Medicines Safety Officer and Learning Disability Pharmacist

We are seeking an inspiring and dynamic pharmacist to join our pharmacy team for a fixed term of 1 year with a split position as the Medicines Safety Officer and the lead pharmacist for the learning disability services. The role will deputise for the Pharmacist Team Manager for Education, Training and Governance. This post would suit an experienced pharmacist with uncompromising standards who will strive to make a deep footprint on quality of care we provide to our patients. The post is based in Chelmsford but will support staff and services across the Trust.
They will be highly visible actively modelling best practice to and coaching our pharmacy teams to ensure that our patients consistently receive the best pharmaceutical care. Working with our senior departmental team of specialists and within the wider Trust, you will set the professional standard and develop our pharmacy team members to achieve their best, and make the transition to the next level of their careers. The role is full time (37.5 hours per week), including participation in on-call, weekend, early, late and Bank Holiday rotas, as necessary., The successful candidate will exemplify EPUT values of we care, we learn and we empower, and demonstrate the ability to create a high-performing team from the outset. You might not be conventional in your approach, but kindness and empathetic leadership are a must, as is the ability to see the bigger picture and help take our team in this direction. This is an ideal opportunity for someone who is committed to driving improvements, and whose passion for patient care is infectious. You should have a Master's Degree in Pharmacy or equivalent, be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council and be able to demonstrate evidence of postgraduate training and continuing professional development in clinical pharmacy practice. Whilst ideally this would be in mental health, this post is first and foremost about operational delivery of Great Care - your transferrable skills means you will have what it takes to do what it takes. Experience in mentoring
and line managing teams with energy and enthusiasm are vital ingredients, and anyone with a track record of similar in a non-specialist trust is encouraged to apply.

Working for our organisation
Valuing you. Recognising your dedication. At EPUT, we look after you.
+ Receive supervision and support to help you fulfil your potential.
+ Join an inclusive EPUT community and connect with others through engagement events and equality or champion networks.
+ If you need help, we provide mental health and wellbeing services, occupational health advice and counselling.
+ We run recognition awards to recognise staff's hard work and dedication., + The role requires a competent professional with the clinical and leadership skills needed to manage the pharmacy services for learning disability and medicines safety
+ The post-holder will provide professional leadership for a specific aspect of pharmacy services and work collaboratively, as part of the Trust's pharmacy senior management team, to ensure that service needs are met across all geographic and functional areas of mental health services. They will work with clinical and operational leaders outside the department in their specific area of clinical and/or operational practice.
+ The post-holder will support the Chief Pharmacist and Deputy Chief Pharmacist in the delivery of the vision and priorities for the pharmacy department and work alongside colleagues to ensure patient centred services are provided by a competent and flexible pharmacy workforce. They will promote the safe use of medicines across the Trust.
+ To actively contribute to, and participate in, the provision and development of pharmaceutical services within the Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, as part of the Trust's pharmacy and medicines management team.
+ To promote the safe use of medicines across the Trust, be the named designated Medication Safety Officer on behalf of the Chief Pharmacist, and be an active member of the local and national Medication Safety Networks.
+ To organise and manage the activities of pharmacy staff providing services to learning disability services and act as the first point of contact with operational management for these services.
+ To provide support to the Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust Business Unit in relation to learning disability services on medicines optimisation issues.
+ To take responsibility for reviewing all medication incidents to ensure data quality for local and national learning.
+ Investigate medication incidents, and improve the reporting and learning from these incidents.
+ Use incident reports, clinical audits and other local intelligence to identify trends and themes in the medication incidents that occur in the organisation.
+ To deputise for the Deputy Chief Pharmacist as required.
+ To lead the development and delivery of trust-wide initiatives and projects relating to medicines management as requested by the Deputy Chief Pharmacist or Chief Pharmacist.
+ To work collaboratively with pharmacy colleagues to ensure that the needs of the organisation can be met, including participating in patient-facing clinical pharmacy services, in response to service demand.
+ To support and participate in clinical audit, in particularly those related to medicines safety.
Important note: please ensure that as part of your application, you include professional references with business contact information covering your last three years of employment history. We are unable to accept personal or character references.
As a newly appointed employee, you are responsible for incurring the cost of your initial DBS check relevant to your post; the amount will be deducted from your first salary with the Trust.
Our Trust is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We particularly welcome applications from people with experience of using mental health services. We also hold the Disability two tick symbol and have made the pledge to commit to employing more people with learning disabilities, we encourage people with a disability to apply. If you require this application form in another format i.e. Braille or audio tape etc, please contact the Recruitment Department on or email [email protected] and we can arrange for this to be dispatched to you.
The Trust has the right to expire vacancies prior to the closing date if they so wish. The Trust makes every attempt to contact all applicants and we strongly advise that you check the email account which is registered with NHS Jobs regularly, we would advise however due to the high number of applications we receive that if you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expect all staff to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to robust safer recruitment processes.
Important Notice: Recently the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2021 (the Regulations) which amended on 22 July 2021 and come into force on 11 November 2021 that anyone directly employed to work in a Care Home or who are required as part of their role to be deployed to a CQC registered care home are required to have had both their COVID vaccinations, unless they are exempt. This is therefore a requirement of this role and will form part of our pre-employment checks.
Please note - staff who are formally at risk within the organisation will be given priority in securing alternative employment. Should it come to light that a post being advertised by the Trust is considered 'suitable alternative employment' to an individual who is at risk, the recruiting manager will be advised and the post will be withdrawn from NHS Jobs.

Our Trust cares for more than 100,000 patients at any one time across our community health, mental health and learning disability services across Essex and parts of Bedfordshire and Suffolk.
We want you to be part of our journey of transformation, where our patients and their families are at the heart of everything we do and to achieve our vision to be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care.
You'll be part of a Trust where you will be supported to be your authentic self and be the best you can be, where we will help you to grow, develop and thrive.
The Trust is recognised by the University of Essex and is a top provider of apprenticeships for people looking to be an assistant practitioner, senior health care support worker (CAP). Our trailblazing CAP apprenticeship won a national HSJ Award.
We are also recognised as a Veteran Aware Trust and holder of gold accreditation from the Ministry of Defence Employment Recognition Scheme. Our services are highlighted as an exemplar of good practice, producing the best care for more than 3.500 armed forces veterans in the past seven years.
We have been shortlisted and won national awards. We are an inclusive organisation and Level 3 Disability Confident Leader Trust.
We are constantly innovating and looking for new ways to deliver care, such as using technology to enhance patient care and working with partners to launch new services such as the Basildon Mental Health Urgent Care Department, virtual hospitals and falls response cars.
Join us and you'll do the best work of your life - and make a difference to other people's lives. What we do together, matters.

+ 27 days holiday, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 10 years' service.
+ Excellent pension of up to14.5% of your pensionable pay.
+ Staff discounts include Blue Light Card, NHS discount offers, and staff benefits.
+ £8K relocation package if you move to Essex to join us
+ Season ticket loans are interest-free to cover the cost of travelling to and from work via tram, rail, or bus.
Work that wraps around your needs
+ Flexible working: available from day one for most roles.