Deputy Test Operations Lead – City & Hackney – (PO4)

Job Category : Admin / Clerical.
Location : Stoke Newington Town Hall, Hackney Council.
Salary : £23.23.
Hours Per Week : 36.00.
Start Date : Immediate Start.
Start Time : 09:00.
End Time : 17:00.

RESPONSIBLE TO:
Test Operations Lead – City & Hackney and Emergency Logistics Manager.
RESPONSIBLE FOR:
1st line: LFD Test Site Managers (x 5)
2nd line: LFD Test Site Operators
(approx 40 staff)

CONTEXT

The Civil Protection (CP) Service is responsible for the strategic and operational management of the Council’s Public Space Surveillance (PSS), Emergency Planning & Response (EP&R), Emergency Logistics provision and various engineering functions such as Optical Fibre cabling networks and UHF radio voice systems. The Service is placed within the Public Realm Directorate and forms part of the Community Safety, Enforcement & Business Regulation Service.

The CP Service is an important component of the Council’s work countering crime, disorder, terrorism and anything that disrupts the normal fabric of Hackney’s life and well being. It provides the Borough with a:-
Centralised PSS capability, with experience, expertise, and knowledge of systems, as well as operational, management and legislation oversight for other council PSS systems. The PSS team operates on a 24/7 basis all year.
EP&R Team which operates an on-call system to provide an immediate response to any Incidents / Emergencies that require a council response under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004.
Emergency Logistics – the Covid-19 pandemic has brought about new logistical and operational challenges within the borough which are managed by the service . These challenges include:-
The new demand for a consistent and reliable supply and distribution network to provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to council workers, contractors, care settings, charities and other organisations who need it, in order to carry out their duties safely, as well as reducing the risk to the public that they work with.
A new demand for the ordering, receipt, storage and distribution of COVID-19 test kits: home-test PCR/lateral flow/Community Collect (Home-Test LFD); supporting care homes, care settings, individual carers, community test stations, educational settings and other users throughout the City of London and Borough of Hackney.
Operational oversight of Asymptomatic (Rapid) Test Sites – Working closely with Public Health to ensure smooth operation of ATSs within both Hackney and City of London and managing the external staffing providers to ensure they meet the KPIs set out in the service specification.
The requirement to have in place surge testing equipment and tests which can be deployed within 24 hours to target specific postcode areas within the borough with unique Home-Test PCR kits – capable of identifying specific Variants Of Concern (VOCs).
A new demand for hardware such as fencing, containers, furniture, electronic equipment, waste bins, vomit bowls, tongue depressors, test tube racks, and all the other paraphernalia necessary for COVID-19 response and to service testing sites throughout Hackney.
A Sub Regional Hub to order, receive, package and dispatch the PPE necessary for 7 London Boroughs.Engineering management for specialist fleet vehicles, civil engineering, CCTV & radio maintenance, optical fibre networks
Equipment stores facility for CP Service staff and other services equipment needs, from bullet proof vests to waterproofs and boots.

1. PURPOSE OF THE JOB:

The post holder will be responsible for the operational oversight of approximately 4 Asymptomatic Testing Sites (ATS), a Mobile Testing Site & Surge Testing activities in the event of targeted testing becoming operational within London Borough of Hackney or the City of London Corporation. This work will be clinically led by the City & Hackney Public Health team who will provide complete clinical oversight and control. The Deputy Test Operations Lead will hold ATS staffing providers to account for the clinical and other operational standards set out in the service specification/KPIs.

Each Test Site has a manager and test operatives provided by an external company (the provider) which works to a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) provided by the City & Hackney Public Health team / Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

The post holder will:-
Inspect the sites for compliance with the SOP.
Inspect compliance with staffing levels.
Measure the test rates and customer satisfaction levels.
Liaise with Site Managers and Staffing Provider Manager and ensure their needs from the Council are met, and ensure they (and test site operatives) uphold council standards at all times.
Assist the City & Hackney Public Health Practitioner in delivering training and clinical governance to test centre staff and site managers
Maintain control of all council-owned assets held at testing sites
Provide advice to Provider Site Managers on all operational matters
Report testing operation status to the Test Operations Lead, Emergency Logistics Manager and various weekly meetings with Public Health / Hackney Learning Team / Adult Social Care / Communications Team / Dept.Health & Social Care (DHSC) / other departments as relevant.
Identify potential risks and/or issues to the Principal Public Health Specialist.
Identify National and International best practice to inform strategies.
Liaise with the Emergency Stores Manager to ensure all test sites maintain sufficient stock of consumables (tests and PPE).
Oversee the site management of Community Collect (home-test LFDs at ATSs) ensuring the processes are managed smoothly and tests remain available / collections are logged.
Identify ways to improve and extend the services.
Provide support to the Test Operations Lead – City & Hackney.
Deputise for the Test Operations Lead – City & Hackney when absent.

Key Stakeholders:

Test Operations Lead – City & Hackney (senior colleague)
Principal Public Health Specialist (clinical control)
Emergency Logistics Manager (operational line manager)
City & Hackney Public Health Practitioner (clinical oversight)
Emergency Stores Manager (provision of test site consumables)
Provider Operations Managers (overall management of test sites)
Provider Site Managers (Field Management of Test sites) /