Position overview

The Acute Allied Health Services (AAHS) team is based within the Office of the General Manager – Canberra Hospital and provides acute allied health services and interventions to a range of patients in an inpatient and outpatient setting at Canberra Hospital. AAHS consists of the following departments: Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Liaison Service, Psychology, Social Work, Speech Pathology & Audiology, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Nutrition and Exercise Physiology. AAHS provides an on-call and after- hours service on weekends and public holidays for Physiotherapy, Social Work, Speech Pathology and Nutrition departments.

Under the limited supervision of the AAHS Director of Allied Health, the AAHS Speech Pathology and Audiology Manager provides clinical and operational leadership and governance of the AAHS Speech Pathology and Audiology Team who provide speech pathology and audiology within The Canberra Hospital, Centenary Hospital for Women and Children, and some community health centres.

The Speech Pathology and Audiology Manager ensures the delivery of exceptional care and safe, high-quality speech pathology and audiology service delivery in line with professional standards, CHS governance frameworks and strategic and operational plans, and the National Safety and Quality Health Service standards. They ensure the optimal performance of speech pathology and audiology services and teams through the implementation of operational processes, professional development and supervision, engagement in service evaluation and improvement activities, and research initiatives.  The AAHS Speech Pathology and Audiology Manager also forms an integral part of the AAHS Leadership Team, supporting effective performance of AAHS, and works in collaboration with speech pathology and audiology services across the CHS network.

The position would suit an innovative leader with proven leadership in speech pathology or allied health clinical services development, management of human and financial resources; as well as significant knowledge, and experience in contemporary models of healthcare, clinical governance, quality & safety frameworks.

This position is required to work flexibly across services, locations and programs including participating in an after-hours roster, including potential for weekend and public holiday work and on-call duty.

Key Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Clinical and operational leadership and governance of the service, ensuring the delivery of effective, safe and evidence-based speech pathology and audiology services across all areas of service delivery.
2. Professional leadership and management to staff within the speech pathology and audiology department and leadership for the development, management, reporting and evaluation of team activity against targets and governance requirements, and the effective use of financial, human and physical resources.
3. Contribute to policy development, planning and clinical standards for team in consultation with profession leads, senior management and staff.
4. Provide professional advice across a range of clinical areas relevant to discipline, or complex, novel, or critical work at a high level of expertise.
5. Initiate and facilitate clinical governance within the team, including quality improvement activity, continuing professional development and research in conjunction with the leadership team.
6. Actively support teaching and training activity relating to professional field within team while assisting with continuing professional development and performance management.
7. Undertake other duties appropriate to this level of classification which contribute to the operation of the organisation.

Competencies

Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to the following.

• Strong communication ability.
• Ability to develop and maintain professional working relationships.
• Supervision and mentoring.
• Highly organised.
• Adaptable and flexible.
• Ability to solve complex problems in line with professional and organisational guidance.

Qualifications

Essential

• Approved Degree or Postgraduate qualifications in speech pathology.
• Eligibility for certified practicing Speech Pathology Australia membership.
• Current driver’s licence.

Desirable

• Any relevant post-graduate qualifications will be highly regarded.
• Have an understanding of how the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) indicators align with this role.

Experience

Essential

• Proven leadership experience.
• Experience in implementing change management.
• Experience or knowledge of the CHS Exceptional Care Framework, and all other related frameworks.

Desirable

• Extensive professional experience within an acute care setting.

Prior to commencement

Appointment to this position is conditional on being granted and retaining appropriate clearances:

• Pre-employment National Police Check.
• Current registration issued under the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act2011is required.
• Comply with Canberra Health Services Occupational Assessment, Screening and Vaccination policy.
• Comply with CHS credentialing and scope of clinical practice requirements for allied health professionals.

Important information

All employees are required to:

• Adhere to the Canberra Health Services Values and the ACT Public Service Code of Conduct.
• Act in accordance and comply with all relevant Safety and Quality policies and procedures.
• Comply with all relevant clinical and/or competency standards.
• Be available for weekend and/or after-hours work.

CHS is leading the drive to digitally transform health service delivery in Australia through the implementation of a territory wide Digital Health Record. Computer literacy skills are required which are relevant to this role as you will be responsible for completing required documentation and becoming a proficient user of the Digital Health Record and/or other Information Technology systems; once proficient, you will need to remain current with changes, updates, and contingencies.

What you Require (Key Selection Criteria)

These are the key selection criteria for how you will be assessed in conjunction with your resumé and experience.

1. Proven achievement in a senior leadership role to deliver patient centred services that meet high safety and quality health care standards, including demonstrated ability to effectively manage financial and human resources.
2. Proven ability to deliver organisational and professional strategic priorities, provide professional representation across a diverse and changing clinical environment and effectively lead change.
3. Demonstrated ability to lead clinical governance activities, service improvement and innovations, and professional and/or interprofessional research.
4. Proven high-level communication skills, including the ability to communicate to a wide range of stakeholders including senior management, colleagues, consumers, students and external stakeholders.
5. Demonstrates understanding of, and adherence to, safety and quality standards, work, health and safety (WH&S) and the positive patient experience. Displays behaviour consistent with CHS’s values of reliable, progressive, respectful and kind.

Work environment description

The following work environment description outlines the inherent requirements of the role and indicates how frequently each of these requirements would need to be performed. Please note that the ACT Public Service is committed to providing reasonable adjustments and ensuring all individuals have equal opportunities in the workplace.