Deputy Director Kent Children's Services

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

An opportunity has arisen to join the Children’s Services Directorate for Essex and Kent as the Deputy Director for NELFT Kent Services . The candidate will have a key role working closely with the Service Director with the relevant system partnerships, specifically focusing on Provider Collaborative relationships and related workstreams. The post holder will be responsible for operational day to day management of the Kent portfolio and will work closely with clinical and operational colleagues in the established leadership team.

The Deputy Director will be required to work with the ICB and system partners, supporting the Trust’s vision in developing and transforming Children and Young Peoples Mental Health Services to ensure the very best system of care is provided through creative partnerships with patients, carers and staff and with a focus on clinical model, quality and safety of the services provided.

Main duties of the job

You will need to demonstrate strong leadership skills and experience of working at a senior level understanding performance, quality improvement and the ability to manage a range of complex services. In addition, you will be a decision maker and be able to motivate colleagues across the system to deliver the highest quality services.

If you have a passion for transforming services and a strong track record of managing and leading a range of services, we would love to hear from you.

Working for our organisation

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).

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 focusing in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.

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.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

See job description for full outline of roles and responsibilities required for the Deputy Director role.

If you are an overseas qualified nurse and wanting to start your journey to becoming a UK based registered nurse with the NMC, you can check whether you are eligible to be supported through our Capital Nurse consortium. Please visit; . Whilst NELFT is happy to welcome overseas nurses we are unable to consider your application directly. You should submit your interest and apply through the Capital Nurse London group.

Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for some job roles, and this will be identified through filtering questions at the start of any job application on the Trac recruitment system.

Person specification

Experience

Essential criteria

Track record of significant achievement in directing and managing the delivery and improvement of services

Desirable criteria

Ability to build alliances across organisational boundaries

Knowledge

Essential criteria

Knowledge of CQC compliance requirements

Desirable criteria

Understanding of commissioning and the impact on providers

Skills

Essential criteria

Ability to work in partnership with senior clinicians and other key professionals

Desirable criteria

Dynamic and supportive leadership and management style

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.