Livewell Southwest

Community Mental Health Service Manager

Information:

This job is now closed

Job summary

37.5 hours per week.

The Service Manager is an exciting role for an experienced Mental Health Practitioner which offers the opportunity to both reform and improve models of service delivery and standards of care whilst also maintaining a visible and accessible clinical presence.

In this role, you will join an established Senior Leadership Team and provide dedicated clinical and managerial support to a range of committed and dedicated team managers across the CMHS enabling them to develop and deliver high quality, safe, and effective services. Clinically the post holder will be required to provide expert clinical advice in a range of forums and meetings.

This role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route; please refer to the Direct Gov website for more information with regards to eligibility.

Please note that Livewell may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline if a high number of applications are submitted. Therefore, we recommend you submit your application at the earliest opportunity.

All Livewell staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7 day service.

Job Share(s) Considered

Main duties of the job

You will have the opportunity to work in partnership with service users, carers and other key stakeholders including other statutory organisations and the Voluntary, Community or Social Enterprise organisations (VCSE) to ensure that the service is responsive to the needs of the local community. This role will require you to analyse and interpret data to forecast service demand and capacity and utilise this information to support innovative workforce planning and decision making, You will also be responsible for agreeing and monitoring action plans for service development, quality improvements initiatives and achievement of KPIs.

About us

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of Devon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, and health hubs.

As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values,kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and collaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, while empowering staff and those we serve.

We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, in shaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the right time and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people lead healthy, independent lives.

We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, training pathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the Care Certificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorship programs ensure a smooth transition into our organisation.

Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mental health, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities. If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during the application process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.

Details

Date posted

10 February 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£53,755 to £60,504 a year pa, pro-rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working

Reference number

B9832-2025-NM-9666

Job locations

Avon House

Mount Gould Hospital

Plymouth

PL4 7QD


Crownhill Court

Tailyour Road

Plymouth

PL6 5DH


Cumberland Centre

Damerel Close

Plymouth

PL1 4JZ


Job description

Job responsibilities

Responsibility for People Management

To be accountable for the provision and co-ordination of high quality care making the best use of the resources available.

Identify trends in the characteristics and demands on the service and use this, where appropriate, to inform workload and workforce planning and strategic decision making.

Lead, manage, monitor and analyse clinical caseloads, workload and team capacity to assure safe staffing levels in care delivery, using effective resource and budgetary management.

To ensure that development and advancement in clinical practice is in response to service need and consistent with National guidelines and recognised evidence based practice and LSW Policies and Guidelines.

To lead in ensuring that both referral and on-going care processes are consistent with local and national guidelines, are timely and based on maximising independence.

Strive for excellence at all times, through involvement with quality assurance initiatives / Clinical audit practices in particular with regard to standards of record keeping.

Development and empowerment of managers through training, devolution of responsibility, supervision and appraisal.

Ensure that, as an individual, clinical expertise and credibility is maintained. A visible presence is required within operational teams

To work flexibly across services so that staff working can have contact with the post holder on a planned basis. The service works across Monday to Friday 09:00 17:00 however should there be an occasion that involves working shifts at night or weekend, time in lieu will be given within the normal working week.

The post holder will ensure all individuals receiving services are safeguarded from harm.

Act as investigating officer / setting up of strategy meeting following Alert of vulnerable adults.

To deal with complaints and incidents as required.

The post holder is responsible for effective liaison and communication with staff groups and their Trades Union and Professional representatives in matters relating to the delivery of services. The post holder will also take a lead in anticipating and resolving disputes though regular engagement, discussion and negotiation with the relevant staff and their representatives.

To facilitate community nurses to contribute to public health initiatives and surveillance that enable people to maximise their health and wellbeing at home.

To facilitate an analytical approach to the safe and effective distribution of workload through empowerment and education which recognises skills, the regulatory parameters and changing needs of community nursing.

Use knowledge and awareness of social, political and economic policies and drivers to analyse how these may impact on community nursing and the wider health care community. Where appropriate participate in organisational responses and use this knowledge when advocating for people of resources.

The post holder is expected to inspire managers and staff within the directorate in carrying through complex change in service delivery within limited resources. The post holder will be expected to deliver on these changes through effective management and the use of a variety of leadership approaches.

Explore and apply the principles of effective collaboration within a multi-agency, multi-professional context facilitating integration of health and social care and services, ensuring person-centred care is co-ordinated and anticipated across the whole of the persons journey.

Use creative problem-solving to develop a positive teaching/learning environment and workplace for supporting disciplines and professions learning about caring for people in the community and the interdependency of integrated service provision.

Provide clinical supervision and line management for specified members of staff within the MDT and ensure all other line management is completed within the team.

To manage the overall team on a day-day basis ensuring that the skill-mix is appropriate to the needs of the patients.

Have the ability to challenge staff where the standards fall below expectation. This will include poor performance issues.

Assist in education programmes for junior staff.

Participate regularly in interview panels.

The post holder will behave in a manner that does not bring the team or Livewell into disrepute.

Responsibility as appointing officer for recruitment of junior staff.

In collaboration with other leads, review workforce development plan which will include skill mix.

To manage and deliver learning from incidents, complaints and RCAs.

Responsibility for information resources:

Responsible for recording Personalised Care Framework and monitoring the quality of data provided by junior staff. This will require a comprehensive understanding on the national move away from the Care Programme Approach

Responsible for SystmOne contacts and monitor the standard of work of junior staff.

Maintain accurate, timely paper and electronic records. Ensure they are kept safely in accordance with Livewell policy.

Maintain electronic diary as Livewell healthcare protocol.

Monitor junior staff ensuring they complete electronic diaries.

Assist CMHS to improve data quality ensuring records meet National Mental Health Minimum Data Set requirements.

Management and leadership will also be delivered on the basis of:

1. Regular and planned supervision of direct reports.

2. Ensuring that all staff within their teams are appropriately supervised and appraised and that opportunities for CPD are identified and maximised.

3. Agreed and regularly reviewed job planning.

4. A strong network of regular and informal communication and contacts at all levels.

5. Compliance with Trust HR Policies and collective agreements with the staff side organisations and professional associations.

6. The post holder will take responsibility for recruitment, selection, deployment and retention of staff and encourage innovative solutions for difficult to recruit to posts.

  • The role requires day to day line management and leadership of senior management. This will include performance and objective setting, appraisal and assisting with personal development planning.

Responsibility for financial and/or physical resources

To be responsible for multiple defined budgets, monitor budget expenditure, provide internal cost control and accurate forecasting. These budgets will include MAIS, CMHT, Administration services and the IPS service.

To plan and deliver cost efficiency savings, taking remedial action if required to meet targets.

To ensure that all activity targets are met and financial penalties are avoided.

To comply with Livewell Southwest financial policies and procedures.

To ensure that inventories and maintenance schedules are in place for equipment and that any problems are reported and dealt with appropriately including their replacement should they become unserviceable.

Responsible for the checking and authorisation of eroster and travel claims and forwarding on for payment. This includes nursing and admin if required.

Ensure physical assets are monitored and re-ordered on a regular basis keep a watchful eye on expenditure ensuring costs remain with allocated budget.

The post-holder will be an authorised to make procurements using the ePROC/Oracle system.

Responsibility for administration

To forecast, plan and develop future trends in workforce development

Competent IT skills to input relevant information into SystmOne and other relevant software.

The post holder will be required to analyse, interpret and make decisions on a wide range of highly complex information from a variety of sources and design, implement and monitor action plans based on the analysis, interpretation and comparriosn of a range of options.

Daily use of Microsoft Office package.

Must be able to use Microsoft Outlook Calendar and manage emails in a timely fashion communicating within the organisation and to external organisations within current policies and guidelines.

Confidence to take on IT skills as technology advances. Constant use of laptop to record, monitor and plan patient care and to monitor and appraise other team members work. This will include supporting other staff in the acquisition of skills.

The post holder will be required to analyse complete statistics/data from a variety of sources and judge need for change. Assessing the impact of change to practice, service structure, or strategy taking into account conflicting information and views both internal and external, and take action as appropriate.

The post holder will be required to implement robust systems for Performance management, data collection and analysis, ensuring that the full range of activity at a directorate level is accurately and regularly reported.

PLEASE SEE ATTACHED FULL JOB DESCRIPTION

Job description

Job responsibilities

Responsibility for People Management

To be accountable for the provision and co-ordination of high quality care making the best use of the resources available.

Identify trends in the characteristics and demands on the service and use this, where appropriate, to inform workload and workforce planning and strategic decision making.

Lead, manage, monitor and analyse clinical caseloads, workload and team capacity to assure safe staffing levels in care delivery, using effective resource and budgetary management.

To ensure that development and advancement in clinical practice is in response to service need and consistent with National guidelines and recognised evidence based practice and LSW Policies and Guidelines.

To lead in ensuring that both referral and on-going care processes are consistent with local and national guidelines, are timely and based on maximising independence.

Strive for excellence at all times, through involvement with quality assurance initiatives / Clinical audit practices in particular with regard to standards of record keeping.

Development and empowerment of managers through training, devolution of responsibility, supervision and appraisal.

Ensure that, as an individual, clinical expertise and credibility is maintained. A visible presence is required within operational teams

To work flexibly across services so that staff working can have contact with the post holder on a planned basis. The service works across Monday to Friday 09:00 17:00 however should there be an occasion that involves working shifts at night or weekend, time in lieu will be given within the normal working week.

The post holder will ensure all individuals receiving services are safeguarded from harm.

Act as investigating officer / setting up of strategy meeting following Alert of vulnerable adults.

To deal with complaints and incidents as required.

The post holder is responsible for effective liaison and communication with staff groups and their Trades Union and Professional representatives in matters relating to the delivery of services. The post holder will also take a lead in anticipating and resolving disputes though regular engagement, discussion and negotiation with the relevant staff and their representatives.

To facilitate community nurses to contribute to public health initiatives and surveillance that enable people to maximise their health and wellbeing at home.

To facilitate an analytical approach to the safe and effective distribution of workload through empowerment and education which recognises skills, the regulatory parameters and changing needs of community nursing.

Use knowledge and awareness of social, political and economic policies and drivers to analyse how these may impact on community nursing and the wider health care community. Where appropriate participate in organisational responses and use this knowledge when advocating for people of resources.

The post holder is expected to inspire managers and staff within the directorate in carrying through complex change in service delivery within limited resources. The post holder will be expected to deliver on these changes through effective management and the use of a variety of leadership approaches.

Explore and apply the principles of effective collaboration within a multi-agency, multi-professional context facilitating integration of health and social care and services, ensuring person-centred care is co-ordinated and anticipated across the whole of the persons journey.

Use creative problem-solving to develop a positive teaching/learning environment and workplace for supporting disciplines and professions learning about caring for people in the community and the interdependency of integrated service provision.

Provide clinical supervision and line management for specified members of staff within the MDT and ensure all other line management is completed within the team.

To manage the overall team on a day-day basis ensuring that the skill-mix is appropriate to the needs of the patients.

Have the ability to challenge staff where the standards fall below expectation. This will include poor performance issues.

Assist in education programmes for junior staff.

Participate regularly in interview panels.

The post holder will behave in a manner that does not bring the team or Livewell into disrepute.

Responsibility as appointing officer for recruitment of junior staff.

In collaboration with other leads, review workforce development plan which will include skill mix.

To manage and deliver learning from incidents, complaints and RCAs.

Responsibility for information resources:

Responsible for recording Personalised Care Framework and monitoring the quality of data provided by junior staff. This will require a comprehensive understanding on the national move away from the Care Programme Approach

Responsible for SystmOne contacts and monitor the standard of work of junior staff.

Maintain accurate, timely paper and electronic records. Ensure they are kept safely in accordance with Livewell policy.

Maintain electronic diary as Livewell healthcare protocol.

Monitor junior staff ensuring they complete electronic diaries.

Assist CMHS to improve data quality ensuring records meet National Mental Health Minimum Data Set requirements.

Management and leadership will also be delivered on the basis of:

1. Regular and planned supervision of direct reports.

2. Ensuring that all staff within their teams are appropriately supervised and appraised and that opportunities for CPD are identified and maximised.

3. Agreed and regularly reviewed job planning.

4. A strong network of regular and informal communication and contacts at all levels.

5. Compliance with Trust HR Policies and collective agreements with the staff side organisations and professional associations.

6. The post holder will take responsibility for recruitment, selection, deployment and retention of staff and encourage innovative solutions for difficult to recruit to posts.

  • The role requires day to day line management and leadership of senior management. This will include performance and objective setting, appraisal and assisting with personal development planning.

Responsibility for financial and/or physical resources

To be responsible for multiple defined budgets, monitor budget expenditure, provide internal cost control and accurate forecasting. These budgets will include MAIS, CMHT, Administration services and the IPS service.

To plan and deliver cost efficiency savings, taking remedial action if required to meet targets.

To ensure that all activity targets are met and financial penalties are avoided.

To comply with Livewell Southwest financial policies and procedures.

To ensure that inventories and maintenance schedules are in place for equipment and that any problems are reported and dealt with appropriately including their replacement should they become unserviceable.

Responsible for the checking and authorisation of eroster and travel claims and forwarding on for payment. This includes nursing and admin if required.

Ensure physical assets are monitored and re-ordered on a regular basis keep a watchful eye on expenditure ensuring costs remain with allocated budget.

The post-holder will be an authorised to make procurements using the ePROC/Oracle system.

Responsibility for administration

To forecast, plan and develop future trends in workforce development

Competent IT skills to input relevant information into SystmOne and other relevant software.

The post holder will be required to analyse, interpret and make decisions on a wide range of highly complex information from a variety of sources and design, implement and monitor action plans based on the analysis, interpretation and comparriosn of a range of options.

Daily use of Microsoft Office package.

Must be able to use Microsoft Outlook Calendar and manage emails in a timely fashion communicating within the organisation and to external organisations within current policies and guidelines.

Confidence to take on IT skills as technology advances. Constant use of laptop to record, monitor and plan patient care and to monitor and appraise other team members work. This will include supporting other staff in the acquisition of skills.

The post holder will be required to analyse complete statistics/data from a variety of sources and judge need for change. Assessing the impact of change to practice, service structure, or strategy taking into account conflicting information and views both internal and external, and take action as appropriate.

The post holder will be required to implement robust systems for Performance management, data collection and analysis, ensuring that the full range of activity at a directorate level is accurately and regularly reported.

PLEASE SEE ATTACHED FULL JOB DESCRIPTION

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • A professional mental health qualification to degree level or equivalent eg mental health nursing, social work or OT
  • Masters Degree level study or equivalent experience
  • Mentorship course or equivalent qualification or equivalent experience
  • Evidence of recent continuing personal learning/professional development
  • Post-qualification training directly applicable to the delivery of Mental Health services.
  • Management qualification or working towards one.

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of senior public sector management (NHS and/or Local Government) demonstrating effective track record of managing complex services and large budgets.
  • Change management experience
  • Experience in project management
  • Experience of leading and developing local services within a MDT
  • 5-years experience as Ward/Unit Manager or other equivalent position in Mental Health community and inpatient settings
  • Experience of wider Health and Social Care working
  • Managing budgets and ability to monitor and assess financial information
  • Implement strategy and guidance
  • Presentation skills
  • Experience of conducting audits
  • Experience of managing teams within a Performance Framework
  • Developing, interpreting and implementing local service/Trust/National policies and using these to inform the strategic direction for teams/services
  • Evaluating workforce development and skill mix in addition to participating in recruitment and selection of staff

Desirable

  • Service redesign experience
  • Experience of working with care pathways
  • Experience of data collection, analysis, and synthesis
  • Experience of using Microsoft Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and electronic mail

Knowledge

Essential

  • Knowledge of current NHS policies/processes and structures especially relating to Mental Health and National Service Frameworks
  • An understanding of multi-agency working across the health and social care spectrum and voluntary and independent sector.
  • Operational experience and knowledge across a range of Health and Social Care service areas.
  • Excellent understanding and application of business management skills and financial acumen.
  • Excellent project management and leadership skills.
  • Well-developed leadership skills
  • Ability to work on own initiative and also as an effective team member
  • Ability to manage substantial programmes of change
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Ability to prioritise own workload
  • Able to manage difficult situations effectively
  • Excellent verbal and written skills
  • Good numerical skills
  • Excellent facilitation and arbitration skills
  • Good IT/word processing skills

Desirable

  • To be fully aware of and cascade current changes relating to Government Legislation (i.e. Transforming Community Services).

Specific skills

Essential

  • Ability to provide and receive complex and emotive information with staff, service users, carers and other stakeholders
  • Good project management skills and the ability to see through tasks to their successful conclusion within timescales and budgets.
  • Good performance management skills combining clarity around expectations, direction and holding others to account
  • Excellent organisational skills with the ability and flexibility to deal with more than one task at a time and move between tasks in order to respond to changing priorities and demands
  • Developed interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate at a variety of levels
  • Ability to present information clearly to a variety of audiences, verbally and in written reports
  • Ability to analyse and interpret performance and financial information
  • Resilient and self-motivated with drive and vision that is able to work on own and manage a range of priorities often with completing agendas
  • Can use constructive criticism and openly seeks to review and reflect on own style and presentation
  • Demonstrate support for the values and beliefs of Livewell Southwest and commitment to the aims and values of the NHS combined with high personal integrity
  • Must have self-confidence to challenge traditional practice and the persistence to address difficult enduring issues
  • Competent IT skills and knowledge of databases
  • Ability to travel between locations
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • A professional mental health qualification to degree level or equivalent eg mental health nursing, social work or OT
  • Masters Degree level study or equivalent experience
  • Mentorship course or equivalent qualification or equivalent experience
  • Evidence of recent continuing personal learning/professional development
  • Post-qualification training directly applicable to the delivery of Mental Health services.
  • Management qualification or working towards one.

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of senior public sector management (NHS and/or Local Government) demonstrating effective track record of managing complex services and large budgets.
  • Change management experience
  • Experience in project management
  • Experience of leading and developing local services within a MDT
  • 5-years experience as Ward/Unit Manager or other equivalent position in Mental Health community and inpatient settings
  • Experience of wider Health and Social Care working
  • Managing budgets and ability to monitor and assess financial information
  • Implement strategy and guidance
  • Presentation skills
  • Experience of conducting audits
  • Experience of managing teams within a Performance Framework
  • Developing, interpreting and implementing local service/Trust/National policies and using these to inform the strategic direction for teams/services
  • Evaluating workforce development and skill mix in addition to participating in recruitment and selection of staff

Desirable

  • Service redesign experience
  • Experience of working with care pathways
  • Experience of data collection, analysis, and synthesis
  • Experience of using Microsoft Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and electronic mail

Knowledge

Essential

  • Knowledge of current NHS policies/processes and structures especially relating to Mental Health and National Service Frameworks
  • An understanding of multi-agency working across the health and social care spectrum and voluntary and independent sector.
  • Operational experience and knowledge across a range of Health and Social Care service areas.
  • Excellent understanding and application of business management skills and financial acumen.
  • Excellent project management and leadership skills.
  • Well-developed leadership skills
  • Ability to work on own initiative and also as an effective team member
  • Ability to manage substantial programmes of change
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Ability to prioritise own workload
  • Able to manage difficult situations effectively
  • Excellent verbal and written skills
  • Good numerical skills
  • Excellent facilitation and arbitration skills
  • Good IT/word processing skills

Desirable

  • To be fully aware of and cascade current changes relating to Government Legislation (i.e. Transforming Community Services).

Specific skills

Essential

  • Ability to provide and receive complex and emotive information with staff, service users, carers and other stakeholders
  • Good project management skills and the ability to see through tasks to their successful conclusion within timescales and budgets.
  • Good performance management skills combining clarity around expectations, direction and holding others to account
  • Excellent organisational skills with the ability and flexibility to deal with more than one task at a time and move between tasks in order to respond to changing priorities and demands
  • Developed interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate at a variety of levels
  • Ability to present information clearly to a variety of audiences, verbally and in written reports
  • Ability to analyse and interpret performance and financial information
  • Resilient and self-motivated with drive and vision that is able to work on own and manage a range of priorities often with completing agendas
  • Can use constructive criticism and openly seeks to review and reflect on own style and presentation
  • Demonstrate support for the values and beliefs of Livewell Southwest and commitment to the aims and values of the NHS combined with high personal integrity
  • Must have self-confidence to challenge traditional practice and the persistence to address difficult enduring issues
  • Competent IT skills and knowledge of databases
  • Ability to travel between locations

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Livewell Southwest

Address

Avon House

Mount Gould Hospital

Plymouth

PL4 7QD


Employer's website

https://www.livewellsouthwest.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Livewell Southwest

Address

Avon House

Mount Gould Hospital

Plymouth

PL4 7QD


Employer's website

https://www.livewellsouthwest.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Hannah Gethin

hannah.gethin@nhs.net

Details

Date posted

10 February 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£53,755 to £60,504 a year pa, pro-rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working

Reference number

B9832-2025-NM-9666

Job locations

Avon House

Mount Gould Hospital

Plymouth

PL4 7QD


Crownhill Court

Tailyour Road

Plymouth

PL6 5DH


Cumberland Centre

Damerel Close

Plymouth

PL1 4JZ


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Livewell Southwest's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)