Senior District Direct Officer

Job Description

Do you want to make a difference to the lives of vulnerable people and support the NHSSouth Norfolk and Broadland Council have an exciting opportunity for a Senior District Direct Officer to join the team. This role will bebased at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (with occasional cover at Hellesdon Hospital). The role is offered on a full time, permanent basis in return for a competitive salary of Circa £31,120 per annum.What’s in it for you as our Senior District Direct Officer …- 25 days holiday increasing to 28 days after 5 years service plus bank holidays (pro-rata for part time employees)- Opportunity to work your hours flexibly to improve your work life balance (where operationally possible)- Employer pension contributions of 15% with the option to make additional voluntary contributions- Access to our One Team Rewards scheme including discounts in high street shops and restaurants, employee assistance programme and car lease scheme – with more to come!- Payroll giving scheme- Regular reviews with your line manager, develop a personal development plan, as well as opportunities to undertake training- Compassionate leave and sickness entitlement for times of need- Support towards volunteering days in the community and encouragement to be involved with fun activities to raise money for local and national charitiesRole Snapshot… The NHS is under unprecedented pressure but as the Senior District Direct Officer you will be coordinating a team helping both the NHS and our most vulnerable residents. By resolving the housing related issues that keep people in hospital longer than they need to be you will be enabling safe and timely discharge from hospital.What you could be part of…Patients staying in hospital longer than is medically necessary causes challenges for the NHS, for social care and can limit the patient’s recovery. Often people are medically able to leave hospital, but their home is not suitable. The district direct service is a team of housing staff based within a hospital discharge setting that work in partnership with a range of services to enable people to come home safely or access suitable housing if they are homeless.Following a successful pilot, the project has secured ongoing funding to operate in the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and therefore we are looking to strengthen the service, creating a new role to coordinate and develop the project. The pressures brought about by Covid19 make this role more important than ever and the service will play a key role in helping the hospital manage demand. Due to the success of the District Direct project in the NNUH, we are also piloting the project the acute mental health hospital for an initial 12 month period. The Senior District Direct Officer will also be central to the implementation and development of this pilot.Responsibilities of our Senior District Direct Officer:- Managing the performance and development of the District Direct service- Acting as the interface between the District Direct service at NNUH, Hellesdon Hospital and Community hospitals as well as District Direct services across the County and beyond- Working as part of the Integrated Discharge Team and in collaboration with wider partners, the patient and family/carers to support appropriate and timely discharge into the community- Working with the patient and/or carers and families to complete action plans, identifying needs and requirements required to help support the patient’s timely discharge and investigate any issues raised by the patient and help find the best way forward- Providing information, advice and guidance to enable patients to identify the barriers they face to living independently and to make choices about possible solutionsWhat we’re looking for in our Senior District Direct Officer:- Good general level of education including Maths and English qualifications- Experience or understanding of working in the District Direct service or similar role- Demonstrable experience of working in a multi-agency setting.- Evident knowledge of key national and local policies and their impact on health and social care delivery- Knowledge of housing legislation and policy and procedures across Norfolk housing authorities. As well as a practical understanding of housing related aids and adaptations and channels of funding- Demonstrable knowledge of the hospital discharge process and how housing needs of vulnerable individuals will impact on this. Awareness of wider district council services- Experience of or an awareness of the challenges faced in delivering services in an acute trustIf you feel you are the right candidate for the role as our Senior District Direct Officer then please click ‘apply’ now, we’d love to hear from you!Closing date: 09 February 2021 or when sufficient applications have been receivedPlease note that this post is subject to a satisfactory criminal record check.