Job summary Reporting directly to the Chief Delivery Officer, the post holder will be required to work in collaboration with the wider Executive Team and Trust Board to deliver this agenda and attend executive management group meetings as an active member but will not be a board director post. This post is central to providing strategic leadership to the successful operation of the Secure Care Division (including 210 bed High Secure Hospital), and the transformation agenda. The post holder will have experience of working within Secure Mental Health Services, including High Secure. The overall aim is to improve health, clinical outcomes, patient experience, and productivity whilst meeting financial, legal, and contractual requirements. Main duties of the job Provide strategic leadership of the division that delivers a consistent high quality of services to service users; a division that has robust governance to manage clinical risks, performance, customer engagement and delivery of divisional strategic programmes and CIPs. Provide strategic leadership for performance improvement issues across the division ensuring that use of Informatics and business intelligence is integral to the on-going service design and quality improvement agendas. Provide strategic leadership on the development and implementation of divisional performance improvement plans and related policies. Ensure operational objectives are clear, consistent, and mutually supportive across the Trust, that they balance strategic objectives and operational delivery. Provide robust assurance to the Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust Board and external stakeholders around the areas of responsibility. Develop, promote, and monitor relevant frameworks, plans and policies, to apply across the whole organisation, arising from the Trusts own strategy or from interpreting national strategy and policy, and relevant legislation. Plan, organise and implement highly complex projects affecting all staff and departments for the delivery of benefits to improve patient care For further duties, please see the attached job description. About us Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands. We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities. At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so. Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles. Date posted 28 February 2025 Pay scheme Very senior manager (VSM) Salary Depending on experience Subject to approval by the Remuneration Committee Contract Permanent Working pattern Full-time, Flexible working Reference number 350-SC7046945 Job locations Ashworth Hospital - Secure Care Division Maghull Health Park Maghull L31 1HW Job description Job responsibilities To ensure the appropriate operational management and administrative infrastructure within the division to support clinical leaders within the Secure Division, including other members of staff and also Trust Wide Services where necessary. To be responsible for the management and development of staff across multiple departments and services across the division, ensuring effective performance review mechanisms and ensuring personal development planning systems are in place. To maintain good relationships with staff employed within the division to ensure that employee relations matters are resolved in accordance with the trust policies and Just and Learning Culture principles. To ensure that communication mechanisms operate efficiently and effectively so that a culture is promoted where all staff can become involved in influencing and supporting achievement of the division and trust priorities. Shortlisting will take place on 17th March 2025 Interviews will take place 24th March 2025 Job description Job responsibilities To ensure the appropriate operational management and administrative infrastructure within the division to support clinical leaders within the Secure Division, including other members of staff and also Trust Wide Services where necessary. To be responsible for the management and development of staff across multiple departments and services across the division, ensuring effective performance review mechanisms and ensuring personal development planning systems are in place. To maintain good relationships with staff employed within the division to ensure that employee relations matters are resolved in accordance with the trust policies and Just and Learning Culture principles. To ensure that communication mechanisms operate efficiently and effectively so that a culture is promoted where all staff can become involved in influencing and supporting achievement of the division and trust priorities. Shortlisting will take place on 17th March 2025 Interviews will take place 24th March 2025 Person Specification Qualifications Essential Educated to Masters degree level or equivalent experience Evidence of on-going professional development Evidence of strategic management of clinical services in the last two years Appropriate professional qualification in mental health Desirable Doctorate in relevant subject Knowledge Essential Evidence of significant senior experience at Board level in a strategic role responsible for delivery of clinical services. 5 years experience in a senior management role including operational management of clinical services within the last 2 years. Evidence of being accountable at senior strategic level for successfully leading and driving transformational clinical service change, innovation, and service modernisation within a large-scale clinical division. Working with and influencing stakeholders in other organisations and management of multi-agency partnerships to develop and grow clinical services. A sound knowledge of clinical governance systems. Current experience of strategic responsibility for delivery of mental health, learning disabilities and addiction services. Broad knowledge across a range of clinical areas, the wider NHS, and future challenges within public sector services. Successful track record of managing effective mental health services. Successful track record of leadership, performance improvement and organisational change. Successful implementation of performance management systems and holding services to account. Evidence of developing and transforming services on a large scale whilst ensuring current service quality and performance is maintained. Experience of strategic thinking and planning. Experience of strategic financial management and management of large and complex budgets. Current understanding of acute, commissioning, and strategic policy. Current understanding of local authority organisations, structures, and dynamics. Desirable Acute, Commissioning and strategic/policy PRINCE and MSP Leadership and entrepreneurial activity in a commercial environment Values Essential Awareness of Mersey Care Trust values High professional standards Responsive to service users Engaging leadership style Strong customer service belief Transparency and honesty Discreet Change oriented Skills Essential Highly analytical, with the ability to interpret highly complex data for a range of audiences. Report writing appropriate to a wide range of external audiences - individuals, teams, Trust Board, and external stakeholders. Ability to make difficult decisions, robustly managing risk and opportunity for the Trust. Exceptional communicator, able to tailor style and content to the appropriate audience and deliver messages with impact to both small and very large groups. Proven ability to negotiate and use sophisticated persuasion skills with both internal and external stakeholders. Able to formulate long term strategic plans involving uncertainty which will impact across the whole organisation. Politically astute Commercial acumen Ability to focus on highly complex work for long periods of time. Ability to prioritise completing timescales. Ability to work with a high degree of autonomy. Demonstrates professional and personal credibility as an expert Person Specification Qualifications Essential Educated to Masters degree level or equivalent experience Evidence of on-going professional development Evidence of strategic management of clinical services in the last two years Appropriate professional qualification in mental health Desirable Doctorate in relevant subject Knowledge Essential Evidence of significant senior experience at Board level in a strategic role responsible for delivery of clinical services. 5 years experience in a senior management role including operational management of clinical services within the last 2 years. Evidence of being accountable at senior strategic level for successfully leading and driving transformational clinical service change, innovation, and service modernisation within a large-scale clinical division. Working with and influencing stakeholders in other organisations and management of multi-agency partnerships to develop and grow clinical services. A sound knowledge of clinical governance systems. Current experience of strategic responsibility for delivery of mental health, learning disabilities and addiction services. Broad knowledge across a range of clinical areas, the wider NHS, and future challenges within public sector services. Successful track record of managing effective mental health services. Successful track record of leadership, performance improvement and organisational change. Successful implementation of performance management systems and holding services to account. Evidence of developing and transforming services on a large scale whilst ensuring current service quality and performance is maintained. Experience of strategic thinking and planning. Experience of strategic financial management and management of large and complex budgets. Current understanding of acute, commissioning, and strategic policy. Current understanding of local authority organisations, structures, and dynamics. Desirable Acute, Commissioning and strategic/policy PRINCE and MSP Leadership and entrepreneurial activity in a commercial environment Values Essential Awareness of Mersey Care Trust values High professional standards Responsive to service users Engaging leadership style Strong customer service belief Transparency and honesty Discreet Change oriented Skills Essential Highly analytical, with the ability to interpret highly complex data for a range of audiences. Report writing appropriate to a wide range of external audiences - individuals, teams, Trust Board, and external stakeholders. Ability to make difficult decisions, robustly managing risk and opportunity for the Trust. Exceptional communicator, able to tailor style and content to the appropriate audience and deliver messages with impact to both small and very large groups. Proven ability to negotiate and use sophisticated persuasion skills with both internal and external stakeholders. Able to formulate long term strategic plans involving uncertainty which will impact across the whole organisation. Politically astute Commercial acumen Ability to focus on highly complex work for long periods of time. Ability to prioritise completing timescales. Ability to work with a high degree of autonomy. Demonstrates professional and personal credibility as an expert 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. 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. 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 Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust Address Ashworth Hospital - Secure Care Division Maghull Health Park Maghull L31 1HW Employer's website https://www.merseycare.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)