About this role
Job summary
University Hospitals Sussex is the subject of an important Independent Maternity Review (IMR), commissioned by the Department of Health on behalf of the Secretary of State. This is due to commence in October 2026 and is expected to last at least 3 years. The review will examine approximately 1,000 cases of stillbirths, neonatal deaths, maternal deaths, neonatal harm due to severe brain injury and severe maternal harm dating back to at least 2018. The purpose isto understand what happened, reach conclusions on the care provided, provide answers for families and identify learning for the organisation and wider NHS. The review is, by its' very nature, extremely sensitive and politically charged. The impact is expected to be significant for the families at the heart of the review, current and past staff and the wider organisation. In parallel, the Trust is the subject of an active police investigation - Operation Bramber.
The programme of work required to ensure the Trust can meet the needs of families, the IMR team, Sussex Police, staff and other bodies is complex and diverse. It will span quality and corporate governance, information management, information governance, analytics, communications, wellbeing, recruitment, training, inclusion and professional standards. Working effectively with teams across Women and Children's services and critical corporate teams will be essential to identify, manage and complete all the actions required for readiness and to run it smoothly.
Main duties of the job
The programme manager will provide expertleadership in developing and overseeing thecountdown to readinessplanandday to day managementof the delivery planonce the review is live. They will ensure a singleversion of the truthis in in place capturing all theweek on weekactionsrequiredto enable the Trustto be ready on time,identifyingcritical interdependencies and ensuring the sequencing of tasks is effectively managed. They willproactivelyidentifyrisks,work to resolve those they can and escalate others to the Quality Director and Director of Regulatory Affairs.
Once the IMR is live,their focus will move toprogramme management of the operational activitiesrequiredto service the review and any Police investigations, working across clinical and corporate services to embed attention to detail,robust audittrails,paceand proactive problem solving.They will also supportcore governance activities - routine reporting,riskand issue managementfor internal and external audiences.
As the IMR and investigations are evolving entities, this will require flexibility in when and how to respond. Given the nature of the work, high standards of professionalism, discretion, sensitivity and commitment to preserving confidentiality of highly sensitive information are critical.
About us
At UHSussex (UHSx), diversity is our strength, & we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness & experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, & can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) & a Veteran Aware Trust.
We treat our patients & staff with the same compassion & empathy we expect for ourselves. We're here for them when they need us, and we go above & beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our candidate information pack & wellbeing programme,for staff which is extensive & designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.
As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching & training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us & throughout your career we will help you to grow & develop.We hope that in choosing UHSx you are choosing a long & happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make & feel valued for all that you do.
We look forward to receiving your application & the start of your journey with UHSx.
Candidate Information Pack: https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/resources/candidate-information-pack/
Job description Job responsibilities
Leadership
Own the production,managementand maintenance of the countdown plan to readiness and the operational delivery plans, ensuring that these are fit for purpose and evolve to meet changing needs. Take responsibility for ensuring that the clinical and corporate teamswithin the scope of the programmeactively inform the countdown and delivery plansandowndelivery oftheir contributions. Own the risk and issues registers, ensuring that thesecomply withTrust standardsand have robust assurance measures as well mitigations describedand liaise with the Chief Corporate Affairs Officers team to ensure risks arelogged on Divisional or Corporate registers asappropriate. Lead embeddingbestpracticeprogramme management techniquesto ensure rigorous management of all critical activitiesand regular gateway reviews. Act as champion for evidence-based assuranceiechallenge colleagues to provide objective evidence that tasks have been completed and are having the necessary impact.
Team Management
Contribute to recruitment andinduction ofnew members of staff to the team,includingensuring staff understand how to usesystems used to record, track and log evidence of completion of tasks. Train the IMR and Bramber Business Manager tomaintainand manage the countdown and delivery plans, risks and issues register to ensure resilience during times of sickness or annual leave. Prioritiseownworkloadflexibly and using sound judgement, to ensure that risks to delivery are minimised Work with the Quality Director toensure there is adrum beatofdaily,weeklyand monthly tasks, withallocatedresponsible individualswhichare followed through and closed offand hold people to account for theircontribution Work with the Director of Regulatory Affairs and Quality Director to develop the network of contacts in theIMR team,Divisions and Corporate functions needed tobuild and iterate thereadiness anddeliveryplansand deliver the actionswithin agreedtimeframes.
ProgrammeManagement
Build a suite of programme documents for the IMR with input from subject matter experts a countdown plan, a delivery plan for when the review is live, interdependencies maps, stakeholder and engagement plan, risks and issues log and benefits mapping using recognised programme management techniques.
Work with the IMR and key corporate team to ensure there is a robust set of policies and SOPs used to run theIMR and police investigationsand respond to the diverse range of enquiries and requests. These mustensure compliance with Trust policies, information governance& Caldicott principles. Ensurerobust processes are in place to review and update these before they are beyond their due date. Work with the business managerto ensure thatrobust document management systems are in place to record all contacts with the IMR team,communications, supportingdocumentsand evidence of completion, using Nottingham University Hospitals systems as a basis for Ensure there is a clear forward look available for the programme of actions due in the next week,monthand quarter to inform team meetings, huddles, the expert panel and reporting internally and to DHSC-NHSE. Work with teams toanticipateand mitigate risks and issues. Track completion of tasks in the programme planrobustlyand provide check and challengeon the evidence used todeemsomething complete and effective,to ensure the programmeoperatesrobust assurance. Flex to providesupport to other members of the team during periods of pressure, including the programme team in perinatal services. Participate in learning and reflection activities toevaluate and improve the teams response to the IMRand Operation Bramber, includingfacilitatingformal gateway reviews. Participate in joint learning with members of the team from Leeds Teaching Hospitals and sharing of good practice. Work with members of the Team and the Perinatal Services to ensure there is an audit trail of evidence actions have been closed and benefits have been realised.
For full details, please review the attached job description and person specification.
Person Specification
Qualifications/ Knowledge and skills Essential
Educated toMaster'slevel or demonstrable equivalent career path experience Evidence of on-going further personal and professional development Programme management qualification eg MSP
Desirable
Understanding of information governance requirements and Caldicott principles Quality improvement techniques
Experience Essential
Previous experience of working as a programme manager on a large complex programme with multiple inter-related streams of work Previous experience of working in a hospital / health care environment at middle management level Line and performance management of junior administrative staff Setting up team ways of working including weekly routines, standard operating procedures, meeting terms of reference etc Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team including clinicians, managers and corporate staff
Desirable
Experience of supporting programmes which relate to regulatory requirements eg CQC Experience of working with teams in Women and Children's Services
People Management and Development Essential
Able to translate broad programme plans into workstreams and week on week tasks and outputs and hold people to account for delivery Able to coach people in new ways of working and identify training and experiential ways to develop their skills and confidence Models Trust values and behaviours as set out in the Behavioural Compass Able to build positive relationships with staff from diverse backgrounds working in multiple functions
Planning & Organisational Skills Essential
Detail orientated Highly organised and able to respond flexibly as needs require Completer-finisher Tenacious Able to set out clear schedules of daily weekly and monthly tasks Forward thinking and proactive
Communication Skills Essential
Able to give clear written and verbal instructions and check understanding Commitment to handling sensitive and confidential information with the greatest of care Able to respond calmly and compassionately to people who may be frustrated or in distress Active listening skills Confidence and ability to challenge colleaguesand ask questions to clarify understanding Clear on the threshold for evidence needed for true assurance
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Essential
Evidence of championing diversity and inclusion inpreviousroles Awareness of unconscious bias as a general and personal issue
Desirable
Understanding of the equalities issues in perinatal care Unconscious bias /EDI trained
Analytical & Judgment skills Essential
Able to appreciate the potential ramifications of the review for families, staff and the Trust and factor this into judgements. Able to manipulate large, complex spreadsheets and databases and extract data eg through Excel functions Able to proactively identify risks and issues, problem solve or escalate as appropriate using sound judgement Able to respond appropriately to requests for sensitive or confidential information and hold the line where necessary
Freedom to Act Essential
Ability to make autonomous decisions on complex issues, often under pressure Knows own limitations and when to ask for help from other experts
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details Employer name University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279)
Address West Sussex
Worthing
BN11 2DH
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)