The British Geriatrics Society

The British Geriatrics Society

- for better health in old age

Recruitment pack for the full-time position of Policy Manager

1. Job advertisement

2. Job description

3. Person specification

4. How to apply

1. Job advertisement

The British Geriatrics Society

–

for better health in old age

Policy Manager

Full-time

Central London, EC1

Salary c. £40,000 plus 11% pension contribution

The British Geriatrics Society is the professional membership organisation for doctors, nurses and other health care specialists engaged in the treatment and care of older people across the UK. We have approaching 3,000 members. We are a registered charity aiming to improve the health care of older people. We are based in Farringdon, a vibrant area in Central London.

The role

We are recruiting a full-time Policy Manager to maximise our influence across all four countries of the UK:

 Developing and promoting the BGS’s policy positions

 Coordinating responses to consultations

 Developing proactive policy projects

 Creating horizon scanning resources

 Networking, acting as a BGS ambassador and providing high level policy advocacy

 Helping BGS Councils in Scotland, Wales and N Ireland to respond to their distinctive policy challenges

 Evaluating the impact of major policy projects. The person

 Passionate about improving the health care of older people

 An experienced, senior policy professional: at least two years’ experience of senior responsibility for policy influencing or public affairs in a national charity or public sector organisation

 Experienced at policy horizon scanning

 Experience of lead responsibility for producing briefing documents for senior audiences

 First rate networking skills, with proven ability to build relationships at a senior level

 Ability to travel regularly within the UK (including occasional overnight stays)

 Experience of the UK health care landscape is desirable but not essential.

If you would an informal discussion about the role, please email the Chief Executive at

[email protected]

2. Job Description

Job title: Policy Manager

Reporting to: Chief Executive

Salary range: c. £40,000 per annum (plus 11% pension contribution)

Location: Farringdon, London (with travel across the UK as necessary)

Hours: Full-time: 36.25 hours per week

Annual leave: 29 days plus public holidays

Contract: Permanent

About the British Geriatrics Society:

The British Geriatrics Society (BGS) is the professional body for practitioners engaged in the speciality health care of older people. Our mission is to improve the health care of older people throughout the UK.

Geriatrics is the one of the largest medical specialties in the UK. The BGS has approaching 3,000 members, consisting of specialist doctors in acute and community settings, GPs, nurses, medical educationalists, researchers and allied health professionals involved in the treatment and care of older people. Much of the work of the Society is carried out by our honorary officers and other members, supported by a small secretariat consisting of ten staff members. We have an eleven-strong Trustee Board made up of clinicians in geriatric care and two lay trustees.

We work across all four countries of the UK to promote better understanding of older people’s health care needs; to enhance clinical quality; to promote access and opportunities for research; to encourage the sharing of best practice across relevant disciplines; and to influence health policy, standards and commissioning practice to ensure the delivery of age-appropriate services.

In recent years we have successfully increased its profile with policy makers, the public and the health professions. We have pursued a policy of strategic partnerships with like-minded organisations such as other medical colleges and third sector organisations such as Age UK. The Policy Manager will support the Chief Executive in developing and building these strategic relationships.

Job purpose and scope

The Policy Manager will lead on raising BGS’s profile and influence among decision-makers and opinion-formers across the four UK nations. A ‘four nation’ approach to maximising BGS’s policy influence and impact is a crucial feature of the role. The Policy Manager will professionalise and coordinate BGS’s policy function, ensure that we are well positioned in relevant policy streams, and work with the Chief Executive to develop and strengthen strategic alliances. An early task will be to develop a policy strategy and plan of action.

Key aspects of the role include:

 Monitoring, interpreting and providing reliable analysis of emerging policy issues and trends

 Engaging with external stakeholders and policymakers on behalf of the BGS and its members

 Advocating for the specialty of geriatric medicine and promoting the BGS’s views and policy positions on relevant health and social care issues

 Coordinating the production and delivery of timely, high-quality, specialist policy work, e.g. reports, briefings and guidance

 Providing support to the BGS Policy & Communications Committee and to the National Councils of all four UK nations on policy matters

 Evaluating the impact of major policy projects. Position in the organisation

This is a key role reporting directly to the Chief Executive and working closely with him and the Communications Manager, as well as the Chair and members of BGS’s Policy & Communications Committee. Currently, this post carries no line management responsibilities; no other post in the secretariat is exclusively dedicated to policy work.

As part of a small central secretariat, the Policy Manager will be a self-starter, expected to work independently and with little supervision but interacting with all other members of staff and a number of honorary officers.

Key duties and responsibilities

Strategy and planning

 Working closely with the Chief Executive, develop a policy strategy to professionalise, prioritise and coordinate BGS’s policy input in order to optimise its impact.

 Actively contribute as a key player in the development of the policy strategy, including developing and exploring potential areas of work.

 Monitor legislative and policy developments relevant to the health care of older people in all countries of the UK, and identify any implications for the BGS and geriatric care.  Identify policy developments, initiatives and other opportunities for BGS to influence

relevant debates.

 Create and maintain a policy contacts database.

Engaging and influencing

 Act as an expert on policy internally and advise how to influence health care policymakers, stakeholders and opinion leaders effectively with regard to BGS’s policy objectives.

 Identify and develop opportunities for strategic partnerships with external organisations in order to achieve mutual or complementary policy goals.

 In collaboration with the Chief Executive and Communications Manager, build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders including the administrations in the devolved nations, the NHS, the Department of Health, Care Quality Commission, health and social care commissioners, charities, medical colleges and other specialist medical societies and professional bodies.

 Gain a full awareness of the health care policy environments in the devolved nations; proactively seek out and establish relationships with stakeholders in the devolved nations, including politicians, policymakers, commissioners and regulators, and work closely with the BGS Councils in Scotland, Wales and N Ireland to build their capacity to forge appropriate relationships, and to identify and respond effectively to the distinctive policy challenges.

 Organise and attend meetings with parliamentarians, civil servants and other policy influencers in all four nations.

 Attend and occasionally address Parliamentary events, conferences and other events as a representative of the BGS.

 Plan and deliver any annual party conference activity.

 Organise launches and other events to support BGS’s policy projects.

Research and writing

 Develop two regularly updated policy ‘horizon scanning’ resources: one for trustees and the CEO, and one for BGS members to be published on our website.

 Identify consultations and Parliamentary Inquiries of potential interest and coordinate the preparation of evidence-based responses and submissions in collaboration with relevant BGS officers.

 Work with the Chief Executive and BGS officers to prepare policy position statements and other documents on a range of key topics.

 Research and produce Parliamentary etc. briefings and other reports for policymakers, representing the views of the BGS on topical issues relating to the health care of older people.

 Analyse and summarise relevant policy documents issued by Government and other organisations for BGS communication platforms and committees as appropriate.

 Prepare updates, articles, blogs and tweets outlining the BGS’s position on policy issues for the BGS website, newsletter and blog.

Project work

 Provide support to the Chair and members of the Policy & Communications Committee.

 Along with officers of the Policy & Communications Committee and National Councils, manage ongoing strands of work and policy projects to ensure efficient contributions, continued progress and timely delivery of outputs.

 Where in-depth specialist knowledge is required in the production of reports, submissions or other material, identify experts among the BGS membership who are able and willing to contribute.

 Lead on the development of a communication and evaluation plan at the outset of key policy projects/campaigns to ensure effective dissemination and to capture learning regarding impact; compile lessons learnt to inform future work.

Supporting the membership

 See first point under ‘Research and writing’ regarding horizon scanning.

 Ensure that members are kept informed about the extent and value of BGS’s policy interventions; encourage and facilitate members’ involvement in policy formulation.

 Ensure adequate support for Councils and members in devolved nations and English regions in relation to policy issues and projects. Support regional officers in sharing learning regarding local policy issues, and where appropriate support them in responding to these issues.

 Act as a link between the BGS membership and officers and the central secretariat on policy matters.

 Develop expertise about the distinctive policy and operational challenges in the devolved nations and English regions.

 Overhaul and re-launch our online archive of policy submissions.

 Work with the BGS Web Editor to ensure our policy work is effectively promoted on our website.

3. Person Specification

The person specification is a picture of the skills, knowledge and experience needed to carry out the job. It is used in both short listing and interview processes.

The full person specification appears below; however, applicants are advised to address

only part 1(ie. points a – l) in their application letter.

Part 1: Please address each point of Part 1 in turn in your application letter.

a. An experienced, senior policy professional: at least two years’ experience of senior responsibility for policy influencing or public affairs in a national charity or public sector organisation

b. Committed to BGS’s mission of improving the health care of older people across the UK c. Ability quickly to develop a clear grasp of the UK’s health systems, and of policy issues

affecting the NHS and geriatric care

d. Ability to monitor and analyse developments in health policy, including research and data management skills

e. Ability to rapidly assimilate complex issues and create policy lines-to-take f. Ability to develop an organisational policy strategy

g. Experienced at policy horizon scanning

h. Experience of lead responsibility for responding to government and/or third party consultations and of producing briefing documents for senior audiences

i. First rate written communication skills with the ability to produce effective and accurate copy for senior audiences to strict timescales

j. First rate oral communication and presentation skills

k. First rate networking skills, with proven ability to build relationships at a senior level

Part 2:

m. Educated to degree level or equivalent

n. Experience of successful collaboration with other organisations to pursue policy objectives

o. Considerable personal initiative and ability to work independently

p. Extensive experience of planning projects, and orchestrating their delivery

q. Highly organised and able to manage multiple tasks simultaneously under time pressure and to prioritise work effectively

r. Ability to work within a small team; a collaborative team player with excellent interpersonal skills

s. Ability to organise launch events

t. Proficiency in the use of e-mail and Microsoft Office software including Word, PowerPoint and Excel

u. Ability to travel regularly within the UK (including occasional overnight stays) v. Must have the right to live and work in the UK.

4. How to apply

The closing date for applications is 9 am on Wednesday 2 July.

 Your application should consist of only two documents:

o a tailored CV (maximum 2 sides of A4)

o and an application letter which addresses each point of Part 1 of the person specification in turn (maximum 4 sides of A4). Your letter should also include the name, address, email address and daytime telephone number of two referees, one of whom must be your current or most recent employer. References will only be taken up after a job offer has been made.

 Please email your application to [email protected]

 Please set out the Subject header of your email as follows: Application Policy Manager – Your surname

Thank you and we look forward to receiving your application!

Appendix: Our policy priorities

1. How we define policy work:

Whereas ‘practice’ tends to describe the treatment and care offered by clinicians to their patients, or more generally how any practitioners interact with their immediate service users, ‘policy’ is at a different level, describing the broader drivers which set the framework in which practice takes place, including legislation, government direction, regulation, funding, debates, public opinion and so on. Practice is influenced by policy, and good policy is influenced by good practice. Both should be evidence-based. Issues particularly relevant to BGS, such as clinical quality, will play out in both policy and practice.

Our geographical contexts are national (across all four UK nations), regional and local. Our policy work tends to be targeted at policymakers, such as ministers, parliamentarians, civil servants, regulators and other quangos, councilors etc., and policy influencers, including media, think tanks, and the public and may include any of the following:

 Scanning and analysing the external policy environment

 Identifying problems with existing or proposed policy and advocating for alternatives

 Advising others (policymakers, influencers, members, partners) about policy developments and their implications

 Generating evidence with a view to influencing policy

 Facilitating engagement with the policy process

 Acting as a bridge between policymakers and those affected

 Mobilising support for particular policy positions – campaigning. 2. Policy audiences – our priorities:

 UK Central Government and administrations in the devolved nations, particularly the departments responsible for health and social care

 Opposition and LibDem health and social care spokespeople

 NHS leadership and regulators, including NICE, CQC, HEE

 Local health and social care economies

 Other relevant medical societies and Royal Colleges

 Media

 Our membership

 The general public.

3. Policy areas/issues – our priorities:

While we need to be ready to react to all relevant policy agendas, over the next few years we will also endeavour to focus our policy work on the following four big themes. Note that meeting the ‘efficiency challenge’ in ways which do not jeopardise standards of access, safety, treatment and care cuts across all four.

a) Care for older people in hospital:

In the wake of the Francis report and a number of other high profile initiatives around the care of frail older people in hospital, the BGS and geriatric medicine has an important role. The care of frail older people with complex needs is increasingly core business for acute hospitals. Our members are overseeing much of the acute care within hospitals and are also critical to delivering some of the aims of the Future Hospital Commission.

concerning the care of our oldest inpatients and we have a key role in delivering solutions.

b) Integration, community and primary care:

There is major variation in rates of admission and bed occupancy of older people and also in placement into long-term care. There is growing interest in all four nations in integration, prevention, proactive care and care outside hospitals. Our members have a vital role in ensuring more older people who present at hospital are assessed and discharged promptly and that they stay no longer in acute beds than is necessary. However, they are also often system leaders collaborating closely with local partners from primary, community and social care, from the voluntary sector and from mental health services for older people. They are also often involved in intermediate care services and a growing number of geriatricians now have job plans which are substantively community-based. We also provide medical input to long-term care facilities. So BGS and geriatrics has a key policy voice across this broad agenda.

c) Workforce, skills and training:

Although geriatrics is the largest specialty in the Royal College of Physicians, there will never be enough geriatricians to look after all older people. Moreover the care of older people requires skilled multidisciplinary teamwork involving nurses and allied health professionals and high quality primary care. Also, other clinicians in acute hospitals often look after older people with frailty, dementia or complex co-morbidities. In addition, in order to deliver the vision of more care closer to home, we need a workforce with the right skills, training and flexibility in community settings. The BGS not only has a major role in medical workforce planning of trainees and consultants but in helping education and training for primary care clinicians, community staff, care home workers, nurses and allied health professionals, and in developing the evidence base around quality and variation in intermediate care services. It can do this partly through online resources and ‘continuing professional development’, conferences, publications and collaboration with other specialty societies.

d) Showcasing, spreading and implementing best practice:

There is a growing evidence base behind the clinical care of frail older people, and the care of older people with specific conditions such as falls, immobility, bone fragility, stroke, delirium, incontinence etc. There is a parallel, growing evidence base behind effective service models to deliver high quality outcomes for older people, their carers, systems and services and to help meet the efficiency challenge. The BGS has a key role in developing, publishing and showcasing the evidence for good practice, and - in conjunction with other key agencies - in highlighting effective service delivery and quality improvement models. We can also potentially use our national networks of experts and clinical leaders to assist local service leaders in implementing best practice or in peer review or challenge.

4 Principles guiding our approach:

 To develop our awareness of policy issues across all four UK nations, and to step up our support to national Councils in devolved nations in taking up their distinctive policy challenges; the new Policy Manager will have a key role to play here.

proactive, setting the agenda on issues of core concern to our members (such as patient care, and staffing and training issues).

 We will aim to facilitate our members’ engagement with national, regional and local policy issues. The new Policy Manger should develop an online horizon scanning resource within 2 years, and encourage the two-way sharing of information between the NI, Wales and Scottish Councils and the Society’s head office, and between the English regions, and between the English regions and the Society’s head office. 5. Examples of consultations and statements November 2012 to April 2014

 Potential topics for NICE Good Practice Guidance: 2012-14

 Together For Health Delivering End of Life Care: A Delivery Plan to 2016; NHS Wales

 RCGP Commissioning Guidance on End of Life Care

 HSSPS – Northern Ireland: Older People’s Service Framework

 HSSPS – Northern Ireland: Transforming Your Care: From Vision to Action

 Strategy for Older People in Wales phase 3

 NHS Future Forum - strengthening the NHS Constitution

 Shape of Training - Call for ideas and evidence

 BGS Response to NICE consultation about Outcome Indicator Set

 NICE Stakeholder comments – engagement exercise for quality standard on mental wellbeing in older people in residential care

 The Review of Liverpool Care Pathway

 Response to the Cavendish Review

 Dementia Priority Setting Partnership: ranking of priority questions

 AoMRC Survey - Seven Day Consultant Present Care

 How can the NHS payment system do more for patients

 The UK NSC policy on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

 NICE Quality Standards Consultation – Mental wellbeing of older people in care homes

 NICE: Call for evidence on: Excess winter deaths and morbidity and the health risks associated with cold homes

 The NHS Hospital Data and Datasets Consultation

 Right care, right place, right time: How can we improve health and care for vulnerable older people?

 Welsh Government: Integrated Assessment, Planning and Review Arrangements for Older People

 Statutory consultation on the 2014/15 National Tariff Payment System

 NICE: Older people with log-term conditions draft scope

 HSJ Commission on Hospital Care of Older People

 The Older People’s Commissioner for Wales: Formal review into the quality of life and care of older people living in residential care in Wales

 Shape of Training

 NICE - engagement exercise for quality standard on acute kidney injury

 Working Group on the Ageing Society

 Proposed Welsh Declaration of the Rights of Older People

 NICE Quality Standards Consultation – Delirium

 NICE: Preoperative tests, Stakeholder Comments – Draft Scope

 DoH consultation on fundamental standards for health and social care providers  Improving access to substance misuse treatment for older people: Welsh