Leadership Q&A: Stockport Foundation Trust

No comments

Stockport Foundation Trust chair Adrian Belton explains why the chief executive role – currently being advertised by the organisation – is such an exciting opportunity for a leader of quality

This Leadership Q&A is sponsored by Stockport Foundation Trust, which is recruiting for a chief executive. Read more about the role here.

Adrian Belton, the new chair of Stockport Foundation Trust, talks about exciting opportunities to lead the organisation’s transformational plans for integrated care as chief executive or director of nursing and quality.

1. Why this job?

The opportunities to become chief executive or director of nursing and quality for Stockport Foundation Trust come at one of the most exciting and transformative points in our history. We are an integrated acute and community services organisation with an overall annual income of around £300m and over 5,000 employees.

We operate locally with partners in the Stockport Together vanguard, across the South East sector of Greater Manchester as the specialist ‘hub’ for high risk general surgery, and regionally as a key player within the Greater Manchester Health & Social Care Partnership.

Our outgoing chief executive is chair of the Greater Manchester Provider Federation, which was established after Greater Manchester became the first region in the country to be given devolution and placed in charge of its £6bn health and social care budget.

The new chief executive and director of nursing and quality will offer ambitious individuals roles that are likely to grow significantly in scope and complexity over the next five years, with responsibilities for broader portfolios of services as we move towards an integrated model of care across the borough.

These will be opportunities to work as key players within the Greater Manchester system and engage a wide range of stakeholders in transformational service change. These roles will be key positions within an ambitious and dynamic board with a clear agenda for change.

2. Why this trust?

As a national vanguard area locally, Stockport has been selected to play a lead role in developing new models of care and we are at the forefront of the NHS’s innovation and change programme. The Stockport Together partnership is at a defining moment with a single strategic plan to integrate health and social care services across the borough, and now embarking on a crucial period of implementation.

There is consensus and momentum across the Stockport Together partner organisations to provide a safe, affordable and integrated health and social care system, delivering enhanced services in the community. We are committed to ensuring the best possible outcomes for local people at a time of growing demand and restricted funding.

Significant developments are also taking place on our hospital site, following the decision to make Stepping Hill Hospital one of only four ‘hub’ sites in Greater Manchester for planned and emergency high risk general surgery.

The trust has many jewels in its crown; with UK firsts, award winning services and associate teaching hospital status. We run one of only three hyper-acute specialist stroke centres in Greater Manchester and are one of only two hospitals in Greater Manchester undertaking C-spine surgery, for people with slipped disks or compressed spinal cords.

Our trauma and orthopaedics department is one of largest in the country and our Swanbourne Gardens respite centre for disabled children and their families is the only one of its kind in the North West. Stockport has the fifth highest cancer survival rate in the country, with our bowel cancer surgery achieving the best results in Greater Manchester.

3. How will the role advance the candidates’ career?

These roles are opportunities for ambitious leaders to make their mark within a dynamic health economy, both locally with the Stockport Together partnership and regionally within the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership.

We are an integrated organisation with a strong place-based model of care; co-terminus with our clinical commissioning group and local authority and playing a crucial role within the Stockport Together programme of integration.

The groundwork for wider system integration in Stockport is well under way and we are now looking for strong leaders who will engage our dedicated colleagues, in addressing our financial and performance challenges, as well as provide strong, visible and collaborative leadership externally with our many partners.

These roles offer experienced leaders the opportunity to undertake much wider system roles, within a healthcare organisation and health and care economy which is committed to developing new models of care within the borough. It is an opportunity to work with colleagues and partners to deliver a new, innovative and sustainable health and care model to serve the people of Stockport well into the future.