Head of Services (Adult Mental Health/Psychological Therapies)

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job title: Head of Services (Adult Mental Health/Psychological Therapies)

Service: Senior management responsibility for Northpoints activity in:

Leeds Mental Wellbeing Service (IAPT & Primary Care Mental Health)

Leeds Healthy Minds project

Leeds mental health advisors project (Leeds Student Medical Practice)

Mondays & Thursdays @Northpoint

Leeds Therapy Centre

Responsible to:

Board of Trustees, through the charity Director Jon Davis

Direct reports:

3 x Leeds Mental Wellbeing Service clinical operations managers

4 x Leeds Mental Wellbeing Service deputy operations managers (HR only)

1 x Senior Operations Manager (Healthy Minds & Leeds Student Medical Practice)

1 x Service Manager (Mondays and Thursdays @Northpoint, Leeds Therapy Centre)

Contract: Permanent

Salary/Pay Band: £52,170 60,000

Pension: Employees will be auto-enrolled in a defined contribution scheme

Hours and days: Full-time (i.e. 35 hours per week); flexible working will be considered

Holidays: 28 days annual leave per year plus statutory holidays pro-rata and up to 3 discretionary leave days at Christmas.

Location: Leeds Bridge House, Leeds city centre; home-working applies during Covid restrictions.

Accountability and reporting: The post holder is ultimately accountable to the Board of Northpoint, through the Director of Northpoint.

Start-date: Flexible but ideally before June 2021

Disclosure and Barring Service Certificate: Due to the nature of the work this post will be subject to an enhanced DBS check. Northpoints policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders is available on request - a past criminal conviction will not necessarily be a bar to employment.

Role overview

To hold senior operational, clinical, and strategic responsibility for a portfolio of therapeutic services for adults with common mental health problems, currently:

Leeds Mental Wellbeing Service (IAPT & primary care mental health support) approx. 50 CBT therapists, counsellors & mental health practitioners working across 7 geographical teams, in a matrix management framework with delivery partners

Leeds Healthy Minds project 3 mental health practitioners providing triage & assessment within specific GP practices

Leeds Mental Health Advisors project - 3 mental health advisors providing triage & assessment within Leeds Student Medical Practice & The Light medical centre

Mondays & Thursdays @Northpoint an emotional wellbeing service for women & men who have been sexually abused in childhood

Leeds Therapy Centre Northpoint hosts 4 therapists who see clients in private practice at our Leeds Therapy Centre at Leeds Bridge House

To work with colleagues to ensure that an approach to clinical issues, in line with Northpoints values and ethos, is promoted across all Northpoints services for adults; that clinical practice and policy are developed and implemented consistently across our services; and that clinical risk is managed appropriately.

To work as a member of Northpoints senior management team (SMT), helping to provide oversight and direction for the wider charity.

Main duties:

The duties and responsibilities of the post will include the following:

Provide regular line-management support and supervision, including training needs analysis and annual appraisals, to relevant Northpoint managers.

Provide regular HR matrix management support to relevant Northpoint deputy managers.

Provide leadership for relevant Northpoint services, attending to training and development issues and opportunities for the services and individuals within them.

Promote a strong performance management culture, supporting managers to enable their teams to meet locally agreed and national targets.

Oversee and support management of clinical teams, including HR, performance/quality issues, clinical matters, and service logistics.

Represent Northpoints interests operationally and strategically in wider delivery partnerships (e.g. LMWS).

Contribute to the management of the wider LMWS consortium by liaising with our partners and full engagement with Senior Management forums to support operations, service development and clinical governance.

Ensure that Northpoints organisational knowledge, culture, and values continue to influence the delivery and development of the wider LMWS service.

Ensure that operational arrangements are in place to ensure the highest quality services are delivered, in line with client need, contract requirements, and regulatory frameworks.

Liaise with senior managers and the director on clinical, managerial and operational matters, as required.

Develop services and plan for contingencies where the service contracts or expands due to funding changes.

Lead on any change management identified by the organisation or in response to local/national contracting.

Promote diversity and inclusion, ensuring that services are accessible, responsive and effective for the communities we serve, and that staff and clients from diverse backgrounds feel welcomed and supported within Northpoint.

Work with the Director to identify opportunities for expansion of existing services, including tendering for new services, and support their mobilisation into effective operational delivery.

Ensure an approach to clinical issues in line with organisational values and ethos is promoted across all services for adults within Northpoint, that clinical policies and practice are developed and implemented consistently across the organisation, and that clinical risk is managed appropriately and in line with organisational policy and best practice throughout the organisation.

To hold formal clinical responsibility for designated services (clinically qualified postholder only).

Lead on maintaining the clinical policy framework for designated services, in line with the requirements of BACP, and working collaboratively with the Director, other Clinical Lead(s), and Heads of Services.

Support managers to ensure that staff are aware of the policies and procedures available on the intranet, and that they work within these guidelines and those of their professional membership/accrediting bodies.

Hold an overview of client risk and safeguarding concerns arising from the relevant Northpoint services.

Maintain processes and procedures for clinical audit throughout Northpoint services to capture data about client experience and clinical outcomes, and ensuring that audit outcomes are used for learning and development and to improve the service to clients.

Ensure clinical supervision is used by practitioners in line with organisational and professional requirements, and that links are maintained with supervisors to address concerns around practitioner competence and welfare if necessary.

Act as a resource for service managers and staff where appropriate for consultation on clinical issues including: complex cases, risk, safeguarding, complaints from clients or others, staff performance, fitness to practice issues, training and development, clinical supervision, case management, boundary issues, and breaches of confidentiality.

Communicate throughout the organisation to support and promote Northpoints clinical ethos, so that organisational values are upheld in all contacts with clients, potential clients and others involved with their care.

Ensure that all staff are appropriately trained and are compliant with the mandatory training requirements of the organisation.

In conjunction with the Director and service managers, ensure that new and renewed service contracts are assessed so that operational targets are deliverable in a clinically appropriate manner.

Lead on BACP service re-accreditation when required.

Maintain own accreditation / registration and professional standards (clinically qualified postholder only).

To undertake occasional weekend and evening work as required, on a time-off in lieu basis.

To receive line-management supervision and appraisal

General:

All employees must be familiar with and adhere to Northpoints operational policies, service protocols, and practice guidelines as required, taking account of any relevant partner protocols and procedures.

All employees have a responsibility and a legal obligation to ensure that information processed for both patients and staff is kept accurate, confidential, secure and in line with the Data Protection Act (2018) and Security and Confidentiality Policies

All employees have a duty and responsibility for their own health and safety and the health of safety of colleagues, patients and the general public

All employees will undertake statutory and mandatory training as deemed appropriate and have a willingness and commitment to professional development

Northpoint Wellbeing is committed to ensuring that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, marital status, gender reassignment or pregnancy/maternity. We fully support the right of all staff to equal opportunities and are committed to the development of a diverse workforce. All employees are expected to be familiar with and adhere to Northpoints Equal Opportunities Policy

All employees will adhere to Northpoint Wellbeing safeguarding procedures

It is the responsibility of all staff that they do not abuse their professional position for personal gain, to seek advantage of further private business, or for other interests, in the course of their official duties.

This job description does not provide an exhaustive list of duties and may be reviewed in conjunction with the post holder in light of service development.

Northpoint will provide an appropriate level of clinical supervision (within work time) or will pay for an agreed supervisor to provide supervision.

Revised: Jan 2021

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Relevant experience of working with clients with mental health issues and/or managing services that undertake this work; including familiarity with the psycho-social determinants of mental illness/psychological distress and experience of clinical risk management and safeguarding
• Substantial management experience at a strategic/senior level, preferably within a health and social care setting
• Experience of implementing quality assurance systems and developing effective operational policies in a health and social care setting
• A demonstrable record of establishing and maintaining strong and effective performance to meet organisational objectives
• Experience of enabling managers to support teams to deliver quality services

Desirable

• Experience of patient management systems or client databases
• Experience of common mental health issues as either a service user, carer, worker or volunteer

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualified to degree level or equivalent

Desirable

• Management training or qualification
• Theoretical and clinical knowledge appropriate to the service area and profession:
• either: a relevant HCPC-registered title (i.e. art therapist, arts psychotherapist, drama-therapist, counselling psychologist, clinical psychologist)
• or: a qualification (diploma or above) from a BACP/BABCP accredited training or equivalent (equivalent qualifications from non-accredited courses should be of a level that would be recognised for professional accreditation purposes and sufficient to practice as a counsellor/therapist)
• or: professional degree or diploma in relevant clinical field with appropriate statutory registration; this could include nursing, occupational therapy, social work, or a similar allied health profession.
• To hold accreditation or be eligible for accreditation with BACP/UKCP/BABCP

Knowledge & Skills

Essential

• A sound understanding of the principles of clinical governance, including risk management
• IT skills (i.e. able to use Microsoft Office packages including Word and Outlook and video conferencing such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams)
• Ability to research and analyse information, and present accurately in public arenas
• Able to build and maintain relationships with others both internal and external to the organisation whilst maintaining appropriate professional boundaries
• Ability to work with complex issues in a fast-changing landscape, and manage a demanding workload
• Ability to think, communicate and act strategically
• Actively committed to personal and professional development
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including communicating complex information clearly and concisely at all levels (both orally and in writing)
• Ability to motivate and inspire staff to achieve the highest standards of practice and performance
• Qualities and values
• Demonstrates values consistent with those held by Northpoint
• An understanding and sensitivity towards mental health issues
• Evidence of a positive and proactive attitude, motivated and solution-focused
• A positive and enthusiastic approach to change, and the ability to manage it with confidence
• Commitment to the principles of inclusivity, equality and diversity, demonstrated in practice

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Northpoint Wellbeing Ltd

Address

Northpoint Wellbeing Ltd

Hunslet Road

Leeds

LS10 1JN

Employer's website

https://northpoint.org.uk (Opens in a new tab)