Vacancy: Assistant Manager

Responsible to

• Practice Manager

Accountable to

• Practice Partnership

Job Summary

The assistant manager will be responsible for certain management aspects of Thornhills Medical Practice under the direction of the practice manager and partners. Acting as central point of contact for the practice team and for providing effective supervision and leadership, you will have responsibilities to ensure the quality delivery of day-to-day non-medical services delivered by the practice. You will have key areas of work delegated to you, and will have the authority to devise and implement protocols, systems and procedures.

You will manage and coordinate various aspects of practice functionality, motivating and managing staff, patient services, premises and health and safety management.  Through innovative ways of working, support the practice manager leading the team in promoting Equality Diversity & Inclusion, Health & Safety, Quality & Continuous Improvement, Confidentiality, Collaborative Working, Service Delivery, Learning and Development and ensuring the practice complies with CQC regulations.

Key working relationships will include, practice manager, GP partners, salaried and locum GPs, practice nurses and healthcare assistants, team leaders, administration and patient services staff, associated professionals, other GP practices, ICB, NHSE, federation, primary care network.

You will be required to be flexible enough to start work at 8am and on certain days finish at 6.00pm. There may be occasions when there is a requirement to work evenings and Saturdays mornings to assist with service provisions.

Essential Skills

• Excellent communication skills, oral and written.
• Previous experience of leading and managing people in a fast paced patient service setting. 
• A proven history of developing the skills and confidence of a team and team members to fulfil their potential. 
• Ability to build strong working relationships with your team.
• Ability to assertively manage difficult conversations with team members and patients
• Ability to confidently and continuously challenge the ‘status-quo’ and effectively manage conflicting priorities in the workplace.
• Ability to contribute to improving access for patients, including managing change, developing new systems and procedures. 

Main Responsibilities

The following are the core responsibilities of the assistant manager. There may be a requirement to carry out other tasks; this will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels.

Team Leading / Supervisory

• Management of the day-to-day operations of the practice, ensuring staff achieve their primary responsibilities effectively and in a timely manner.
• Day-to-day direct line management of the following staff: patient services supervisor, nursing team (for non-clinical matters), and all administrative and secretarial teams. Providing support and motivation, developing their skills and confidence to fulfil their potential whilst continuously improving the service they provide to patients.
• Maintaining an effective overview of HR legislation.
• Assist with recruitment and selection of employed staff.
• Assist with preparing staff contracts recommending and making changes as required.
• Maintain, develop and run the practice new staff induction procedures including IT training and compliance.
• Establishing, reviewing and regularly updating job descriptions and person specifications, ensuring all staff are legally and gainfully employed.
• Conduct Training Needs Analysis for all employed staff. Ensuring all have the appropriate level of training to enable them to carry out their individual roles and responsibilities, including information governance and co-ordinate training and identifying suitable courses.
• Developing, implementing and undertaking an effective staff appraisal process. Ensuring all staff in the team are appraised annually and have a personal development plan which must be followed up.
• Undertake regular one to one meetings with teams to review their development objectives, performance and any other work based issues.
• Lead and participate in, regular team leader and staff meetings, setting agendas, chairing and taking minutes where necessary. Follow-up any matters arising.
• Implementing effective systems for the resolution of disciplinary and grievance issues, maintaining an overview of staff welfare and undertaking regular staff reviews.
• Co-ordinate and contribute to the agenda for Practice Learning Time (afternoon closure)
• Oversee authorisation and administration of the staff annual and other leave organising in line with agreed policy.
• Supervise doctor and staff duty and holiday rotas so as to maintain the efficient running of the practice, book locums when required.
• Ensure monthly overtime claims are received on time and are authorised.
• Assist the practice manager and partners with planning and implementation of any necessary staff changes.
• Be fully conversant with practice procedures and developments and ensure that team are kept fully updated. 
• Support and mentor the team with implementing changes to procedures and protocols to improve the patient experience and in-house systems.
• Cover deputised responsibilities on behalf of the practice manager.

Surgery Management

• Organise the efficient day to day running of the practice e.g. surgeries/clinics of all staff and doctors, appointments, rotas/leave, staffing levels/hours, locum cover (as agreed with the partners), mail distribution etc.
• Complete and return out of hours marginal duty doctor rotas monthly.
• Co-ordinate rotas for providing extended access, ensuring requirements of the specifications are fulfilled.
• Assist with the co-ordination and implementation of various NHS programmes and campaigns including, seasonal flu vaccination programmes.
• Circulate all information necessary to ensure the proper running of the practice for the benefit of doctors, staff and patients and assist in updating the practice website.  Organise and administer filing / storage of such information.
• Circulate patient, medical and H&S alerts and ensure any necessary actions are taken. 
• Co-ordinate and contribute to the agendas for certain practice meetings, take minutes and implement actions as required.
• Maintain, develop and run the Practice ‘in–house’ complaints system including documenting and reporting significant events or near misses. Ensuring complaints are dealt with in a timely manner.
• Act upon patient feedback/suggestions as required.
• Be actively involved in establishing and running a Patient Participation Group within the practice 
• Be responsible for managing change of doctor requests from patients.
• To maintain knowledge and assist the practice manager to ensure the practice maintains compliance with its NHS contractual obligations.
• To maintain knowledge of employment law and assist the practice manager in updating policies and procedures as required.
• To maintain knowledge of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018) and assist with the implementation of all associated requirements, confidentiality systems and processes in the practice.
• Assist the practice manager and registered manager with ensuring compliance with CQC regulations and standards.
• Liaise with cleaning provider to ensure compliance with CQC and any issues are resolved in a timely manner. Arrange and participate in monthly cleaning audits.
• Assist with updating, developing, implementing and embedding an efficient business contingency plan
• Assist with leading change and continuous improvement initiatives; coordinating projects within the practice.
• Adopting a strategic approach to the management of patient services matters.
• Developing, implementing and embedding an effective communication strategy (internal and external)
• The management of the premises, including health and safety aspects such as risk assessments and mandatory training.
• Oversee and ensure the proper management of non-medical enquiries, seeking help where required.

Information & Management Technology

• Oversee the repeat prescribing system
• Supervise / coordinate and undertake computer searches and reports as required
• Carry out monthly searches for diabetic retinopathy and ensure data is processed and submitted to the provider.
• Assist with the management of any immediate day-to-day matters pertaining to the practice IT system.
• Assist with setting up new users and amending access for existing users on the practice computer network and NHS smart cards and other log-ins
• Assist practice manager with updating the practice website; liaise with website provider to resolve any issues.

Health & Safety

The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others’ health, safety and security as defined in the practice health & safety policy, the practice health & safety manual, and the practice infection control policy and published procedures. This will include:

• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks
• To ensure the health and safety of staff, patients and visitors is maintained
• Assist with carrying out regular risk assessments for fire safety
• To ensure a full health and safety risk assessment has been completed for newly employed staff
• Maintain a knowledge of changes to health and safety legislation and ensure these are implemented by the practice
• Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills
• Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way, free from hazards
• Actively reporting health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
• Keeping own work areas and general/patient areas generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holder’s role 
• Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually)
• Reporting potential risks identified
• Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children

General

• If required, deputise for practice manager during holiday cover / absence. Attend all necessary meetings, take minutes, circulate and action any relevant information
• Undertake and perform any additional, relevant projects and duties assigned by the partners and/or practice manager

General Responsibilities

Confidentiality

• In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters.   They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately
• In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers.  They may also have access to information relating to the practice as a business organisation.  All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential
• Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

Equality and Diversity

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:

• Acting in a way that recognises the importance of people’s rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies, and current legislation
• Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
• Behaving in a manner that is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Personal / Professional Development:

The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, such training to include:

• Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development and revalidation.
• Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work

Quality & Continuous Improvement (CI)

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:

• Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk
• Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision
• Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the team’s performance
• Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients’ needs
• Effectively manage own time, workload and resources

Collaborative Working

All staff are to recognise the significance of collaborative working. Teamwork is essential in multidisciplinary environments. Effective communication is essential and all staff must ensure they communicate in a manner which enables the sharing of information in an appropriate manner.

Service Delivery

All staff must adhere to the information contained with practice policies and regional directives, ensuring protocols are adhered to at all times. Staff will be given detailed information during the induction process regarding policy and procedure

Communication

The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:

• Communicate effectively with other team members
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers
• Recognise people’s needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

Contribution to the implementation of services:

The post holder will:

• Apply practice policies, standards and guidance
• Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
• Participate in audit where appropriate

These duties may be changed from time to time, dependent on the needs of the practice.  This will be done in consultation with the employee and if appropriate, training and instruction will be given.

Person Specification – Assistant Manager

Qualifications	Essential	Desirable
Educated to degree level in healthcare or business		X
Good standard of education with excellent literacy and numeracy skills	X
Leadership and / or Management Qualification	X
AMSPAR Qualification		X
Experience	Essential	Desirable
Experience of working with the general public	X
Experience of working in a health care setting	X
Experience of managing large multidisciplinary teams	X
Experience of performance management, including appraisal writing, staff development and disciplinary procedures	X
Experience of successfully developing and implementing projects	X
Experience of workforce planning, forecasting and development	X
NHS / Primary Care General Practice experience		X
Relevant health and safety experience		X
Experience of chairing meetings, producing agendas and minutes	X
Skills	Essential	Desirable
Excellent communication skills (written and oral)	X
Strong IT skills (generic)	X
Excellent leadership skills	X
Strategic thinker and negotiator	X
Ability to prioritise, delegate and work to tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment	X
EMIS / Systmone / Vision user skills		X
Effective time management (Planning & Organising)	X
Ability to network and build relationships	X
Proven problem solving & analytical skills	X
Ability to develop, implement and embed policy and procedure	X
Ability to motivate and train staff	X
Personal Qualities	Essential	Desirable
Polite and confident	X
Flexible and cooperative	X
Excellent interpersonal skills	X
Motivated and proactive	X
Ability to use initiative and judgement	X
Forward thinker with a solutions focused approach	X
High levels of integrity and loyalty	X
Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations	X
Ability to work under pressure	X
Confident, assertive and resilient	X
Ability to drive and deliver change effectively	X
Ability to motivate teams, enhance morale and maintain a positive working environment, including team building sessions	X
Other Requirements	Essential	Desirable
Flexibility to work outside of core office hours	X
Maintains confidentiality at all times	X