An exciting opportunity has arisen for an AfC Band 7 Improvement Consultant to work within the Improvement Unit of Midlands and Lancashire CSU.

You will be responsible for managing a range of projects focused on improving the quality and efficiency of the services we offer our internal and external customers. We work with a range of external clients including NHSE/I, ICS, Primary Care, Acute Trusts, and Social Care partners.

Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit recognises the value serving personnel, reservists, veterans, and military families bring to our business and would encourage people from the armed forces community to apply for our vacancies.

The NHS faces a number of challenges which is providing an increasing portfolio of opportunity and demand for our services. We are looking to recruit additional Improvement Consultants to join our team to provide some much needed immediate capacity, whilst also providing successful applicants with an opportunity to test out consultancy type work.

Successful candidates will be provided with the chance to develop their skills with hands-on experience, working in high performing, multi-disciplinary teams within diverse projects.

The NHS is the biggest employer in Europe. It’s a world-renowned institution and an exciting place to work, full of challenges and opportunities.

NHS Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit (MLCSU)is one of the biggest and best-performing commissioning support units in the country, with among the highest levels of staff and customer satisfaction. We work together as a team of over 1,600 expert staff based across the Midlands and North West to make a difference – for our customers, patients and communities.

Offering a full range of professional services to hospital trusts, local authorities, integrated care systems (ICSs) and other public bodies across the country, our NHS values underpin everything we do.

As an Improvement Consultant with the Improvement Unit you can expect:
• Variety and opportunities to stretch yourself
• Responsibility
• A team culture that is genuinely engaging and supportive, promoting fulfilment and career progression
• On-the-job buddying and mentoring

What you’ll do:

Lead/manage projects. This means taking responsibility for customer liaison, project planning and managing the input of others. You will therefore have first-rate interpersonal skills, alongside an enquiring mind and focus on quality and high standards.

Communicate clearly. The topics we work on are typically complex, yet our communication must be as simple and concise as possible. You will be responsible for producing and presenting a wide range of information to diverse audiences.

Work creatively and think innovatively whilst retaining high standards and best practice. We use a variety of recognised best practice tools and techniques but need to recognise how to modify or adapt our approach according to demands of individual pieces of work.

Demonstrate and utilise a wide range of skills and capabilities. We need people with the skills to gather and interpret information, to track progress against plans, engage well with others and to prioritise work effectively. You may need to develop new processes, problem solve and handle sensitive information with tact and diplomacy.

Operate with drive, integrity and enthusiasm. You must be comfortable with fluidity and ambiguity, capable of working flexibly whilst maintaining direction and energy, in the face of challenges and change.

Forge your own path. We want people who are motivated, self-starting, and able to work autonomously, managing their own workload and working to tight and changing timescales.

Work collaboratively and develop positive working relationships. We want people who are quick to form positive working relationships with a range of colleagues, clients and stakeholders to collaboratively develop and implement improvement activity.

Location: The team’s geographical footprint covers a number of regions. We are keen supporters of agile working and will provide you with the equipment and technology required to perform your job effectively, from a location which best suits the needs of the business and your individual needs – be it from one of our office locations, a client location, or at home.

This advert closes on Thursday 13 Apr 2023