Are you committed to excellent end-of-life care for all?
Are you compassionate, driven and skilled? 
If so, this job may be for you.

Hospice Friendly Hospitals (HfH) is a flagship initiative of the Irish Hospice Foundation in partnership with the HSE since 2007. HfH has been creating positive change in the approach to dying, death and bereavement in Irish hospitals where over 40% of the population die.  The current core elements of the programme are the HSE HfH Joint Oversight Group, IHF Hub, HfH National Networks, EOLC coordinators network, 20 regional coordinators, Design & Dignity, End-of-Life Training: Final Journeys, Delivering Bad News, Care and Inform materials, HfH standards and IHF Outreach to hospitals.

The IHF and HSE-Acute hospitals have advocated for the programme to be mainstreamed and managed from HSE. It’s envisaged that this mainstreaming will take between 2-5 years over which time IHF will gradually reshape its involvement with the programme.

Job Purpose

The role of the Manager of the HfH’s Programme will be to work as part of the Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) Healthcare Programmes (HCP) Team; be responsible for leading out on the HfH Programme; and support the management of the mainstreaming of HFH into the HSE, working with the senior management team in IHF and the main HfH leads in the HSE during this transition period.

Responsibilities

This role will manage any staff or volunteers as may be required

IHF is open to applications from candidates who have experience in most but not all of the following areas. The successful candidate will be supported through their induction to increase their knowledge and ability to deliver on the responsibilities outlined here. Further training and ongoing support will be available.

• Support the mainstreaming project and the HSE lead on HfH.

• Work as part of the IHF Healthcare team on the delivery, roll out and expansion of the HFH programme in conjunction with and supporting the HFH Joint Oversight Group, End-of-Life Care Coordinators, End-of-Life Care Committees, Hospital Groups, maternity hospitals, paediatric hospitals, HFH Networks and other relevant key stakeholders and contacts. 

• Support the IHF aspects of the Design & Dignity programme in conjunction with HSE Estates including liaison with, engagement and support to sites who are linked with IHF and HFH projects and programmes. 

• Ensure regular Design & Dignity Project Advisory Group meetings take place with IHF secretariat support to the Group. 

• Support delivery of programmes and projects to specification, on time and within budget addressing evaluation, audit, reporting and sustainability requirements. 

• Support the delivery of relevant IHF training, workshops, resource development and dissemination. 

• On-going appraisal and assimilation of relevant health and social policy and service developments as they relate to the acute hospital setting in Ireland.  

• Build and maintain internal and key external relationships to maximise impact of work. 

• Apply an evidence-based approach in project development and planning.

• Provide support on paediatric palliative care project meetings.

• Generate reports, information materials, resources and proposals to support dissemination of work and IHF programmes.   Provide routine updates of work, with high level of attention to detail and in a timely and accurate way to line manager and other relevant stakeholders. 

• To provide updates as needed to the Director of Healthcare for Board reports, team and staff meetings.

Note that these tasks are not exhaustive and we expect the role to evolve as needs evolve.

Qualifications and Experience

The post holder will have:

• A degree in a health-related discipline.
• Management skills and experience in working in the health sector.
• Proven service development, quality improvement initiatives and project management skills (at least two years’ experience).
• Reasonable understanding of the relevance of good end-of-life care in hospital settings and appreciation of the issues related to dying, death and bereavement, especially for staff.
• An understanding of the relevance of palliative care for adults and children.
• Knowledge and familiarity of the relevant HSE clinical care programmes; acute, residential and primary care health structures; professional organisations and patient groups which are instrumental in the delivery of services for people with life limiting conditions.
• Training development and delivery desirable.
• Excellent oral and written communications, and presentation skills.

Terms and Conditions

This is a full-time contract for 3-5 years reporting to the Director of Healthcare. The role will be based at IHF’s offices on Nassau Street, Dublin 2. In light of the recent lifting of government guided restrictions, a phased return to office-based work is taking place.  A hybrid working structure which combines office and home-based work will be introduced over the coming period.

The post holder may be required to travel outside Dublin, and must have a clean driver’s licence and access to a car.

The annual gross salary is available on application. 

Other benefits include:

• A 10% employer’s contribution to a company contributory pension scheme (subject to a 5% employee contribution)
• Annual leave of 23 days
• Closure of the office on Good Friday, half day Christmas Eve and time between Christmas and New Year in addition to annual leave entitlement
• Life Assurance and Death in Service benefit
• Further Education & Training support
• Travel (bike-to-work schemes/tax saver commuter tickets)
• A range of flexible leave policies
• Hybrid work arrangements

A complete list of all the terms and conditions will be made available to the successful candidate through IHF’s Employee Handbook. IHF is an equal opportunities employer.

Application Procedure

Closing date for applications is 29^th June 2022

Applications by e-mail to [email protected] under the heading: Hospice Friendly Hospitals Manager.

Applicants should submit a CV (max. 2 pages), detailing relevant experience, along with a covering letter outlining the reasons they believe they are suitable for this role.

• Applicants will be short-listed on the basis of information supplied.
• Interviews will be held in the first two weeks of July.
• Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.
• Should the person recommended for appointment decline, or having accepted it, relinquish it, or if an additional vacancy arises, IHF may, at its discretion, select and recommend another person for appointment on the results of this selection process.