Job profile

Job title: Improvement Adviser - (Grade 7) – Quality Improvement Support Team (QIST)

Job location: National (based from any Care Inspectorate Office)

Reporting to: Senior Improvement Adviser/Quality Improvement Manager

Principal working contacts

Internal:

• Senior Improvement Adviser
• Quality Improvement Support Team Manager
• Head of Quality Improvement Support & Participation
• Quality Improvement Support Team
• Chief Inspectors, Service Managers, Team Managers and Inspectors
• Policy Team
• Participation and Equalities Team
• Internal and External Communications Team
• Organisational and Workforce Team

External:

• Scottish Government policy leads
• Service providers and care service staff
• Other regulatory, scrutiny and improvement bodies
• NHS boards, staff and agencies, local authorities, and integrated joint boards, Health and Social Care Partnerships
• Members of the public and other stakeholders

Job purpose

Working with the Senior Improvement Adviser, as part of the Quality Improvement Support Team (QIST), the post holder will develop and embed quality improvement methodology within the Care Inspectorate and externally with providers of social care organisations. This will be in line with the Quality Improvement and Participation Strategy, the yearly Quality Improvement Plan and collective and individual workplan priorities, which support improved outcomes for people experiencing care and services commissioned by community planning partnerships.

The post holder will provide internal and external professional leadership and expert consultancy on all aspects of quality improvement, developing and maintaining networks of specialist quality improvement advice and knowledge with access to specific subject matter expertise.

Key responsibilities

• To link into the Care Inspectorate’s, Quality Improvement and Participation Strategy and Quality Improvement Support Team (QIST) to advise and upskill staff on quality improvement methodology, quality improvement science, quality improvement tools and delivery of improvement support across the organisation and directorates and externally in the care sector.
• To develop quality improvement support resources and materials for use by inspectors and in care services and support further development and implementation of national strategies and initiatives using the Model for Improvement. For example, in areas such as falls prevention and management, Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) and Children and Young People (CYP), Adult Services and others as required.
• To be an active member of the team that deliver the Care Home Improvement Programme (CHIP).
• To develop and maintain the relationships with improvement bodies to co-create developments in quality improvement support relevant to social care, sharing effective practice and avoiding unnecessary duplication of effort for the benefits of people experiencing social care services.
• To provide expert advice and guidance to internal and external stakeholders on quality improvement including participating in expert groups related to the work of the Care Inspectorate.
• To ensure that internal and external quality improvement support advice is sector specific.
• To develop effective quality improvement support interventions and materials for use by inspectors and care services.
• To ensure that lessons learned in the wider health and social care arena that avoid harm and improve outcomes for people are learned.
• To keep up to date with current research and share evidence from research, quality improvement methodologies and expert advice with providers and partnerships in order to improve practice and achieve good outcomes for people experiencing care.
• To analyse data to identify trends that may have an impact on the outcome for people experiencing care to focus quality improvement support activity.
• To contribute to delivering the Care Inspectorate’s Corporate Plan.
• To carry out any other reasonable tasks necessary to support the Care Inspectorate’s business.

Relationship management

• Work with the Senior Improvement Adviser, QIST Manager and senior managers to develop and facilitate a comprehensive approach to relationship management between the Care Inspectorate and various parts of the Health and Social Care sectors. Ensure effective communication of the Care Inspectorate’s quality improvement support offer in social care to practitioners and managers in the health sector.
• Demonstrate a commitment to the Care Inspectorate’s aims, vision and values and to the Care Inspectorate’s overall objective of improving care in Scotland.
• Carry out your duties in accordance with our Health and Safety policies, procedures, guidance, practices and legislative requirements, taking reasonable care for your safety and that of others who may be affected by what you do or fail to do while at work.

Other duties

This job may require extensive travel and involve overnight stays. This job profile is a broad picture of the post at the date of preparation. It is not an exhaustive list of all possible duties, and it is recognised that jobs change and evolve over time. Consequently, the post holder will be required to carry out any other duties to the equivalent level that are necessary to fulfil the purpose of the job, and to respond positively to changing business needs.

The post holder will be expected to work autonomously in the main but also within a group, with agreed priorities and objectives. Objectives for this post will be agreed jointly with the relevant line manager and director and will be reviewed on a regular basis.

Person specification

Job title: Improvement Adviser

Attributes

Experience

Essential:

• Experience of developing, delivering and evaluating Quality Improvement work.
• Experience of developing and delivering learning to a variety of staff groups and care providers.
• Significant experience of successfully leading innovation across health and social care.

Desirable:

• Research experience.
• Experience of working in or supporting Quality Improvement in Social Care.

Education, qualifications and training

Essential:

• Qualifications or skills and experience at SCQF level 9 (e.g. degree, graduate diploma).
• NES Scottish Improvement Leader (ScIL) or equivalent qualification in QI science / methodology or willingness to work toward this as a priority.
• Commitment to own CPD.

Skills and knowledge

Essential:

• Excellent interpersonal skills with an emphasis on support, negotiation, influence and diplomacy.
• Ability to network and work together with key health and social care professionals in areas including Scottish Government, health boards, integration joint boards, health and social care partnerships and service providers in the statutory, independent and voluntary sector.
• Understanding of the importance of the involvement of people experiencing care in the co-design and co-production of quality improvement initiatives.
• Knowledge and experience in quality improvement in health and/ or social care.
• Knowledgeable and skilled at using appropriate improvement approaches.
• Good understanding of the social and political environment in which care services are provided to achieve change.
• Self-motivation, confidence and ability to meet tight deadlines.
• IT literate with the ability to analyse and interpret complex information.

Desirable:

• Evidence of involvement and impact in work at a Scotland wide level including membership of national working groups.
• Knowledge and experience of social care quality improvement.

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Key performance outcomes

Quality improvement focus

Essential:

• Have a proven track record in leading and/or supporting quality improvement projects/programmes and evaluating their impact.
• Demonstrate an understanding of national quality improvement work across Scotland.

Desirable:

• Research active.
• Policy development.

Planning and organising

Essential:

• Evidence of ability to prioritise effectively and achieve deadlines.
• Ability to amend approaches in reaction to changing priorities, circumstances and conflicting demands.
• Demonstrates analytical and systematic approach to problem solving.
• Demonstrates initiative, drive and determination to complete tasks and achieve objectives.
• Work is self-generated, planned and prioritised, identifying key issues, anticipating problems and initiating appropriate action to resolve them.
• Able to work autonomously and independently.

Impact and influence

Essential:

• Demonstrates ability to influence at all levels.
• Ability to achieve results through relationships, negotiation, persuasion, and influence.
• Ability to give credible and realistic advice, based on relevant, up to date and verifiable information.
• Ability to lead change and bring people with you.

Effective communication

Essential:

• Excellent oral, public speaking / presentation, and written communication skills.
• Ability to support service providers to define, measure and achieve outcomes.
• Ability to write clear reports and guidance documents.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the emphasis on support, negotiation, influence, and diplomacy.
• Experience in devising and delivering development sessions.

Desirable:

• Experience of speaking/presenting to small and large groups of people at all levels.

Working in partnership

Essential:

• Work nationally and locally with a range of stakeholders.
• Experience in working with others to devise and deliver development sessions.
• Ability to lead or participate in multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working groups.
• Ability to work co-operatively to achieve success.

Please note – these are key performance outcomes to be used to recruit into the role. Successful applicants will be assessed against all the performance indicators used in the Performance Development Review System once established in the role.