Job summary
- Main area
- Complex discharges and patient flow
- Grade
- Band 6
- Contract
- Secondment: 12 months ([email protected])
- Hours
- Part time - 30 hours per week (Weekdays , some weekends and Bank holidays)
- Job ref
- 279-7089441-AUG25
- Employer
- 279 University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Worthing Hospital
- Town
- Worthing
- Salary
- £38,682 - £46,580 per annum pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 10/08/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Discharge Co-ordinator
Band 6
About our Trust
At UHSussex we’re proud to be at the heart of the NHS. As one of the UK’s largest acute Trusts, we’re a leading example of the excellence, the ambition and the values that have embodied the NHS for over 70 years.
Our hard-working, talented and dedicated people work together towards a common goal – to always put our Patient First . In fact our mission is summed up by our ‘where better never stops’ motto and you will play a part in driving us forwards and in improving the lives of patients across Sussex.
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our Wellbeing Programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.
As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do.
We look forward to receiving your application and the start of your journey with UHSussex.
Job overview
Are you an enthusiastic and passionate with significant experience in discharge planning ? If so an exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Discharge Team. This role will support the existing team of discharge co-ordinators to plan and manage timely and appropriate transfers of care (discharge) for our patients from the hospital. It will involve focusing on complex patients and patients that no longer meet the criteria to reside in an acute hospital bed. The role will also include completing fast tracks and assisting , supporting and educating ward staff and other members of the multidisciplinary team .
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, are essential for this role. You will need be be a good team player and comfortable working as part of a wider MDT team and you should have good IT skills . You will receive in house training and an induction period will be organised for you.
Main duties of the job
Work with the rest of the discharge co-ordination team to:
- Act as key-worker to co-ordinate individual complex discharges.
- Completing referrals such as Fastracks
- Act as Trust experts in discharge planning, assisting and supporting the MDT to drive and co-ordinate discharges, ensuring effective, timely intervention from all disciplines.
- Assist wards and teams with understanding and using the ‘Home First’ Model.
- Support the integrated ‘Discharge Hub’ in matching patients to pathways.
- Provide education in discharge planning to members of the MDT or other professional groups requiring this teaching.
- Support transfers to NHS funded community venues/services.
- Participate in the development of Trusted Assessment for care transfers.
- Monitor performance associated with discharge, identifying gaps in service provision that may have a detrimental effect on length of stay, delayed transfers of care or patient experience.
- Work with multi-agency representatives to reduce length of stay, numbers of super-stranded patients and delayed transfers of care, to achieve performance targets related to discharge.
- Facilitate Trust’s compliance with current legislation relating to discharge planning.
Working for our organisation
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First, as shown in our Outstanding for Caring CQC rating. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our Wellbeing Programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.
As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop.
We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do. We look forward to receiving your application and the start of your journey with UHSussex.
Candidate Information Pack: https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/resources/candidate-information-pack/
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- Manage a personal caseload of wards and coordinate complex discharges from own caseload.
- Provide cover for other wards/departments when colleagues are absent, or when workloads are increased.
- Coordinate specific discharges identified by colleagues on their allocated wards as required.
- Service the integrated ‘Discharge Hub’.
- Consider budgetary implications with regard to basic equipment required for role.
- Liaise and negotiate with any person or organisation with involvement in the discharge process of one or more patients, including family and representatives of patients.
- Provide training sessions and individual advice to ward staff and other health care professionals on all aspects of the discharge process.
See Job description for full details
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Qualified Health or Social Care Professional or HCPC registered
- Significant experience working in the acute or the community
Desirable criteria
- Discharge planning experience
- Completion of FastTrack experience
- Teaching & Assessing/ Mentorship
Experience
Essential criteria
- To have a knowledge of : a) Community Care b) Mental Capacity c) Disputes d) Adults’ Services e) Principles of discharge planning
Desirable criteria
- Basic working knowledge of: a) Continuing Health Care b) Home First Model c) Safer Bundle
Experience
Essential criteria
- To have worked on a hospital ward with responsibility for co-ordinating/arranging discharges of patients OR equivalent management responsibility in a health or social care setting
Desirable criteria
- Clinical experience in a non-acute healthcare setting e.g. rehabilitation or community
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Essential criteria
- Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
- Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Maria Swift
- Job title
- Discharge Team Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01243788122
- Additional information
Please contact Maria Swift (Oakley) for an informal chat or visit on ext 84062
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