Bereavement Support Line 1800 80 70 77

Programme Manager – Healthcare

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.

Job Purpose

Palliative and end-of-life care is relevant for all people with life limiting conditions in all care settings, yet there continue to be gaps in health services and policy and people with life limiting illnesses do not always receive the care and support desired at the end of their lives. This post will assist Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) drive our ‘Dying at Home’ programme for the coming years.

The post holder will identify, lead and develop projects and programmes linked to IHF Healthcare Programmes, in particular our commitment to enable more people die in their home setting. This work will absorb previous programmes including the Palliative Care for All Programme, the Primary Palliative Care Programme. It will take into account current healthcare initiatives including Advanced Healthcare Planning / Health Care Directives programme, the current National Cancer Strategy programme and emerging healthcare developments as a result of Covid-19. Finally, the post holder will provide appropriate management and supervision to staff.

Reports to: Head of Healthcare Programmes

Direct Report(s): It is envisaged that this post will manage staff – at present one staff member is resourced but more may be added over time.

Skills and criteria

  • Comprehensive understanding of the relevance of palliative and end-of-life care for all people with life limiting conditions;
  • Understanding and appreciation of issues related to dying, death and bereavement;
  • In-depth knowledge and familiarity of the relevant HSE clinical care programmes, including Adult Palliative Care Services Model of Care for Ireland; 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;
  • At least five years’ experience of service development, quality improvement initiatives, staff and project management, partnerships and network building;
  • Ideally, a healthcare qualification with working knowledge of issues impacting older people, palliative and end-of-life care;
  • Background in health and/or social sciences and experience in working in the health sector;
  • Ideally experienced in establishing and running a national programme of health or social care related change and related project management; and
  • Excellent oral and written communication and presentation skills.

Responsibilities

Identify opportunities for development, dissemination and capacity building for an IHF led ‘Dying at Home’ programme as indicated by IHF Statement of Strategy, and specifically relating to:

  • a. The IHF statement of Strategy 2020 to 2025;
  • b. Palliative Care for All Programme;
  • c. Primary Palliative Care Programme;
  • d. Cancer programme (in line with National Cancer Strategy); and
  • e. IHF interests relating to advanced health care planning and directives.


Identify and lead on opportunities for development, specifically relating to:

  • a. Care delivered in the home setting;
  • b. Nurses for Night Care programme (project management by IHF run in conjunction with Irish Cancer Society);
  • c. Advance care planning;
  • d. Primary care and development of generalist palliative care skills; and
  • e. Development of approaches to service user engagement.


Project, programme and staff management:

  • a. Agree an annual business and operational business plan;
  • b. Support delivery of programmes and projects to specification, on time and within budget addressing evaluation, audit and sustainability requirements;
  • c. Provide necessary support and guidance to projects to maximise their effectiveness, dissemination and reporting requirements; and
  • d. Provide routine updates of work to line manager and IHF CEO and Board where required.


Stakeholder engagement:

  • a. Establish and manage important working relationships with key organisations to develop joint work programmes and to embed IHF programmes into mainstream service delivery;
  • b. Establish networks as appropriate to grow and sustain programmes; and
  • c. Build and maintain internal and external relationships to maximise impact of work.


Research and evaluation:

  • a. On-going appraisal and assimilation of relevant health and social policy and service developments;
  • b. Ensure all programmes are grounded in evidence-based approach;
  • c. Drive the evaluation and measurement of impact of projects and programmes within the brief; and
  • d. Generate reports, information materials, abstract proposals, conference presentations and articles to support communication of IHF work.


Support the organisation

  • a. Participate in staff meetings, training and other corporate commitments.


Other
The above list of duties is not exhaustive and the post-holder will be required to undertake such other tasks as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post, and as may be determined by the person(s) to whom the post-holder reports; and
The post holder will be required to travel outside Dublin, and must have a clean driver’s licence and access to a car.

Conditions

The salary will be commensurate with experience. Office base is at Irish Hospice Foundation, Nassau St, Dublin 2. This is a permanent post with a six-month probation period.

Other job 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 supports (bike-to-work schemes/tax saver commuter tickets)

Application

Salary details are available on application. Please forward your current CV (maximum 3 pages) with a covering letter to [email protected]  by close of business on 19th February 2021.

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