Position overview

Canberra Health Services (CHS) is focussed on the delivery of high quality, effective, person-centred care. We provide acute, sub-acute, primary and community‐based health services, to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and surrounding regions. More information can be found on the CHS website.

The Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) Medical Lead holds a leadership position within the Division of Cancer and Ambulatory Support (CAS). The VAD Medical Lead provides a key role to support the implementation of VAD across the CHS Network. This role will provide strategic leadership, direction, planning, operational and policy input to support CHS staff to deliver quality patient care and service delivery once VAD legislation commences in the ACT.

The VAD Medical Lead will provide medical expertise and VAD support for individuals, families and health professionals, including VAD Authorised Practitioners. You will work collaboratively with other health professionals and other services used by individuals and their families as they navigate this end-of-life option.

The VAD Medical Lead is responsible for leading, engaging with and training clinical colleagues on VAD, and supporting formal VAD service delivery once VAD legislation commences. You will provide medical leadership and clinical oversight of the implementation, governance and preparation for operationalising VAD across the CHS Network once VAD legislation commences in the ACT.

Key responsibilities

Under limited direction of the Clinical Director of Medicine, you will:

• Provide medical expertise and guidance to health professionals on VAD services.
• Identify and facilitate education to health professionals on current and emerging VAD issues in the ACT.
• Provide VAD services as a VAD Authorised Practitioner.
• Provide leadership for the VAD Community of Practice.
• Ensure ongoing liaison with individuals, families, carers, health professionals, health care workers and others who may be involved in the provision of services to someone who may be seeking information about or access to VAD.
• Work closely with people accessing VAD to facilitate individualised VAD support packages which specifically meet the needs of the individual, family and carers.
• Provide individualised and appropriate VAD support in different modalities including telephone, email, Telehealth and face-to-face, in keeping with legislation.
• Travel within the ACT to provide face-to-face services at the individual’s location (home, residential care facility, hospital or hospice etc.) as indicated.
• Undertake other duties appropriate to this level of classification which contribute to the operation of the organisation

About you

CHS is committed to workforce diversity and to creating an inclusive workplace. As part of this commitment, we welcome applications from all diversity groups. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability and people who identify as LGBTQIA+ are particularly encouraged to apply.

Competencies

To be successful in this position, it is expected that the successful candidate will include but are not limited to the following attributes:

• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to explain complex information to consumers, carers and health care professionals with compassion.
• A strong understanding of the legal and ethical requirements related to the provision of VAD services in the ACT.
• Ability to assess patient needs and collaborate with various health care providers to ensure appropriate care.
• Ability to navigate complex ethical issues and make decisions that respect patient autonomy and dignity.
• Ability to manage the emotional demands of working in end-of-life care.
• Experience working in a multidisciplinary team to deliver high-quality care.
• Ability to monitor quality activities against agreed standards and initiate the development of quality benchmarks to measure service performance and outcomes for recipients of healthcare services.
• Ability to work collaboratively in leading implementation of policy, practice changes and clinical innovations.

Qualifications

Essential

• VAD practitioner training
• Be registered or be eligible for registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
• Current driver’s licence
• Be granted a Scope of Clinical Practice through the Medical Dental Appointments Advisory Committee.
• Obtain a Compliance Certificate from OMU (Occupational Medicine Unit) relating to assessment, screening & vaccination processes against specified infectious diseases.
• Have an understanding of how the National Standards and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) indicators align with this role.

Desirable

• Interest or background in palliative care.
• Have an understanding of how the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) indicators align with this role.

Experience

Essential

• Extensive clinical experience in primary health care, palliative care, end of life or within a relevant acute and/or primary care area.
• 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.

Desirable

• Prior experience in end-of-life conversations, such as in palliative care, ICU, organ and tissue donation, advance care planning, or community care
• Experience or knowledge of the responsibilities of this role in alignment to the CHS Exceptional Care Framework, Clinical Governance Framework, Partnering for Exceptional Care Framework and all other related frameworks.

For Senior Specialist we will also expect that you:

1. Have demonstrated advanced clinical experience outlined in a CV that clearly and comprehensively outlines the applicant’s professional history.
2. Have been employed at the equivalent of a Specialist Band 5 for a period of at least three years.
3. Have demonstrated their advanced ability to provide leadership to their colleagues through either clinical or administrative means.
4. Have gained demonstrable advanced experience and attained such ability in the relevant speciality that is acceptable to CHS, to justify a recommendation for advancement to Senior Specialist by the Review Panel.
5. Be able to demonstrate their ability to undertake duties and responsibilities deemed by CHS as those expected of a Senior Specialist.
6. Be able to demonstrate that they are performing at a level consistent with this competency framework.

Please note prior to commencement successful candidates will be required to:

• Undergo a pre-employment National Police Check.
• Current registration issued under the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011 is required.
• Comply with Canberra Health Services Occupational Assessment, Screening and Vaccination policy.
• Obtain and maintain Canberra Health Services Credentialing and scope of clinical practice requirements for medical 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.

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 medical leadership experience with demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams.
2. Excellent interpersonal and communications skills, including the demonstrated ability to establish and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
3. Demonstrated experience and commitment at a senior level in the provision of education to health professionals including medical, nursing and allied health staff.
4. Demonstrated advanced understanding of the current VAD legislation in the ACT.
5. Demonstrates understanding of, and adherence to, safety and quality standards, Work Health and Safety and the positive patient experience. Displays behaviour consistent with CHS’s values of reliable, progressive, respectful, and kind.

Where possible include specific examples of your work.

For consideration at the Senior Specialist level, you will require the above and:

1. Clinical: Show advanced clinical expertise in their speciality area, which may include the ability to work without supervision, as recognised by their peers.
2. Safety and Quality: Provide leadership through:
   1. a demonstrated ability to be effective in leading safety and quality activities, including experience relevant to specialist college accreditation
   2. providing senior medical input to the safety and quality activities of the medical unit and clinical division, and
   3. participating actively in specialist college accreditation, as overseen by the Australian Medical Council.
3. Teaching: Provide senior input using demonstrated experience in the development and provision of teaching and training at CHS and services in the surrounding region.
4. Research: Undertake speciality-specific research and/or have relevant publications of research in a respected health or medical journal.
5. Administrative functions: Support the medical unit director in the administration of the unit and provide senior medical input to the development of policies and practices of the unit.

Senior Specialist applicants must also provide two detailed supporting statements from referees including:

1. A supporting statement from the relevant medical unit director or equivalent, attesting to:
   1. the applicant’s ability to work at a senior level in the relevant unit or department,
   2. compliance with CHS policy and guidance documents, and
   3. behaviour consistent with CHS’ values
2. A supporting statement from a second referee who is a Senior Specialist.

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.