University Hospitals Sussex is the subject of an important Independent Maternity Review (IMR), commissioned by the Department of Health on behalf of the Secretary of State. This is due to start in October 2026 and is expected to last at least 3 years. The review will examine approximately 1,000 cases of stillbirths, neonatal deaths, maternal deaths, neonatal harm due to severe brain injury and severe maternal harm dating back to at least 2018 to understand what happened, reach conclusions on the care provided, provide answers for families and identify learning for the organisation and wider NHS. The review is, by its’ very nature, extremely sensitive and politically charged. The impact is expected to be significant for the families at the heart of the review, current and past staff and the wider organisation .
Embedded in Perinatal teams, the role will support the Programme team to manage the workload associated with the Sussex review, as well as the recommendations from the IMR at Nottingham and Baroness Amos’s National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation . They will ensure there is a robust approach to tracking, allocating and responding to requests for information and evidence . They will also support routine processes to enable Perinatal teams to make tangible improvements to care for women and babies e.g. organising meetings , collating papers a nd evidence . Diligent attention to detail , s ensitive and empathetic communication with staff and families is essential.
Key responsibilities include:
Managing and tracking requests for information, evidence and actions, ensuring responsibilities, deadlines and responses are clearly recorded and monitored.
Supporting the development and maintenance of programme plans, action trackers, risk registers and improvement workstreams.
Organising meetings, workshops and improvement events, including diary management, agenda preparation and collation of supporting papers.
Maintaining document libraries, electronic filing systems and SharePoint sites to ensure accurate governance records and evidence of compliance are readily available.
Preparing reports, presentations and other documentation, and assisting with the collection and analysis of data to support reporting requirements.
Monitoring progress against delivery plans, escalating risks to deadlines and supporting the timely completion of programme actions.
Supporting the development of staff and public communications relating to the maternity improvement programme.
Providing administrative support for procurement and finance processes, including raising purchase orders, processing invoices and maintaining accurate records.
Working collaboratively with clinical and operational teams to ensure information shared externally is accurate, complete and appropriately governed.
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always deliver Excellent Care Everywhere, as shown in our Outstanding for Caring CQC rating. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of staff networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 3) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
Candidate Pack
This vacancy is advertised as a time-limited opportunity is expected to be undertaken on a secondment basis for internal applicants. Before applying, internal colleagues must discuss the opportunity with their current line manager to confirm whether they can be released from their substantive role if successful. Release to undertake a secondment is not automatic and must be agreed between the colleague, their current line manager, and the recruiting line manager.
Team Management
Help develop induction materials and set up processes for new members of the Team such as key contacts, IT logins , ESR and ID
Provide diary management to members of the team
Contribute to and maintain a library of policies , SOPs and evidence of compliance used to direct the work of the team
P rioritise workload and ensure there is a clear list of daily, weekly and monthly administrative tasks, with allocated responsible individuals.
Ensure sickness absence and annual leave is organised using Trust policy.
Pursue personal and professional development.
Participate in the annual staff appraisal
Liaise with Estates, Maintenance, Medical Electronics, and IT to resolve problems. Ensuring any repairs, servicing and maintenance requirements are reported to ensure broken equipment, fixtures, fittings, and medical devices are dealt with in a timely manner and appropriate documentation is completed
Operational Management
Support the Programme Team to capture, track and close actions from the IMR which need a prompt response. Ensure there is a clear ask, responsible person and timeframe to respond. Monitor compliance with turnaround times.
Support the Programme Team to establish , populate and update programme plans to capture the improvement work needed to respond to previous IMRs and emerging findings from the Sussex IMR
Provide administrative support to Improvement sprints within the team and contribute ideas as a member of the team
Maintain document libraries and shared folders, including SharePoint needed to service the IMR and Perinatal Improvement Programme and demonstrate compliance with good practice , including for external reviews eg CQC inspections
Upload information to internal and shared electronic systems, including Badgernet , and Microsoft Office.
Contribute to review and iterative improvements in the Division ’ s processes over the lifetime of the review
Contribute to development and maintenance of the risks and issues logs and take ownership of mitigating relevant risks or issues.
Work with the Programme Team and clinical staff to ensure any information to be sent outside the organisation has been through a checking process for accuracy and completeness
Support the Programme Manager to track down progress on actions in the delivery plan and flag where a deadline is at risk promptly.
. Support development of communications materials for the public and members of staff
Reporting
E xtract statistics used to report to the Directorate, Division and Trust , working with the Business Intelligence Lead as required .
H elp collate information for presentations and other documents using appropriate word processing systems in an efficient, accurate and timely manner
Monitor compliance with agreed turn - around times for submission of data and
escalate risks of missing deadlines to the Programme Manager.
Finance and Procurement
Under the direction of the Programme Manager, p rocess invoices raise purchase orders via the internal finance system.
Comply with Trust policies and processes within any financial and legal constraints.
Monitor and track orders, ensuring all documentation is completed accurately and updated regularly.
Collaborate with finance and procurement colleagues to investigate and resolve issues as required .
Assist with ordering and goods receipting, ensuring compliance with Trust policy, specifically:
Completing all financial documentation correctly
Including contract references on all correspondence
Ensuring invoices are processed and paid accurately and on time
Tracking orders and liaising with Procurement to resolve any issues
Learning and Development
Attend mandatory training updates as required.
Undertake training as necessary in line with the development of the post and as agreed with the line manager as part of the personal development process.
Achieve and demonstrate agreed standards of personal and professional development within agreed timescales.
Identify own learning needs and jointly plan training requirements with your line manager
Participate in the Trust’s appraisal process to discuss how your role will help deliver the best possible care to our patients and help to deliver any changes in service.
This job description is an outline of the role and responsibilities. From time to time due to the needs of the service, we may ask you to flexibly undertake other duties that are consistent with your role and banding, including project work, internal job rotation and absence cover.
The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the department and the organisation.
