Job summary
We are seeking a compassionate and strategic leader to take forward the Trust's Suicide Prevention Strategy. As Suicide Prevention Senior Lead, you will lead the delivery of the Staying Safe From Suicide plan, providing expert guidance across services to reduce suicide and serious self-harm.Working closely with system partners and embracing lived experience, you will co-design and embed improvements in safety planning, assessment, and care environments. You will manage the Trust's Suicide Prevention Advisor, ensuring clinical practice is shaped in partnership with people and communities and aligned with strategic priorities.This role offers a unique opportunity to influence culture, practice and outcomes across the Trust, supporting safer, more responsive services for those at risk.
Main duties of the job
The Suicide Prevention Senior Lead will drive the development and delivery of the Trust's Suicide Prevention Strategy, ensuring alignment with national and system priorities. You will lead the Staying Safe From Suicide plan, working with partners to embed improvements in safety planning, assessment, and care environments.You will provide assurance to senior governance groups, manage complex relationships with external stakeholders, and oversee the Suicide Prevention Advisor. The role includes designing training, supporting service development, and embedding evidence-based practice across inpatient and community settings. You will work with Safer Care and Estates to maintain ligature-reduces environments , providing support for environmental risk assessments and assurance processes.You will lead thematic reviews, develop policies, and monitor progress through robust data reporting. A key part of the role is strengthening lived experience involvement, ensuring compassionate post-incident support, and promoting learning from events. You will also manage the team budget and contribute to strategic planning and service improvement.
About us
Here at NSFT we pride ourselves on being a welcoming, talented, friendly and supportive team who like nothing better than sharing experiences and learning from each other. In addition to ongoing training and development opportunities, we are committed to providing an environment in which you can thrive.
Why work for us? We have challenges as a Trust, but we have ambitious aspirations, are pushing ahead with exciting transformation work and we need dedicated individuals to support us on our journey. We have strong, established professional networks coupled with an exceptional leadership team who will ensure you are truly cared for and cared about.
Why Norfolk and Suffolk? The people here are warm and welcoming, you'll never be far from the beautiful coastline or Broads National Park. We're an hour and a half away from London and have an international airport in Norwich too. Our villages, towns and cities are packed full of history, independent cafes, shops and theatres. We have excellent shopping, eating out, top ranking schooling and affordable house prices too.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please read the job description / person specification carefully and ensure your application reflects the knowledge, skills and experience needed
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please read the job description / person specification carefully and ensure your application reflects the knowledge, skills and experience needed
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to Masters degree level or have equivalent level of experience
- Registered health professional with senior expertise in suicide prevention and clinical risk
Desirable
- Formal training in suicide prevention approaches
Experience
Essential
- Experience leading Trust-wide suicide prevention or patient safety initiatives, including training and practice change
- Experience in writing policy and guidance documents
Desirable
- Experience of post-incident family liaison and learning processes.
Skills
Essential
- Strong partnership skills and experience working with public health and VCSE partners
- Demonstrable report writing skills and ability to analyse data
Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding of environmental risk and ligature reduction in mental health settings.
- Understanding relevant national guidelines and local policies related to suicide prevention and mental health.
Desirable
- Understanding of health inequalities and the impact on self-harm and suicide
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to Masters degree level or have equivalent level of experience
- Registered health professional with senior expertise in suicide prevention and clinical risk
Desirable
- Formal training in suicide prevention approaches
Experience
Essential
- Experience leading Trust-wide suicide prevention or patient safety initiatives, including training and practice change
- Experience in writing policy and guidance documents
Desirable
- Experience of post-incident family liaison and learning processes.
Skills
Essential
- Strong partnership skills and experience working with public health and VCSE partners
- Demonstrable report writing skills and ability to analyse data
Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding of environmental risk and ligature reduction in mental health settings.
- Understanding relevant national guidelines and local policies related to suicide prevention and mental health.
Desirable
- Understanding of health inequalities and the impact on self-harm and suicide
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).
