THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER PARTICULARS OF APPOINTMENT FACULTY OF MEDICAL & HUMAN SCIENCES MANCHESTER PHARMACY SCHOOL CENTRE FOR PHARMACY POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION Lead Pharmacy Technician, Learning Development Vacancy ref: MHS-08124 Salary scale: Hours: Location: Responsible to: Key contacts: External contact: Agenda for Change Band 8B, spine point 42 57,604 (pro rata) per annum 0.6 WTE (based on a 37.5 hours FTE) Manchester Pharmacy School Oxford Road, The University of Manchester or working from another location on approval by the Director. Home working will be considered. Chris Cutts, Director CPPE The Centre s Director, Deputy Director, Head of Technology Services, Finance Manager, other administrative and secretarial staff, CPPE Educational development team, CPPE Regional Managers, CPPE Pharmacy Tutors. Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in England, university staff, pharmacy technicians professional associations, government agencies, CPPE suppliers and service providing organisations, learning programme developers and higher education institutes JOB DESCRIPTION Overall purpose You will be a lead pharmacy technician, responsible for education, training and workforce developments within the pharmacy technician profession in the NHS in England. The lead pharmacy technicians will liaise closely with those in positions involved in learning development. Their remit is to plan, design, develop, evaluate and deliver post graduate learning programmes to support the NHS workforce and facilitate their continuing professional development. In addition, you will establish close working relationships with government bodies and key professional organisations within the field of education and the pharmacy technician profession. You will deputise for other managers within CPPE when requested. Page 1
Key Duties and Responsibilities Scope and depth of Learning Portfolio Lead and co-ordinate the development of learning opportunities for the pharmacy technicians workforce in support of their continuing professional development (CPD) and NHS priorities. Lead and co-ordinate the development of assessments for the pharmacy technicians workforce in support of their continuing professional development (CPD) and NHS priorities. Advise the Director on the CPPE strategic framework for the provision and delivery of learning programmes and CPD for the NHS pharmacy technician workforce in England. Implement CPPEs strategic development plan. Review the learning portfolio, identify gaps in learning provision and offer learning development plans. Plan and undertake learning needs analyses in order to keep up to date with the needs of the changing pharmacy technician workforce. Lead national educational projects within allocated themes. Plan and lead national project design meetings. Extract, analyse and interpret information from a variety of sources to use in the development of learning programmes. Develop effective multidisciplinary learning and promote skill mix. Provision of Learning: Access and Demand Management Analyse access to learning programmes and feedback findings to inform the CPPE strategy. Design and update programmes to contribute to the provision of assessed CPD each year for all pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Report to the Director on uptake of courses, participation and evaluation of learning programmes. Provide learning experiences and events, particularly using facilitation skills. Undertake local and national workshops when requested, including residential events. Deliver DH and NHS Priorities / Drivers Maintain a working knowledge of NHS, Public Health and DH policy. Horizon-scan new NHS and Public Health priorities and identify learning needs in advance of implementation of changes. This includes legislative, regulatory, patient safety, clinical and workforce management changes. Page 2
Ensuring Quality, Flexible Learning and Assessment Deliver a flexible learning portfolio that is governed by internal quality processes. Develop criteria/ performance indicators to validate and monitor the quality of learning and assessment programmes. Meet standards and targets in relation to the CPPE learning portfolio to meet objectives within the organisational strategy. Take responsibility for the review and development of programmes within key CPPE themes and delivering timely outcomes. Explore various assessment methods used within healthcare education. Determine the appropriateness of each assessment type for CPPE learning programmes. Develop and evaluate new and innovative assessment methods for CPPE learning programmes. Lead and co-ordinate audit and research projects within allocated themes or topics. Co-ordinate selected Programme Guardian processes for CPPE. Interpret the feedback from Programme Guardians. Revise and update existing learning programmes. Plan and participate in educational research and development within the profession of pharmacy technician. Analyse the results of research findings and make recommendations to influence educational developments within CPPE. Develop and implement new policies which improve practice and the quality of learning materials and functionality of CPPE. Use skills in proofreading and editing manuscripts written in standard English text to correct grammar, spelling and punctuation. Communication and Promotion to the Pharmacy Technician Workforce Promote new developments using effective communication and marketing strategies. Signpost to and collaborate with other NHS and training organisations. Collaborate on the development of CPPE marketing materials including CPPE Annual Brochure, e- newsletter, website, etc. Publish educational articles / research in peer reviewed journals to share good practice. Participate in the CPPE email information service rota responding to the needs of CPPE users. Attend national and international meetings to promote CPPE. Page 3
Maintain a good working knowledge of CPPE learning portfolio to allow effective communication with users and pharmacy technician leaders. CPPE Stakeholder Consultation Communicate with patients and clients of the NHS to ensure learning reflects a patient centred focus. Identify and respond to local service delivery needs. Develop learning strategies to support locally commissioned enhanced services within the community pharmacy contract. Exercise personal / professional judgement to solve complex operational problems in a multi agency environment. Work with CPPE stakeholders and users to ensure CPPE is responsive, flexible and current in its approaches to the NHS. CPPE Internal Governance and Management Structures Support other teams within CPPE e.g. Administration teams, IT team in relation to programme development. Provide advice and training for head office staff, tutors and marketing/communications to deal with any enquiries about any new learning programmes. Collaborate in developing a structured project management culture within the organisation. Create and manage project schedules to ensure delivery of product in a timely manner. Document critical milestones and produce regular reports to monitor progress against these outcomes. Manage own caseload of projects within allocated themes to ensure delivery of products in a timely manner. Review and evaluate the progress of complex projects to ensure agreed deadlines are met. Provide briefings to executive and management team meetings. Develop and implement CPPE policies, SOPs and guidelines. Provide statistics relating to project developments as required by CPPE. Possess a working knowledge of University procedures to be able to complete appropriate Finance and HR forms. Work within internal governance and management structures. Monitor and maintain the health, safety and security of yourself and those of others within the organisation. Ensure compliance with professional standards and medicines legislation. Page 4
CPPE Workforce Support and Development Demonstrate Continuous Professional Development (CPD) through identifying own learning needs. Participate actively in personal development reviews and personal development planning. Support other teams within CPPE e.g. Administration team, IT team. Contribute to and participate in team meetings and the CPPE annual calendar of events. Participate in team development activities to promote teamwork and effective communication. Participate in recruitment of new staff if requested. Using Information Technology to Support Learning Evaluate the appropriateness of various IT solutions to deliver effective learning and competence based assessments. Collaborate with the Head of Technology Services and direct the technology team to develop and introduce new and innovative programme formats, assessment processes and information delivery systems. Effectively use appropriate software packages such as Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint. Ensuring Robust Financial Systems Take responsibility for the financial management of project budgets (each with an individual budget of up to 50k). Ensure compliance of project team with financial systems, including contracting, time and expenses, invoicing and accounting. Report expenditure into the costed plan reviews when requested by the CPPE Executive Operational Board. Communication Co-ordinate communication systems to both internal and external customers. Be an active member of the Integrated Learning Group (ILG), liaising closely with all members. Establish and maintain co-operative working relationships with all members of CPPE staff. Work in partnership with other professional educational organisations to co-ordinate developments and strategies for improving the learning opportunities for the pharmacy technician profession. Access and use a variety of computer databases and information systems to communicate with staff, research material or extract information for presentations and reports. Page 5
Deliver training sessions on new programmes/ service developments when required. Use motivational / negotiation skills to motive team members to help overcome barriers to change especially in situations of non-compliance. Use advanced / excellent oral and /or written communication skills / interpersonal skills when dealing with contentious situations or difficult and complex issues within educational developments. Ensure clarity in all communication and choose the most appropriate form of communication for each situation. Establish and maintain co-operative working relationships with all members of CPPE staff. Act as a mentor/coach for CPPE staff if requested. Represent the Director of CPPE at national meetings when requested. Page 6
PERSON SPECIFICATION Essential Desirable Education / Qualification Appropriate Pharmacy Technician qualification Registered Pharmacy Technician with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) Mandatory CPD to maintain fitness to practice Postgraduate qualifications or equivalent experience and relevant short courses Relevant underpinning knowledge in Education & Training Relevant advanced underpinning knowledge in Education & Training e.g. Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) or equivalent European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) or equivalent level of knowledge Diploma or Masters in Education Previous Experience Relevant post registration experience in pharmacy technician practice with assessed competencies Experience in training healthcare professionals at a postgraduate level with evidence of assessed teaching sessions Experience of planning, designing and organising training sessions Experience of managing the learning of others in a tutoring role providing assessment and feedback to individuals and groups Experience of working with multidisciplinary teams Recent NHS experience Experience of planning, implementing and conducting evaluation/audit of services at a multidisciplinary level Experience of implementing changes which impact across a trust (or equivalent) Experience of developing and implementing policies Experience of monitoring budgets for a service or projects Experience of selecting and recruiting staff following organisational procedures and equal opportunities legislation Experience of facilitating CPD Managing staff and services Page 7
Skills, Knowledge, Abilities Able to communicate clearly & effectively verbally & in writing to patients, and with a wide range of healthcare professionals across multidisciplinary teams and external organisations Able to demonstrate good working relations with colleagues across multidisciplinary teams and within external organisations Able to communicate information at a postgraduate level to groups of learners, where the information may be complex or difficult to understand Able to facilitate learning of mixed groups who have different levels of skills and abilities Able to demonstrate excellent presentation skills to large groups (more than 20 people) of other healthcare professionals (e.g. formalised training programmes for nurses and doctors) Able to demonstrate tact, empathy & diplomacy skills in order to communicate confidential and sensitive information to patients and healthcare professionals Able to demonstrate a high standard of personal discipline and professional behaviour with a wide range of patients and healthcare professionals Act as a role model for other staff Able to demonstrate consultation & influencing skills to successfully gain agreement and commitment Able to demonstrate effective management of conflict and handling of complaints Able to establish successful team working relationships. Able to work independently Effective customer service skills able to work to meet the needs of service users at all times Knowledge of the current NHS agenda and understanding of the workings of the NHS in both primary and secondary care Able to chair a meeting effectively Able to demonstrate accurate numeracy skills including complex calculations Effective problem solving skills able to assess problems, consider a range of options and choose an appropriate course of action Able to demonstrate creative problem solving skills by creation of options, analysis, interpretation and selection of optimal outcome where there is no recognised guidance Able to contribute to writing bids/business plans Able to prioritise own work and that of others to meet deadlines Able to demonstrate a methodical approach to work Able to effectively formulate and deliver detailed operational or project plans which impact across multi- Page 8
Aptitudes, Personal, Characteristics disciplinary teams Able to allocate staff and resources to tasks to meet organisational requirements Able to plan long-term projects or service developments which require an understanding of the future needs of the service users Able to research pharmacy technician education and pharmacy technician practice Able to type a minimum of 40 wpm Able to accurately produce documents using Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access Able to update database entries and retrieve database information to produce reports Able to respond to urgent and unplanned demands from colleagues and service users while maintaining current workload Able to demonstrate an understanding of equal opportunities and its application to training and development Self-motivated and able to motivate team members Smart & professional image Excellent time management, prioritisation and punctuality Learns on the job: develops themselves, thinks reflectively and has a considered approach Able to travel within England Able to travel to regional, national and international meetings and conferences where necessary Able to work outside office hours and at multiple sites Able to work under pressure to agreed deadlines Empathetic and approachable Patience and diplomacy Commands respect from all grades of staff Able to attend overnight training events Holds a current driving licence Page 9