About this role
Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity to provide Trust-wide leadership for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) across Bristol NHS Foundation Trust. As Director of Infection Prevention Services and Deputy Director of Infection Prevention and Control, you will lead the strategic direction, professional standards, governance and assurance of IPC services across our hospital sites.
We are looking for an experienced senior IPC leader who can combine professional credibility with strategic thinking, strong influencing skills and the ability to lead improvement across a large and complex organisation. Working closely with clinical teams, senior leaders and system partners, you will play a pivotal role in reducing avoidable harm, improving outcomes and creating consistent, evidence-based standards across the Trust.
Main duties of the job
You will provide senior Trust-wide leadership for Infection Prevention and Control, acting as Deputy DIPC and providing expert advice, assurance and challenge to the Chief Nursing & Improvement Officer, Executive Team and Board. You will lead the development and implementation of Trust-wide strategies, standards and improvement programmes.
You will oversee the Trust response to outbreaks and significant IPC risks, strengthen surveillance and assurance systems, and work across clinical services, estates, facilities and system partners to ensure consistently high standards across all sites. You will provide professional leadership to the IPC workforce, including direct line management of the Heads of IPC, and will lead service development, workforce planning, education, research and innovation.
We are looking for a credible and experienced senior IPC leader with excellent judgement, strong analytical skills and the confidence to influence and challenge at executive and system level. You will need to be able to navigate complexity, lead through ambiguity, build effective partnerships and combine supportive professional leadership with robust governance and assurance.
About us
Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations,operatingfrom three main sites at Southmead, Bristol citycentreand Weston.
With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that theSouth Westhas to offer.
Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retaina workforce whichrepresentsthe rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your applicationin order toensurewe'remeeting our pledge.
Job description Job responsibilities
The Director of Infection Prevention Services will provide Trust-wide strategic leadership, professional accountability and assurance for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) across Bristol NHS Foundation Trust. Acting as Deputy Director of Infection Prevention and Control, the postholder will exercise delegated authority on behalf of the Chief Nursing & Improvement Officer as DIPC and will ensure that the Trust meets its statutory, regulatory and professional responsibilities for infection prevention and control.
The postholder will lead the development, implementation and evaluation of Trust-wide IPC strategies, standards and policies, supporting the harmonisation of practice across hospital sites and reducing unwarranted variation. They will provide senior leadership for programmes including healthcare-associated infection reduction, antimicrobial resistance and stewardship, surveillance, audit and continuous improvement.
They will provide formal assurance to the Chief Nursing & Improvement Officer, Executive Team and Board committees regarding IPC performance, risk, compliance and outcomes, and will ensure that significant infection prevention risks are identified, escalated and effectively managed. The role includes senior oversight of outbreaks, serious incidents and high-risk IPC events, together with professional leadership into emergency preparedness, pandemic response and organisational resilience arrangements.
The Director will provide senior professional leadership to the Trusts IPC workforce, including direct line management of the Heads of IPC. They will oversee professional standards, competency frameworks, education, workforce planning, clinical supervision, research and innovation, ensuring that services have the capacity and capability required to meet organisational priorities.
The postholder will hold strategic oversight of IPC resources, budgets, digital surveillance and reporting systems, and will contribute to decisions regarding service development, workforce, estates and infrastructure. They will provide assurance in areas including cleaning and decontamination, water safety, ventilation, equipment and surfaces, and procurement where infection risk is present.
This is a highly collaborative role. The postholder will work closely with clinical and operational leaders across the Trust, the Chief Nursing & Improvement Officer, the Director of Communities & Inclusion, Heads of IPC, microbiology, antimicrobial stewardship, estates, facilities, quality and improvement colleagues. Externally, they will represent the Trust and develop effective relationships with organisations including CQC, NHS England, UKHSA, ICBs, local authorities, higher education institutions and other system and regional partners.
The role is professionally accountable to the Chief Nursing & Improvement Officer as DIPC and managerially accountable to the Director of Communities & Inclusion. Cross-site working across Bristol NHS Foundation Trust will be required, alongside participation in organisational emergency, incident response and business continuity arrangements as appropriate.
Person Specification
Education and qualifications Essential
Registered healthcare professional (NMC / HCPC or equivalent) Master's degree or equivalent senior-level leadership training or experience Evidence of sustained continuous professional development at senior level Specialist IPC Master's level qualification or equivalent senior-level IPC expertise
Desirable
Training or qualification in epidemiology, public health, quality improvement or data analytics
Knowledge and Experience Essential
Significant senior IPC leadership experience within a complex, high-risk healthcare environment In-depth knowledge of IPC statutory frameworks, including the Health & Social Care Act, IPC Code of Practice and UKHSA guidance Experience providing formal assurance to Executive Directors, Boards or Board-level committees Experience coordinating IPC activity across multiple services or sites Strong understanding of outbreak management, surveillance systems, incident investigation and organisational learning Strong understanding of TV governance, pressure ulcer reduction, wound care and surface/equipment risk management Proven ability to lead large-scale harm reduction and prevention programmes Experience leading complex change, transformation or quality improvement programmes
Desirable
Experience contributing to or leading organisational responses to CQC inspections or regulatory interventions Experience contributing to organisational emergency preparedness or resilience planning Understanding of health inequalities, population risk and their impact on infection outcomes Experience working with or alongside UKHSA, Public Health teams, ICBs or regional systems
Skills and Behaviours Essential
Highly developed ability to analyse, interpret and synthesise complex epidemiological, surveillance and safety data Ability to provide credible, evidence-based assurance and advice to senior leaders and committees Strategic leadership skills, with the ability to design and sustain prevention-focused IPC systems Highly developed political awareness and ability to navigate organisational complexity Confident influencer, able to challenge constructively and work effectively at executive and system level Skilled in managing high-risk issues, escalation and organisational risk appetite Resilient, adaptable and effective in highly pressured and ambiguous environments Inclusive, supportive leadership style that enables professional autonomy and site-based authority Ability to balance supportive professional leadership with robust assurance and challenge Ability to build and sustain effective cross-system partnerships aligned to ICS priorities
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name Bristol NHS Foundation Trust
Address Bristol NHS Foundation Trust
Southmead Road,
Bristol
BS10 5NB
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.nbt.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)