🚀 Deputy Operational Head of Service | Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

Overview

As the Deputy Operational Head of Service for the Adult Specialist Services portfolio, you will lead, coordinate and enhance the delivery of high-quality, patient-centred care. You will work with the wider senior management team to support both the operational and clinical Heads of Service to deliver outstanding patient care. This role involves collaboratively leading multidisciplinary teams to improve patient outcomes, champion service excellence, and foster a compassionate, high-performing team culture. You will ensure services are safe, responsive and consistently high-quality, while your team is engaged, supported and empowered to thrive. You will lead in a fast-paced environment with energy, innovation and resilience, taking lead in the operational delivery and day-to-day management of your service portfolio.

Responsibilities

Working closely with the other Deputy, the Operational and clinical Heads of Service and wider senior leadership team, you will:

• Ensure services are safe, effective, financially sustainable, and continuously improving.
• Analyse performance data and develop targeted action plans.
• Contribute to demand and capacity planning to keep the service responsive to patient needs and contractual obligations.
• Manage and develop multidisciplinary teams, promoting compassionate leadership, staff wellbeing and continuous development.
• Lead workforce planning, recruitment, and implement policies that uphold consistency and quality across the service.
• Governance and risk management, address concerns and complaints, and drive service improvement.

In this collaborative leadership role, you will play a key part in:

• Planning and delivery of service targets and objectives in line with the Trust's business planning rounds.
• Monitoring delivery and coordinating resources across teams as necessary.
• Supporting and developing teams and individuals; service and pathway development.
• Finance, performance and quality improvement; integrated working with Quality and Safety, HR, Recruitment, Contracts, Performance and QI teams.

About the organisation

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

Our values and equal opportunity statement

Our values are Compassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellence and guide everything we do. 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. While each Deputy Operational Head of Service has their own portfolio, there is an expectation that they will provide support to each other\'s services as needed, work together on Trust-wide projects and utilise opportunities across these services for learning and development. The Deputy Operational Head of Service will lead on planning and delivery of service targets and objectives in line with the Trust\'s business planning rounds, and actively monitor delivery throughout the year coordinating resources across teams as necessary. If you are an experienced leader and passionate about delivering high-quality, patient-centred care while driving operational excellence and innovation, this is your opportunity to make a real impact and we would love to hear from you.