concerns.
• Partnership working: Build productive relationships across the organisation and participate in wider initiatives designed to improve services and patient care.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder is expected to help ensure that day-to-day services run efficiently while maintaining patient safety, quality and access standards. This involves attending weekly performance meetings, identifying capacity challenges and escalating concerns that could affect the delivery of effective patient care.

The Divisional Support manager will analyse and present operational information, ensure clinical activity is recorded accurately, collect data for audits and use this information to identify areas where patient pathways can be improved. They are also expected to balance changing priorities and support the implementation of service policies, projects and strategies while making efficient use of resources.

The role also carries significant staff-management responsibilities. The post holder should support administrative teams, address performance concerns appropriately, encourage staff involvement and suggestions, ensure team meetings take place, and help team leaders maintain adequate reception and scheduling cover.

Strong multidisciplinary working is central to the position. Key relationships include Operational Managers, PTL and Rota Coordinators, patient-access teams, theatre-management teams, Consultants, Medical Secretaries, Clinical Governance, MDT colleagues and corporate teams.

The role also requires the post holder to demonstrate the Trust's values of being caring and compassionate, recognising individuality, seeking to involve, building team spirit and taking personal responsibility.