Job summary
Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a dynamic and experienced Podiatry Operational Lead to provide clinical and operational leadership for our recently integrated Community Podiatry and Diabetes Care For You (DCFY) Podiatry Service supporting communities across Brighton & Hove and East Sussex.
This is a key leadership role, responsible for ensuring safe, effective, and high-quality podiatry services. You will be accountable for service delivery, workforce development, governance, and performance. Working closely with the Heads of Service and Professional Leads, you will support transformation programmes, drive service improvement, and ensure excellent patient experience.
We're looking for someone who:
- Is a qualified and experienced podiatrist with strong leadership and management skills.
- Has a proven track record in service delivery, workforce development, and clinical governance.
- Is confident managing complex situations and leading change.
- Can work collaboratively across professional boundaries and with external stakeholders.
- Is passionate about delivering high-quality, patient-centred care.
The post will be split across two sites - Brighton General Hospital and Moulsecoomb Health Centre, however there will be a requirement to travel across Brighton & Hove and East Sussex. Therefore, a full driving license and access to a suitable vehicle is a key requirement for this role.
Main duties of the job
- Provide operational and clinical leadership for the recently integrated Community Podiatry and Diabetes Care For You (DCFY) Podiatry Service supporting communities across Brighton & Hove and East Sussex.
- Ensure effective governance and safe clinical practice for all staff within the service.
- Lead service delivery, manage daily operations, and monitor demand and capacity.
- Line manage staff in accordance with SCFT policies, including recruitment, performance, and absence management.
- Deliver workforce development initiatives, including competency frameworks and skill-sharing across professions.
- Manage a delegated budget and contribute to annual business planning.
- Support the implementation of Trust transformation programmes and the SCFT Clinical Strategy.
- Provide specialist clinical advice for complex cases and maintain a personal caseload.
- Lead on audit and contribute to research to inform service development.
- Represent the service at senior management meetings, leadership forums, and transformation events.
You will work collaboratively with:
- Heads of Service, Professional Leads, and multidisciplinary teams.
- Internal departments including HR, Finance, and Governance.
- External partners across the local health economy, including acute trusts and community services.
- Patients and carers, ensuring person-centred care and effective communication.
Ready to lead and shape podiatry services in Brighton & Hove & East Sussex?Apply now and make a difference in your community.
About us
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?o Positive 2024 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeingo Varied environments: community hospitals, patients' homes, and bases across Sussexo Flexible working options: part-time, flexi-time, annualised hours, and flexi-retiremento Excellent training, development, and research opportunitieso Accredited Living Wage Employer, we ensure fair pay for all our staffo Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brightono Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networkso Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust
Our values--Compassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellence--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.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Provide operational and clinical leadership for the recently integrated Community Podiatry and Diabetes Care For You (DCFY) Podiatry Service supporting communities across Brighton & Hove and East Sussex.
- Ensure effective governance and safe clinical practice across the service.
- Be accountable for the direct delivery of patient care within a defined clinical area.
- Work with Professional Leads to ensure staff are clinically competent and services are effective, safe, and patient-centred.
- Lead service delivery and manage daily operations, including monitoring demand and capacity.
- Line manage staff in accordance with SCFT policies, including recruitment, absence management, and performance.
- Manage a delegated budget and contribute to annual business planning.
- Support the implementation of Trust transformation programmes and the SCFT Clinical Strategy.
- Promote interdisciplinary working and skill-sharing across professions and bandings.
- Implement and monitor competency frameworks to support workforce development.
- Provide specialist clinical advice for complex cases and maintain a personal caseload.
- Lead on audit and contribute to research to inform service development.
- Represent the service at senior management meetings, leadership forums, and transformation events.
- Ensure effective communication systems are in place across the team.
- Manage complaints and incidents in line with Trust policy, ensuring learning is shared.
- Support podiatry student placements and supervise clinical staff involved in training.
- Provide performance data to inform service planning, workforce development, and KPI delivery.
- Act as a professional role model and uphold Trust values at all times.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Provide operational and clinical leadership for the recently integrated Community Podiatry and Diabetes Care For You (DCFY) Podiatry Service supporting communities across Brighton & Hove and East Sussex.
- Ensure effective governance and safe clinical practice across the service.
- Be accountable for the direct delivery of patient care within a defined clinical area.
- Work with Professional Leads to ensure staff are clinically competent and services are effective, safe, and patient-centred.
- Lead service delivery and manage daily operations, including monitoring demand and capacity.
- Line manage staff in accordance with SCFT policies, including recruitment, absence management, and performance.
- Manage a delegated budget and contribute to annual business planning.
- Support the implementation of Trust transformation programmes and the SCFT Clinical Strategy.
- Promote interdisciplinary working and skill-sharing across professions and bandings.
- Implement and monitor competency frameworks to support workforce development.
- Provide specialist clinical advice for complex cases and maintain a personal caseload.
- Lead on audit and contribute to research to inform service development.
- Represent the service at senior management meetings, leadership forums, and transformation events.
- Ensure effective communication systems are in place across the team.
- Manage complaints and incidents in line with Trust policy, ensuring learning is shared.
- Support podiatry student placements and supervise clinical staff involved in training.
- Provide performance data to inform service planning, workforce development, and KPI delivery.
- Act as a professional role model and uphold Trust values at all times.
Person Specification
Qualifications & Professional Registration
Essential
- Professional qualification such as a degree or equivalent in Podiatry
- Current registration with the Health and Care Professions Council as a Podiatrist
- Evidence of relevant postgraduate courses / CPD and reflective practice relevant to clinical speciality (including Nail Surgery and Certificate in Local Anaesthesia)
- Evidence of a range of clinical competencies appropriate for the role
Desirable
- Post registration qualification or training to masters level or equivalent and experience
Other
Essential
Experience
Essential
- Experience of managing a team or other relevant management experience
- Significant experience of supervision provision
- Significant experience of working in a clinical setting
- Significant experience providing clinical leadership to a team
- Experience of managing a multi-professional team / collaborative working
- Experience of delivering quality improvement and productivity
- Evidence of active participation in audit and clinically relevant research
Desirable
- Experience of managing or administering a budget
Skills & Knowledge
Essential
- Use of advanced reasoning and assessment skills demonstrated in knowledge and experience shown in a wide range of approaches to treatments, management of conditions and situations
- Demonstrates excellent leadership and ability to empower others in practice
- Demonstrates excellence in communication skills with an ability to negotiate and manage conflict
- Knowledge of clinical governance, risk management and clinical audit
- Demonstrates ability to reflect and learn from situations
Person Specification
Qualifications & Professional Registration
Essential
- Professional qualification such as a degree or equivalent in Podiatry
- Current registration with the Health and Care Professions Council as a Podiatrist
- Evidence of relevant postgraduate courses / CPD and reflective practice relevant to clinical speciality (including Nail Surgery and Certificate in Local Anaesthesia)
- Evidence of a range of clinical competencies appropriate for the role
Desirable
- Post registration qualification or training to masters level or equivalent and experience
Other
Essential
Experience
Essential
- Experience of managing a team or other relevant management experience
- Significant experience of supervision provision
- Significant experience of working in a clinical setting
- Significant experience providing clinical leadership to a team
- Experience of managing a multi-professional team / collaborative working
- Experience of delivering quality improvement and productivity
- Evidence of active participation in audit and clinically relevant research
Desirable
- Experience of managing or administering a budget
Skills & Knowledge
Essential
- Use of advanced reasoning and assessment skills demonstrated in knowledge and experience shown in a wide range of approaches to treatments, management of conditions and situations
- Demonstrates excellent leadership and ability to empower others in practice
- Demonstrates excellence in communication skills with an ability to negotiate and manage conflict
- Knowledge of clinical governance, risk management and clinical audit
- Demonstrates ability to reflect and learn from situations
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.
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.
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).
