Job overview

Additional investment provides an exciting opportunity to join our children’s pharmacy team in this new lead role!  We are looking for an experienced and energetic pharmacist to lead and shape the clinical service to our busy Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).    There is plenty of opportunity to develop your advanced practice or consultant portfolio and the role has the potential to develop to consultant level in the future.  You will manage a team of two other pharmacists as well as acting as a role model within the wider paediatric pharmacy team.

Southampton Children’s Hospital is part of University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust – one of the largest teaching Trusts in the country. We are a major centre for specialist children’s services in the south of England.  Regional services include respiratory, cardiology, gastroenterology, oncology, endocrinology and nephrology among others. Southampton Hospital also hosts the regional children’s trauma centre.

The Children’s Hospital Pharmacy team, made up of specialist pharmacists supported by a general paediatric pharmacist rotation, works collectively to improve medicines management for the children and families using our service. 

Main duties of the job

Attached you will find the person specification document which provides more detail about the essential and desirable skills and experience needed for this role. We highly recommend you review this document and use it when completing your application as these criteria are used by hiring managers as guidance during shortlisting. 

For an overview of the main duties of the role please see the ‘Job Description and Main Responsibilities’ section below. To understand the day-to-day responsibilities in more detail please read the full job description document attached. 

Working for our organisation

As one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England, we offer learning and development opportunities to help you achieve the career you aspire to. UHS is rated ‘Good’ by the CQC and in the latest national NHS Staff Survey, we were in the top 10 acute trusts for staff engagement and for staff recommending the hospital as a place to work or receive care. 

All non-clinical roles may involve a mixture of on site and remote working, Specific details and flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process. UHS employees are able to access a range of NHS discounts, are entitled to a minimum of 35 days paid holiday (pro rata), and we offer a generous pension scheme.

Southampton is an attractive place to live and work situated on the south coast, with an international airport and direct trains to London. The New Forest National Park and beaches of the Jurassic coast are also right on our doorstep. The city offers living costs 20% lower than London and 14 schools rated outstanding by Ofsted.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

What we can offer you:

As one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England, we offer learning and development opportunities to help you achieve the career you aspire to. 

The large Pharmacy department employs over 300 staff and is highly respected within the Trust as dynamic and forward-thinking.  If the idea of 300 staff sounds daunting, fear not – the department is spilt into a range of friendly and supportive teams of different sizes with clear structures helping to ensure you always get the personal treatment and can have an impact. 
 
Our clear vision - “Safer medicines, safer patients” is recognised by all staff who enjoy an environment in which they can flourish, grow and develop.  We are constantly striving to improve, using technology and digital resources to provide world class medicine management activities. 
 
Staff are encouraged to engage in national and international initiatives – helping to maintain the department’s excellent reputation.
 
Staff are encouraged to develop their skills:  Opportunities include: 
•                  Research 
•                  Project management 
•                  Leadership training 

What you’ll do:

The successful applicant will lead and develop the specialist clinical pharmacy service to the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU).  They will provide expert pharmaceutical advice in complex cases as part of the unit multidisciplinary team as well as the developing and delivering the strategic vision for the PICU clinical pharmacy service. 

The successful candidate will be expected to:

•    Work collaboratively with both the paediatric pharmacy team and the PICU team
•    Ensure pharmacist attendance at consultant ward rounds providing expert advice on medicines.
•    Work across hospital boundaries with the SORT (Southampton-Oxford retrieval Team) network to ensure consistency of medicines use in the transfer of critically ill children
•    Support medicines optimisation within the unit as well as in step-up or step-down care internally or to other hospitals
•    Teach members of the multidisciplinary team as well as undergraduate and postgraduate students.
•    Support the established paediatric nutrition service including prescribing of parenteral nutrition.
•    Work closely with aseptic manufacturing and the clinical team to develop IV standardisation
•    Support the ongoing development of our clinical information/EPMA system (Metavision) 
•    Develop evidence-based treatment guidelines in conjunction with specialist consultants
•    Lead and collaborate in audit and research within paediatric critical care
•    Act as a role model or mentor for junior members of the pharmacy team

What we’re looking for
 
You must be enthusiastic and committed to team working with excellent communication skills combined with extensive clinical or leadership experience. Previous experience in paediatric critical care is desirable but not essential.  
This post is available as a development role starting at a band 8a, we offer a structured progression pathway, depending on experience, with clear objectives to enable you to advance to a band 8b using the RPS advanced practice portfolio.

Person specification

Trust values

Essential criteria

• Patient First
• Always Improving
• Working Together

Qualifications, knowledge and experience

Essential criteria

• Masters Degree in Pharmacy or equivalent
• Registered with General Pharmaceutical Council
• Postgraduate diploma in clinical pharmacy or equivalent experience
• Can demonstrate minimum Advanced Stage 2 competencies in the RPS Advanced Pharmacy Framework (Domains 1 and 2)
• Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Sound knowledge of clinical pharmacy services acquired while working within a suitable specialty
• Experience of audit and evaluative work
• Teaching and tutoring experience
• Experience of supervising others
• Experience of implementing change and change management
• Development and implementation of guidelines and procedures
• Experience of implementing change and change management
• Can demonstrate minimum Advanced Stage 2 competencies in the RPS Advanced Pharmacy Framework (Domains 1 and 2)

Desirable criteria

• Management qualification or equivalent experience
• MSc in clinical pharmacy or equivalent experience
• Independent Prescribing qualification
• Can demonstrate Advanced Stage 1 - 2 competencies in the RPS Advanced Pharmacy Framework (Domains 3-5)
• Leadership qualification or experience
• Sound understanding of healthcare priorities and political agendas
• Training in medicines information
• Project Management training or qualification
• Experience of managing others

Please be advised that this vacancy may close earlier than stated if large numbers of applications are received.

Due to the volume of applications we receive, we are unable to acknowledge receipt of your application. If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date of this post, please presume that you have not been selected for interview.

Applicants from University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust whose posts are considered to be ‘At Risk’ will be given prior consideration for this post

Our Trust runs the return to practice course each year for nurses who have been out of the profession and wish to return. To find out more please visit our website:

http://www.uhs.nhs.uk/WorkingHere/Typesofjob/Nurses/Returntonursing.aspx

http://www.discoversouthampton.co.uk/   Information on Southampton as a place to live and enjoy

https://www.uhs-vle.co.uk/   See what fantastic training and development we have on offer at UHS

http://www.youtube.com/user/SouthamptonHospitals learn about the Trust through visiting our YouTube channel 

Getting to Work

Application can be made for parking on site at UHS or through one of the park and ride schemes. This will be based on specific criteria to determine eligibility for site parking as this can be very limited.  UHS encourages staff to utilise other green methods of getting to work such as cycling or walking where possible. UHS is well connected through bus services to the city centre and other areas.

Please note that we will not accept any applications or queries via agencies, under any circumstances.

Our staff are positive about working at UHS and rate us above average compared to other NHS Trusts in the Staff Attitude Survey. We are rated strongly on a number of areas including teamwork, communication and engagement.

Equality remains at the centre of all Trust policy making, service delivery and employment practice with all employees being given equality of opportunity to develop, apply for promotion and have working arrangements that enable them to achieve a manageable work-life balance.

The Trust actively promotes a work environment free from harassment and discrimination and provides training for managers and staff to ensure this happens. The Trust also closely monitors recruitment activity, training and development and employment practices to ensure equality of practice with regard to race, colour, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, disability, marital status and age.

As a service provider the Trust ensures equality of access and delivery of our services through the provision of interpreter services, facilities for the disabled and sensitivity for patients ethnic and religious differences and needs.

Relocating to Southampton

If you are thinking of moving to the Hampshire area, please find below a link to our website which offers guidance on finding accommodation:

http://www.uhs.nhs.uk/relocating-to-southampton

The Trust is under a duty to protect the public funds it administers, and to this end may use the information you have provided on this form for the prevention and detection of fraud. It may also share this information with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds for these purposes.