Devon Partnership NHS Trust

South West Provider Collaborative Head of Service

The closing date is 07 December 2025

Job summary

Devon Partnership NHS Trust is the Lead Provider for the South West Provider Collaborative.

We currently commission services for people requiring medium and low secure mental health care across the south west, with investment in specialist community forensic teams, as well as Perinatal Inpatient Services, CAMHS Tier 4 and Adult Eating Disorders services with potential to extend this to other services in future.

We do this in partnership with nine providers six of which are NHS organisations, one community interest company, and two independent sector providers. Our geography spans from Cornwall in the south, to Gloucestershire in the north and Dorset in the East covering a total population of around five million, across approximately 22,000 square kilometres.

We aim to treat people as close to home as possible, in the least level of security, for the shortest period of time, to high quality outcomes.

Main duties of the job

This is a senior leadership role within the commissioning division, reporting directly to the South West Provider Collaborative Deputy Director of Collaborative Commissioning and working closely with colleagues including a second Head of Service and Senior Case Managers. The post holder will take direction from the Deputy Director of Collaborative Commissioning on a day-to-day basis in order to deliver the commissioning of high-quality care for patients requiring specialist mental health services across the south west of England.

This is a transformational role, working with a high degree of autonomy, at-pace, and at-scale, across multiple stakeholders, and requires a creative mind-set, excellent leadership skills, and an application of whole systems working. The role includes significant time spent on transformational processes, liaising with clinical leads, experts by experience and the Deputy Medical Director.

About us

About Devon Partnership Trust

We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.

Details

Date posted

13 November 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8c

Salary

£76,965 to £88,682 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

C9369-25-0904

Job locations

Plym Building

Langdon Hospital

Dawlish

Devon

EX7 0NR


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the full Job Description and Person Specification attached to this advert which will provide further information on this role.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the full Job Description and Person Specification attached to this advert which will provide further information on this role.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Direct experience of specialist commissioning in at least one of the SWPC service lines
  • High level experience of managing staff, including setting of team objectives, team and individual appraisal, recruitment and disciplinary issues
  • Evidence of advanced report writing skills, service planning, needs analysis, and presentation skills
  • Developing and implementing strategic plans within a complex environment, to enable the attainment of the business units objectives
  • Demonstrate experience of autonomous leadership of transformational change, at-pace, and at a significant level
  • Significant experience in working in senior management role within healthcare

Skills & Abilities

Essential

  • Demonstrates gravitas, and a high degree of emotional intelligence. Able to hold a vision for the business unit on behalf of the partnership and inform debate on strategy and its implementation
  • Able to communicate complex issues using simple and accessible language in various forums such as public meetings and through media interviews
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, able to influence and persuade others articulating a balanced view and able to constructively question information from others
  • Good understanding of the role of effective communications and engagement with patients, public, workforce and stakeholders in achieving/delivering the commissioning divisions objectives and maintaining and enhancing its reputation.
  • Ability to foster and maintain positive working relationships at every level.
  • Collecting, analysing and evaluating highly complex data to support the management of clinical commissioning for a wide range of applications including resource, planning and target setting
  • High level analytical skills and the ability to draw qualitative and quantitative data from a wide range of sources and present in a clear concise manner
  • Excellent ability to analyse numerical and written data, assess options and draw appropriate conclusions
  • High level critical thinking skills
  • Ability to develop, maintain and monitor information systems to support innovation initiatives
  • Demonstrates sound judgement in the absence of clear guidelines or precedent, seeking advice as necessary
  • Leadership, vision, strategic thinking and planning with highly developed political skills
  • Standard keyboard skills
  • Ability to be mobile around the south west region
  • High level of flexibility, with the ability to travel to various sites and locations

Qualifications

Essential

  • Degree and educated to masters level or equivalent level of experience of working at a senior level.
  • Extensive knowledge of specialist areas, acquired through post graduate diploma or equivalent experience or training plus further specialist knowledge or experience over more than one discipline (eg financial management; programme management, performance management and staff management) acquired over a significant period of time
  • Evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development
Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Direct experience of specialist commissioning in at least one of the SWPC service lines
  • High level experience of managing staff, including setting of team objectives, team and individual appraisal, recruitment and disciplinary issues
  • Evidence of advanced report writing skills, service planning, needs analysis, and presentation skills
  • Developing and implementing strategic plans within a complex environment, to enable the attainment of the business units objectives
  • Demonstrate experience of autonomous leadership of transformational change, at-pace, and at a significant level
  • Significant experience in working in senior management role within healthcare

Skills & Abilities

Essential

  • Demonstrates gravitas, and a high degree of emotional intelligence. Able to hold a vision for the business unit on behalf of the partnership and inform debate on strategy and its implementation
  • Able to communicate complex issues using simple and accessible language in various forums such as public meetings and through media interviews
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, able to influence and persuade others articulating a balanced view and able to constructively question information from others
  • Good understanding of the role of effective communications and engagement with patients, public, workforce and stakeholders in achieving/delivering the commissioning divisions objectives and maintaining and enhancing its reputation.
  • Ability to foster and maintain positive working relationships at every level.
  • Collecting, analysing and evaluating highly complex data to support the management of clinical commissioning for a wide range of applications including resource, planning and target setting
  • High level analytical skills and the ability to draw qualitative and quantitative data from a wide range of sources and present in a clear concise manner
  • Excellent ability to analyse numerical and written data, assess options and draw appropriate conclusions
  • High level critical thinking skills
  • Ability to develop, maintain and monitor information systems to support innovation initiatives
  • Demonstrates sound judgement in the absence of clear guidelines or precedent, seeking advice as necessary
  • Leadership, vision, strategic thinking and planning with highly developed political skills
  • Standard keyboard skills
  • Ability to be mobile around the south west region
  • High level of flexibility, with the ability to travel to various sites and locations

Qualifications

Essential

  • Degree and educated to masters level or equivalent level of experience of working at a senior level.
  • Extensive knowledge of specialist areas, acquired through post graduate diploma or equivalent experience or training plus further specialist knowledge or experience over more than one discipline (eg financial management; programme management, performance management and staff management) acquired over a significant period of time
  • Evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development

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

Devon Partnership NHS Trust

Address

Plym Building

Langdon Hospital

Dawlish

Devon

EX7 0NR


Employer's website

https://www.dpt.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Devon Partnership NHS Trust

Address

Plym Building

Langdon Hospital

Dawlish

Devon

EX7 0NR


Employer's website

https://www.dpt.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Deputy Director of Collaborative Commissioning

Sarah Johnson

sjohnson2@nhs.net

07976964666

Details

Date posted

13 November 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8c

Salary

£76,965 to £88,682 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

C9369-25-0904

Job locations

Plym Building

Langdon Hospital

Dawlish

Devon

EX7 0NR


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Devon Partnership NHS Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)