This is a rare opportunity for an experienced senior oncology nurse to join the NIHR Manchester Clinical Research Facility (CRF) at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust as Matron.
The CRF is a nationally recognised specialist facility delivering early-phase, experimental medicine and complex oncology trials across outpatient, day-case and inpatient services, giving patients access to new and innovative treatments.
We are looking for a credible, compassionate and forward-thinking nurse leader with experience in clinical research, senior nursing leadership and clinical governance. The successful candidate will have excellent communication skills, sound professional judgement and the ability to lead and support the team through significant change. They will be passionate about patient care and staff development, fostering a supportive culture that maintains high standards of clinical and research governance and enables staff to deliver world-class research.
The CRF is entering an important period of development, including a major refurbishment, increased research capacity and staged progression towards 24/7 working. The Matron will play a pivotal role in shaping this next phase, working with senior clinical, operational and research leaders at The Christie and contributing to wider NIHR Manchester CRF objectives.
The Matron will lead the CRF clinical team and provide visible professional nursing leadership across outpatient, day-case and inpatient services.
They will hold senior oversight of clinical quality, patient safety and experience, ensuring care is delivered in line with Trust policies, Good Clinical Practice, research governance requirements and professional standards. This will include review and reporting of risks, incidents, complaints and audit findings, ensuring learning is shared and improvements are embedded in practice.
The post holder will lead clinical workforce planning, recruitment, performance, wellbeing and professional development, ensuring staff have the skills, competence and support required to deliver complex research safely. They will provide senior nursing input into the review and implementation of new and complex studies, including cell and gene therapies and other novel cancer treatments.
Working closely with the CRF Operational Lead, Medical Directors, R&I Associate Chief Nurse and Lead Research Nurse, they will contribute to strategic planning, service improvement and delivery of the CRF refurbishment and staged progression towards 24/7 working.
The Christie is one of Europe’s leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country. We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years. We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 500 trials in our portfolio. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.
The CRF at The Christie is one of six CRFs that together make up the NIHR Manchester CRF. The CRF at The Christie was established in 2010, refurbished in 2016 and provides the specialist infrastructure needed to support researchers in the delivery of world class oncology research. A variety of clinical research is supported by the CRF, from Phase 1 first in human trials to innovative advanced therapy studies as well as complex later phase research.
Leadership
- Provide effective clinical and professional leadership acting as a role model for all staff within the CRF.
- Work collaboratively with disease specific Research Delivery teams to facilitate effective delivery of multi professional support for research studies on the CRF.
- Lead the clinical workforce through major service transformation, including the CRF refurbishment and staged progression towards 24/7 working, ensuring safe continuity of services throughout implementation.
- Be an ambassador for and promote the work of the CRF both within the Trust and to external stakeholders.
- Assist in the development and implementation of a long term CRF clinical strategy and objectives including effective and achievable action plans.
- Develop and support mechanisms to guide and coach the CRF Unit Managers in developing and strengthening leadership skills and meeting the responsibilities of their role
- Ensure effective communication systems, written, verbal and the use of IT is embedded in the CRF.
- Advise the CRF leadership team on Trust policies which may influence or impact CRF services
- Engage in Clinical Governance reviews to ensure that the Trust’s Health and Safety and Risk Management strategy is implemented within the CRF.
- Work collaboratively with senior colleagues from across the Trust to ensure the CRF is well represented at Trust level meetings.
- Maintain a collaborative culture of shared responsibility with the Trust to ensure the CRF offers support as appropriate when Trust wide operational pressures are escalated.
Management
- Provide direct line management for senior clinical staff within CRF.
- Ensure appropriate clinical staffing levels, skill mix and workforce deployment across CRF services, escalating and managing risks where safe staffing requirements cannot be met.
- Ensure effective recruitment and retention initiatives are implemented in conjunction with the Senior Leadership Team and aligned with Trust wide initiatives.
- Contribute to innovative solutions to workforce delivery and working in new ways to meet the needs of patients on experimental medicine and complex clinical trials.
- Ensure annual, individual performance review and regular appraisal is undertaken for all CRF clinical staff.
- In collaboration with the Operational Lead, be accountable for research service delivery including all clinical activity within CRF.
- Proactively review and analyse day to day service delivery to develop a framework for ongoing improvement with the CRF leadership team.
- Monitor Human Resource Key Performance indicators i.e. PDRs, sickness/ absence and take appropriate action in accordance with Trust polices.
- Investigate all complaints and in conjunction with the Operational Lead assist in providing responses in agreed timelines.
- Participate in the review and writing of reports relating to the CRF including the NIHR Manchester CRF annual report.
- Contribute to and promote a culture that values all staff recognising and acknowledging achievement whilst positively addressing poor performance.
- Monitor and maintain the health safety and security of self and others in the work area.
- Attend relevant Trust Wide meetings in addition to relevant divisional meetings.
- Deputise for the Operational Lead as appropriate
- Support the Leadership team in building both capacity and capability of the Nursing workforce on CRF including development roles and senior healthcare assistants.
- Promote sharing of best practice through regular team meetings and supporting nurses in developing their research competencies in line with the NIHR Competency Framework.
- Participate in the duty manager roster.
Clinical
- Be accountable for ensuring that all CRF staff deliver patient care in accordance with Trust policies procedures and appropriate SOPs.
- Provide a visible presence in the clinical areas of the CRF and be accessible for patients, carers and staff for support and escalation of concerns.
- Ensure high standards of patient care at all times challenging and ensuring others challenge poor practice, in accordance with the NMC Code of Conduct.
- Take the lead responsibility for ensuring CRF staff practice within the research governance framework and adhere to GDPR.
- Oversee and lead all nursing aspects of the operational running of the facility including, inpatient, day care and outpatient areas within CRF.
- Promote a clinical environment which is conducive to quality patient care and experience.
- Ensure that Health and Safety requirements are met and the CRF provides a safe environment for research and clinical care; conduct risk analyses where appropriate.
- Ensure systems are in place to develop and maintain appropriate clinical competencies within the nursing team.
- Demonstrate specialist expertise and professional knowledge acquired through post registration academic, clinical, leadership and management development.
- Ensure the CRF business continuity plan and the operational policy are adhered to.
- Ensure agreed systems and process are in place to consistently provide safe, effective high quality patient care and embed a culture of local improvement, focusing on the Trust’s harm free indicators, measuring practice and using variations in the data to develop and oversee delivery of local improvement projects.
Research
- Provide senior nursing oversight and advice for the implementation of complex and high-risk studies, including early-phase trials, cell and gene therapies and other novel cancer treatments.
- Participate in the development of systems to facilitate the management of studies to GCP guidelines.
- Take the lead responsibility for CRF approval of new studies and amendments.
- Work with the CRF quality and improvement manager to ensure the effective implementation and monitoring of quality systems and processes and innovation projects.
- Work with the CRF quality and improvement manager to ensure that the CRF is always inspection ready and when required lead and assist in the preparation and facilitation of inspections and support staff with the findings of inspections
- In conjunction with the Operational Lead, review all research applications for the CRF and ensure risk assessments are undertaken and approval is given appropriately.
- Actively contribute to CRF operational management by attending departmental management meetings.
- Work with the Divisional Lead Research Nurse to ensure CRF participates in appropriate Trust wide audits.
Education and Training
- Be accountable for ensuring that all staff essential training meets the Trust’s KPIs.
- Work in collaboration with the Senior Clinical Educator for Research to lead in the induction and training of staff, establishing mentorship and clinical supervision opportunities as appropriate.
- Work collaboratively and as an expert resource to support, develop and implement the NIHR competency framework for CRF nursing staff.
- Encourage participation in educational opportunities for all levels of research staff in the CRF e.g. NVQs apprenticeships and higher academic qualifications
- Support and provide opportunities for nurses to write academic papers for journals, participate in nursing research and develop abstracts for presentation at conferences where appropriate e.g. UKCRF conference.
- Support placements for Schools and University Graduates in conjunction with NIHR Manchester CRF including international/ national placements where appropriate.
- Be responsible for supporting the development of evidence-based guidelines/ policies.
- Ensure mentorship of student nurses and trainee nurse associates where appropriate and ensure the clinical environment is conducive to teaching, education, training and development of all staff.
- Support visits to the CRF for both internal and external visitors including site evaluation visits for clinical trials.
- Seek opportunities to promote the achievements of NIHR Manchester CRF at conferences, professional events and open days through formal and informal presentations and tours.
Professional
- Undertake continuous professional development seeking opportunities to enhance skills which can be identified via a personal development plan.
- Maintain own clinical/ professional competence and credibility. Utilise clinical session to role model standards of care and expected behaviours.
- Maintain valid and up to date registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council complying with NMC guidelines in relation to professional issues.
- Act as a point of reference for all employment and professional issues relating to CRF staff.
- Promote CRF as a centre of excellence for clinical research
- Work with the Lead Research Nurse to proactively change to meet the needs of the service.
- Take responsibility for professional and personal development, participating in the Trust annual appraisal review with the Lead Research Nurse and CRF Operational Lead.
Finance and Resource Management
- Identify workforce requirements to meet the Manchester CRF strategic objectives and work alongside the Operational Lead and Lead Research Nurse to develop business plans to secure funding for the provision of staff as appropriate.
- Support the Operational Lead in CRF staffing and resource budget.
- Ensure contracts and service level agreements are renewed as appropriate for equipment.
- Advise on the purchase of equipment including prioritization of equipment within the CRF.
- Be responsible for the ongoing management of the CRF asset base, including medical equipment.
- Liaise with Estates and external suppliers in planning and implementing any repairs, improvements or other building works.
