Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London, Essex, Kent and Medway. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.

The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for three consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.

Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video

Job overview

The post holder will support on the implementation and delivery of the Procurement Strategy

across the Trusts’ and will achieve this by:

1.Taking responsibility for the procurement of defined Categories of Expenditure by delivering a portfolio of contracts

2.Supporting the Procurement Business Partner as directed (and deputising in their absence), in the management of procurement and operational activities associated with delivery against business objectives and timescales.

3.Providing specific procurement category support and advice to the procurement team and liaising with business leads within the Trust to ensure compliance in the use of agreed standardised products, and that the range of items within catalogues is rationalised to an optimum level.

4.To support the delivery of an efficient and effective procurement and contracting service to meet customer requirements ensuring the best value for all aspects of the Trusts’ business and to promote this service to all users.

5.To support with achieving and maintaining the NHS Procurement & Commercial Standards accreditation by leading on a key area of strategic delivery.

Main duties of the job

Category Management & Sourcing

·Use category and procurement knowledge and to produce and implement procurement strategies for assigned product/service areas of the strategic procurement plan and ensure that performance management systems and operating effectively to meet governance and achieve goals.

·Take an active role in the development and delivery of the annual Procurement work plan that supports the Trust’s agreed procurement strategy

·To ensure that usage trends are quickly spotted and cost savings achieved through use of quotes and tenders.

·To enable the efficient and correct processing of all orders either directly, by supporting the team or cataloguing.

·Lead on the standardisation of category products and services across the Trusts’ business to achieve

Working for our organisation

Starting with NELFT

NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust.All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop in sessions focussing in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes.The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.

Probationary Period

This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).

High Cost Area Supplement

This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £4,551 to a maximum of £5,735).

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should sufficient applications be received.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Additional Information

Health & Safety

Employees must be aware of the responsibilities placed upon them under the Health & Safety at Work Act (1974) and subsequently published regulations to ensure that the Trust’s Health and Safety policies and procedures are complied with to maintain a safe working environment for patients, visitors and employees.

Infection Control

Each staff member has a duty to take personal responsibility for the prevention and control of infection, in accordance with Trust Infection Prevention and Control Policies, which reflect the statutory requirements of the Health Act 2006 – Code of Practice for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infection. They must attend mandatory training in Infection Control and be compliant with all measures required by the Trust to reduce HCAIs.

Risk Management 

You will be responsible for adopting the Risk Management Culture and ensuring that you identify and assess all risks to your systems, processes and environment and report such risks for inclusion within the Trust Risk Register. You will also attend mandatory and statutory training, report all incidents/accidents including near misses and report unsafe occurrences as laid down within the Trust Incidents

Safeguarding Children and vulnerable adults

North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults and to protecting them from the risks of harm. The Trust recognises its responsibility to ensure that safe working conditions and systems are in place for staff working with children, adults and families in their care. Staff are required to comply with Trust policies on Safeguarding.

Standards of Business Conduct & Conflict of Interest

The NHS Code of Conduct and Standards of Business conduct for NHS Staff require all employees to declare all situations where you or a close relative or associate has a controlling interests in a business [such as a private company, public organisation or other NHS or voluntary organisation] or in any activity which may compete for any NHS contracts to supply goods or services to the Trust. All such interests must be declared in the Trust’s register of interests either on appointment or when such interests are gained. 

As an employee you are required to make yourself aware of and adhere to the Trust’s governance policies, such as Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instructions.

Sustainability

All staff has a responsibility for delivering high quality healthcare in a low carbon environment, where energy is used wisely and not wasted. It is the responsibility of all staff to minimise the Trust’s environmental impact by recycling where possible, switching off lights, computers, monitors and equipment when not in use, minimising water usage and reporting faults promptly.

Smoking Policy

It is the Trust’s policy to promote health. Smoking, therefore, is actively discouraged. It is illegal within the Trust buildings and vehicles.

Codes of Conduct

North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) requires the highest standards of personal and professional conduct from all of its employees. All employees must comply with the Code of Professional Conduct appropriate to their professional governing body.

As an NHS employee, you are required to observe the following principles:

·Make the care and safety of patients my first concern and act to protect them from risk;

·Respect the public, patients, relatives, carers, NHS staff and partners in other agencies;

·Be honest and act with integrity;

·Accept responsibility for my own work and the proper performance of the people I manage;

·Show my commitment to working as a team member of working with all my colleagues in the NHS and the wider community;

·Take responsibility for my own and continuous learning and development

Data Protection

Personal data is protected under the Data Protection Act (1999) and the post holder will ensure that it is securely held and that the requirements of the Act are followed. It is the responsibility of all staff whose jobs requires them to record information in Trust Computer systems (e. g RIO and ESR) to ensure that the data entered into these systems is of high data quality and that information is recorded correctly and in a timely manner. Failure to adhere to this requirement could be considered a disciplinary matter

Information Security and Confidentiality 

All employees are required to observe the strictest confidence with regard to any patient/client information that they may have access to, or accidentally gain knowledge of, in the course of their duties. 

All employees are required to observe the strictest confidence regarding any information relating to the work of the Trust and its employees. 

You are required not to disclose any confidential information either during or after your employment with the Trust, other than in accordance with the relevant professional codes. 

All person identifiable information must be held in the strictest confidence and should be disclosed only to authorised people in accordance with NHS Confidentiality Guidelines [Caldicott] and the Data Protection Act 1998 unless explicit written consent has been given by the person identified, or where information sharing protocols exist.

Failure to comply with these regulations whilst in the employment of the Trust could result in action being taken under the Trust Disciplinary Policy and Procedure.

Equality and Diversity

North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) is committed to the implementation of the Equality and Diversity at Workplace policy which ensures equal opportunities for all. NELFT is also committed to embracing diversity and eliminating discrimination in both its role as an employer and as a provider of services. It aims to create a culture that respects and values each other’s differences, promotes dignity, equality and diversity and encourages individuals to develop and maximise their potential. The Trust will ensure that it provides equal and fairness for all, and not to discriminate on the grounds of gender, marital status, race/ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, religion, transgender or gender reassignment status, age, marriage or civil partnership/same sex marriage, and because of you being pregnant or being on maternity/paternity leave. All staff are required to observe this policy in their behaviour to employees and patients/service users.

Key Performance Indicators (KPI)

Each individual and service will be set KPIs and achievement against these will be regularly reviewed. Performance against individual and service KPI’s will be routinely monitored by your manager.

Review of this Job Description

This job description is intended as an outline of the general areas of activity and will be amended in the light of the changing needs of the organisation. To be reviewed in conjunction with the post holder.

Other Duties

There may be a requirement to undertake other duties as may reasonably be required to support the Trust. These may be based at other Trust managed locations.

Use of AI

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role and working at North East London NHS Foundation Trust. We encourage you to refer closely to this when completing your application.

We welcome your application even if you do not meet all the criteria listed in the person specification. Any development needs to help you succeed in the role, can be discussed at the interview stage.

Person specification

Experience

Essential criteria

Procurement, tendering, contract management experience, competitive tenders/quotations

Knowledge

Essential criteria

Working knowledge of Procurement procedure & public sector procurement

Qualifications

Essential criteria

High standard or general education including English and Mathematics

Benefits

We believe in bringing your authentic and best self to work, in order to deliver the best care to our patients. We are committed to supporting our employees holistically. Here is a snapshot of what is on offer at NELFT:

A long-standing and award-winning approach to equality and diversity with supportive networks for ethnic minority staff, staff with disabilities or long term/chronic conditions and LGBT staff. A commitment to supporting colleagues to achieve a work life balance, through flexible working opportunities and our effortsto support our working parents and carers. This has resulted in us being recognised as a ‘Top 10 Family Friendly Employer’ from the Working Families Charity. Proactive health and wellbeing support, including access to our employee assistance programme, staff psychological support, individual wellbeing conversations and a network of health and wellbeing ambassadors. Detailed information about our wellbeing and benefits offer can be found in this link.

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s a job share, part time hours or another flexible pattern.