Working in close partnership with the wider senior management team, you’ll support both the operational and clinical Heads of Service to deliver outstanding patient care. This is an exciting opportunity to collaboratively lead a multidisciplinary team of clinical and non-clinical staff—enhancing patient outcomes, championing service excellence, and fostering a compassionate and high-performing team culture.
With your leadership, the service will remain safe, responsive, and consistently high-quality, while your team will be engaged, supported, and empowered to thrive.
We’re looking for a dynamic, forward-thinking leader who brings energy, innovation, and resilience to a fast-paced and evolving environment. West Sussex Talking Therapies is one of the leading NHS Talking Therapies services in England—this is your opportunity to lead with purpose and build on our proven success.
As Deputy Operational Head of Service, you will take the lead in the operational delivery and day-to-day management of your service portfolio. Working closely with the operational and clinical Heads of Service and wider senior leadership team, you’ll ensure the service is safe, effective, financially sustainable, and continuously improving.
From analysing performance data and developing targeted action plans to contributing to demand and capacity planning, your strategic insight will ensure the service remains responsive and meets both patient needs and contractual obligations.
In this collaborative leadership role, you’ll manage and develop multidisciplinary teams, promoting a culture of compassionate leadership, staff wellbeing, and continuous development. You’ll play a key part in workforce planning, recruitment, and implementing policies that uphold consistency and quality across the service.
Your responsibilities will span governance and risk management, addressing concerns and complaints, and driving service improvement. Whether you're writing business plans, delivering transformation projects, or engaging with system partners, you’ll be at the heart of delivering safe, high-quality, and patient-centred care.
We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. We deliver essential care to adults and children, helping them manage their health, avoid hospital admissions, and reduce hospital stays.
Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community. We offer opportunities across medical, clinical, support, and corporate services.
Why work for us?
- Positive 2024 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeing
- Varied environments: community hospitals, patients’ homes, and bases across Sussex
- Flexible working options: part-time, flexi-time, annualised hours, and flexi-retirement
- Excellent training, development, and research opportunities
- Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brighton
- Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networks
- Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust
- Beautiful Sussex location near the South Downs and coast
We embrace diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from ethnically diverse, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. We aim to create an inclusive environment and support reasonable adjustments during recruitment.
This post may close early if sufficient applications are received.
a) Support the Operational Head of Service to manage the day-to-day, on-going patient care, delivery and development of the portfolio of services within remit ensuring delivery of services that are responsive, high quality, value for money and meet contractual obligations.
b) To provide supportive, compassionate and facilitative leadership to the team and colleagues.
c) Contribute to the service delivery of patient care within the available
resources, and monitoring of performance against set targets (activity,
finance, outcomes, and utilisation).
d) Analyse performance data highlighting areas of variance and develop action plans to address and improve performance.
e) Implement and monitor improvement plans.
f) Support the Operational Head of Service with demand and capacity work, as required, to ensure services are sustainable.
Please see the attached job description for further information.
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