NELFT NHS Foundation Trust
Assistant Director Talking Therapies, NELFT
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Are you an inspiring system leader ready to shape the future of talking therapies across NELFT?
NELFT is seeking an exceptional Assistant Director (Band 8c) to lead and transform Talking Therapies. You will work with the Talking Therapies Clinical Director and the Integrated Care Director to bring operational leadership across Barking and Dagenham, Waltham Forest, Redbridge and Havering. You will work closely with the PLACE leads, sustaining and improving operational performance, and growing the service offer. You will line manage the senior data analysts and cover for the Integrated Care Director as necessary in system and strategic spaces. You will be a member of the Redbridge Senior Leadership Team but work across all PLACES supporting Talking Therapies PLACE leads. This is a rare opportunity to change how we offer services at scale to meet our distinct populations, influencing our offer within Integrated Neighbourhood Teams, working with a range of partners to grow our services and deliver high-quality, inclusive and person-centred care.
Why join us?
At NELFT, our values are more than words. We are kind, we are respectful, and we work together with our communities. As an Assistant Director, you will play a pivotal role in embedding these values while driving system-wide improvement for some of the most diverse communities in the country.
You’ll be joining a forward-thinking organisation with a strong reputation for partnership working, innovation and integrated care.
About The Role
Reporting to the Integrated Care Director, and working closely with the Clinical Director, you will provide senior leadership across Talking Therapies services across Barking and Dagenham, Waltham Forest, Redbridge and Havering.
You will be accountable for quality, performance, workforce, finance and governance, leading large teams through change, ensuring close links with PLACES, while maintaining a relentless focus on patient experience and outcomes.
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This is a highly influential role with system-level impact, requiring confident engagement with Integrated Care Boards, Place Partnerships, Primary Care, voluntary sector partners and service user groups.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Leading, developing and transforming Talking Therapies services across NELFT
- Playing a pivotal role in the Talking Therapies Collaborative, working with commissioners and providers across the North East London system
- Building and sustaining strong partnerships across the wider system
- Holding senior accountability for budgets, productivity and cost improvement programmes
- Holding senior accountability for performance
- Driving quality, safety and regulatory compliance (including CQC and statutory responsibilities)
- Championing coproduction, inclusion and community engagement
- Developing an empowered, representative and high-performing workforce
- Contributing to Trustwide strategy, planning and governance
- Acting as an on-call senior manager as part of the leadership rota
Who We’re Looking For
You’ll be a senior public sector leader with a strong track record of delivering improvement in complex environments. Ideally you will have previous experience of Talking Therapies. You will bring:
- Senior leadership experience within the NHS, local government or wider public sector
- Proven success in leading large-scale service transformation and change
- Strong financial and commissioning acumen
- Experience of partnership working across organisational boundaries
- Credibility with clinicians, senior managers and external stakeholders
- An inclusive, values-driven leadership style that inspires trust and confidence
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Whether your background is operational, professional or strategic, what matters most is your ability to lead with purpose, deliver through others and improve lives.
Our Values 2025 - 2030
Working with our colleagues, patients and carers we have co-produced three new values that we aim to embed within our culture here at NELFT.
They Are
- We are kind.
- We are respectful.
- We work together with our communities.
These three values help us to strive to provide the best care by the best people.
Starting with NELFT
NELFT places 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 on engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Goodmayes Hospital.
Probationary Period
This post will be subject to a probationary period.
High Cost Area Supplement - Outer London
This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (minimum payment of £4,870 and a maximum payment of £6,137 per annum, pro rata for part time).
Certificates of Sponsorship
Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for all job roles. Please check your eligibility under the UKVI points-based system. When calculating the basic salary for sponsorship, HCAS (High-Cost Area Supplement) is not included to ensure fairness and consistency within our Trust.
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