Job summary
Are you an experienced and inspiring leader with a passion for improving mental health, learning disabilities, and SEND services? We are offering an exciting opportunity for a 12-month secondment as Assistant Director for Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and SEND.
About the Role
This strategic leadership role will be central to shaping and delivering transformation across mental health, learning disabilities, and SEND services in the South East. The successful candidate will work across system partners--including NHS providers, local authorities, and voluntary sector organisations--to drive improvements in quality, equity, and outcomes.
Main duties of the job
Key responsibilities include:
- Providing oversight of commissioned providers, ensuring safe, high-quality, and effective service delivery.
- Contributing to the development and implementation of system-wide strategies for mental health, learning disabilities, and SEND.
- Leading transformation programmes, aligned with national priorities and local population needs.
- Championing inclusive leadership, co-production, and innovation across the system.
About us
Our work supports the NHS to deliver high quality services for patients and best value for taxpayers.
Our staff bring expertise across hundreds of specialisms -- including clinical, operational, commissioning, technology, data science, cyber security, software engineering, education, and commercial -- enabling us to design and deliver high-quality NHS services.
We lead the NHS in England by:
- Enabling local systems and providers to improve the health of their people and patients and reduce health inequalities
- Making the NHS a great place to work, where our people can make a difference and achieve their potential
- Working collaboratively to ensure our healthcare workforce has the right knowledge, skills, values and behaviours to deliver accessible, compassionate care
- Optimising the use of digital technology, research, and innovation
- Delivering value for money
Earlier this year, the Government announced that NHS England will gradually merge with the Department of Health and Social Care, leading to full integration. The aim is to create a smaller, more strategic centre that reduces duplication and eliminates waste.
If successful at interview, we will initiate an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). This retrieves key data from your current or previous NHS employer to support onboarding, including competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement. You may opt out at any stage of the recruitment process.
Job description
Job responsibilities
We are seeking a candidate with:
- A proven track record of leadership in mental health and learning disabilities.
- Strong strategic thinking and the ability to influence across complex systems.
- Experience in service transformation, workforce development, and partnership working.
- A commitment to equity, inclusion, and improving outcomes for people with lived experience.
You can find further details about the role, including key responsibilities and accountabilities, alongside the organisational structure and person specification in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents.
Secondments
Applicants from within the NHS will be offered on a secondment basis only, agreement should be obtained from their employer prior to submitting the application.
Job description
Job responsibilities
We are seeking a candidate with:
- A proven track record of leadership in mental health and learning disabilities.
- Strong strategic thinking and the ability to influence across complex systems.
- Experience in service transformation, workforce development, and partnership working.
- A commitment to equity, inclusion, and improving outcomes for people with lived experience.
You can find further details about the role, including key responsibilities and accountabilities, alongside the organisational structure and person specification in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents.
Secondments
Applicants from within the NHS will be offered on a secondment basis only, agreement should be obtained from their employer prior to submitting the application.
Person Specification
Values and behaviours
Essential
- Works well with others, is positive and helpful, listens, involves, respects and learns from the contribution of others.
- Values diversity and difference ; operates with integrity and openness
Skills Capabilities & Attributes
Essential
- Highly developed communication skills with the ability to communicate on highly complex matters and difficult situations
- Credibility to successfully challenge and influence individuals at all levels and in different organisations and the ability to build relationships with senior leaders
- Ability to analyse numerical and written data, assess verbal, written, numerical and draw appropriate conclusions
Qualfications
Essential
- Educated to Masters level or equivalent level or equivalent experience of working at a senior level in specialist area.
- Management training / qualification or equivalent experience
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- In depth additional expert knowledge acquired over a significant period of time in Local Authority/Health/Social Care
- Subject matter expertise across a number of key areas relating to Mental Health, Learning Disabilities, Autism and SEND. Children and Young People's Health and Wellbeing
- Should have an appreciation of the relationship between the Department of Health, the NHS England and individual provider and commissioning organisations
Person Specification
Values and behaviours
Essential
- Works well with others, is positive and helpful, listens, involves, respects and learns from the contribution of others.
- Values diversity and difference ; operates with integrity and openness
Skills Capabilities & Attributes
Essential
- Highly developed communication skills with the ability to communicate on highly complex matters and difficult situations
- Credibility to successfully challenge and influence individuals at all levels and in different organisations and the ability to build relationships with senior leaders
- Ability to analyse numerical and written data, assess verbal, written, numerical and draw appropriate conclusions
Qualfications
Essential
- Educated to Masters level or equivalent level or equivalent experience of working at a senior level in specialist area.
- Management training / qualification or equivalent experience
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- In depth additional expert knowledge acquired over a significant period of time in Local Authority/Health/Social Care
- Subject matter expertise across a number of key areas relating to Mental Health, Learning Disabilities, Autism and SEND. Children and Young People's Health and Wellbeing
- Should have an appreciation of the relationship between the Department of Health, the NHS England and individual provider and commissioning organisations
