Head of Services


Company:	NHS Jobs
Salary:	from £40,000 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Bristol, BS2 9LJ
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	1 Oct 2026
Closing date:	12 Oct 2026

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Summary

Reporting to the CEO, the role sits on the Charitys Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and is responsible for: 1. Strategic and Cultural Leadership Supporting the design, development and implementation of the Charity-wide strategy and associated business plans. Maintaining an informed understanding of the local and national child sexual abuse (CSA) landscape, positioning the Charity as a leader in the field. Working collaboratively with the SLT, ensuring decisions support the interests of the whole Charity. Leading by example, fostering a culture of safety, therapeutic excellence, inclusion and operational efficiency. Providing clear, evidence-based advice to the CEO, Board and relevant committees. Deputising for the CEO as required. 2. Service Delivery and Development Ensuring services are developed and delivered in line with the Charitys strategy, therapeutic model and business plans. Ensuring services are designed, developed and reviewed in meaningful partnership with the children, young people and families who use them. Working collaboratively across the Charity to ensure services are robust, integrated and sustainable. Ensuring services meet all contractual, funding and regulatory requirements. Ensuring referral, assessment, waiting list and allocation processes are equitable, transparent and efficient, making effective use of available capacity and enabling children, young people and families to access timely support according to need and risk. Championing equality, equity, diversity and inclusion (EEDI) across service design, delivery and workforce practices, proactively identifying and removing barriers to access, participation and progression. Ensuring appropriate quantitative and qualitative outcome data is collected to demonstrate impact to commissioners, funders and the wider public. Working with the Impact, Data and Research team to use evidence and feedback to improve services continuously and identify opportunities for external evaluation. Working with researchers, academics and universities as required, to strengthen the evidence base for the Charitys therapeutic model and services. Identifying and responding to emerging needs, service gaps and opportunities for innovation. 3. Staff Leadership, Management and Performance Ensuring the recruitment, onboarding and induction of therapeutic staff strengthen the Charitys workforce, therapeutic model and service delivery. The line management of the therapeutic managers and leads responsible for one-to-one creative therapy, nature-based group therapy, outreach, professional services and the VOICE project. Setting, monitoring and reporting on performance, quality and delivery targets in line with contractual and organisational requirements. Ensuring managers fulfil their responsibilities with integrity, accountability and a commitment to inclusive and collaborative working. Supporting workforce planning, staff wellbeing, retention and succession across therapeutic services. Overseeing the consistent application of HR policies and procedures, working with the Head of Finance and Operations (HoFO) to manage complex matters appropriately. Addressing performance and capability concerns promptly and in accordance with the Charitys policies and procedures. 4. Quality, Governance and Risk Management Therapeutic quality and practice standards across all services. Developing and maintaining a robust clinical and service governance framework. Ensuring the consistent implementation of the Charitys policies and procedures. Contributing to the review and development of policies and procedures as required. Ensuring service-delivery risks are identified, assessed, managed, escalated and regularly reviewed. Ensuring incidents are reported appropriately and that learning is embedded in service improvement. Ensuring complaints are handled appropriately and that learning is used to improve service delivery. Ensuring personal and service data is handled in accordance with relevant legislation, regulation and Charity policies. Ensuring confidentiality and professional boundaries are maintained across all services. Providing clear and timely quality, risk and performance reports to the CEO, Board and relevant committees. 5. Safeguarding Acting as the Charitys Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), with overall responsibility for safeguarding practice across the organisation. Providing leadership, advice and support to staff on child and adult safeguarding concerns, including complex and high-risk cases. Ensuring appropriate and timely action is taken to minimise the risk of harm to children, young people and adults. Ensuring child and adult safeguarding is managed robustly and in accordance with legislation, statutory guidance, local safeguarding procedures and Charity policies. Working closely with the Family Support Manager and Therapy Manager to ensure effective operational safeguarding practice, appropriate cover and consistent decision-making across services. Ensuring suitable safeguarding arrangements and trained cover are maintained during periods of absence. Maintaining effective working relationships with statutory agencies, local safeguarding partnerships and other relevant professionals. Conducting regular audits of safeguarding records, decisions and practice, ensuring learning informs continuous improvement. Reporting on safeguarding activity, risks, themes and learning to the CEO, relevant committee and Board as required. Leading and participating in the safeguarding rota, ensuring adequate cover at all times. Escalating serious safeguarding concerns, organisational risks and potential serious incidents to the CEO and/or Board as required. Ensuring allegations or concerns relating to staff or volunteers are managed appropriately and referred to relevant external agencies where required. Maintaining up-to-date child and adult safeguarding knowledge and undertake all required training. 6. Budget Management and Income Generation Managing the budgets for the Charitys therapeutic services. Working with the CEO and HoFO to set, review and monitor annual budgets. Involving service managers in budget-setting and financial management as appropriate. Ensuring services operate within agreed budgets and deliver value for money. Working with the CEO and HoFO to identify and develop new commissioning and contractual opportunities. Working with the Head of Fundraising and Communications (HoFC) to support wider income generation. Contributing service expertise, impact evidence and delivery plans to funding bids and tenders. 7. Practice Excellence and Therapeutic Quality Maintaining appropriate registration and accreditation with the relevant professional body. Ensuring therapeutic staff hold and maintain the qualifications, registration and competencies required for their roles. Promoting continuous professional development through effective line management, support, guidance and formal and informal learning. Ensuring clinical supervision and reflective practice are delivered in accordance with the Charitys therapeutic model, policies and procedures. Auditing therapeutic service delivery to ensure required standards of practice are consistently met. Addressing promptly and robustly any practice that falls below required professional or organisational standards. Ensuring the Charitys therapeutic model remains evidence-informed, trauma-responsive and consistently applied. 8. Partnership and Relationship Management Developing and maintaining effective working relationships with colleagues across the Charity. Building respectful and appropriate relationships with the children, young people and families supported by the Charity. Participating fully in the SLT, contributing both as a senior leader and a collaborative colleague. Developing and maintaining productive relationships with commissioners, funders, statutory agencies and other external stakeholders. Representing the Charity at contractual meetings, professional forums and networking events as required. Acting as a credible ambassador for the Charity and its therapeutic model. 9. General Supporting the safe and efficient use of the Charitys therapeutic spaces at St Agnes Lodge, outreach and nature-based therapy sites and other locations as required. Attending internal and external meetings as required. Traveling across BNSSG, B&NES and elsewhere in the UK as required. Working flexibly to meet the reasonable needs of the Charity. Promoting equality, diversity, inclusion and accessibility in all areas of responsibility. Undertaking other duties commensurate with the seniority and scope of the role.

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