Assistant Director, Community Specialist Children’s Health Services
Go back Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation TrustThe closing date is 05 July 2026
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and inspirational leader to join EPUT as Assistant Director, Community Specialist Children’s Services across South East Essex. You will lead well‑established, high‑performing services that deliver personalised, flexible care for children, young people, and families. Reporting to the Associate Director for Integration, you will provide strategic and operational leadership, ensuring excellence in clinical quality, governance, workforce, and performance.
Services include:
- Children’s Neurodiversity and Neurodisability
- Community Children’s Nursing
- Children’s Therapies
- Specialist community services
As well as leading EPUT’s Children Services you will play a key role in shaping children’s services across the Mid and South Essex system, working collaboratively with the ICB, Local Authorities, Primary Care Networks, voluntary sector and acute trusts to develop integrated pathways and drive transformation.
Main duties of the job
1. Strategic Leadership and Service Delivery
- Responsible for the strategic leadership, development and performance of Community and Children’s Services, ensuring they respond to population needs, service demand and national or local priorities.
- Lead service transformation – design and implement new care pathways, models of care, and service innovations prioritising prevention, early intervention and care closer to home.
- Align services with national frameworks, clinical guidance and local strategies to remain compliant, forward‑looking and patient‑centred.
- Contribute to long‑term strategic planning, working with system leaders to deliver the Children’s Services framework and support the shift towards integrated, community‑based care.
- Co‑produce services with partners, service users and the public to ensure equity, accessibility and responsiveness.
2. Operational Management and Service Effectiveness
- Provide day‑to‑day operational leadership to ensure services are efficient, effective and high quality.
- Implement national policies and local modernisation agendas, lead service reviews and value‑for‑money exercises, and manage workforce deployment and skill mix.
- Support service‑level agreements, business planning and ensure services meet quality and performance standards.
- Embed clinical and corporate governance systems, ensure patient safety, regulatory compliance and safeguard patients.
3. Financial Stewardship and Resource Management
- Full responsibility for financial management within the area, operating within budget and supporting Trust financial sustainability.
- Deliver balanced budgets, cost‑efficiency programmes and minimise waste.
- Support financial planning, forecasting, reporting and comply with NHS governance requirements.
4. Workforce Leadership and Development
- Lead, manage and develop a multidisciplinary workforce, ensuring staff are supported to deliver high‑quality care.
- Recruit, retain, advance best HR practices, staff development and performance management.
- Create a culture of learning, innovation and improvement, communicate effectively and manage complex workforce issues.
5. Integration and Partnership Working
- Lead and strengthen partnerships across the health and care system, collaborating with ICBs, PCNs, local authorities and voluntary sector.
- Integrate specialist services across Trust and wider system, improve patient pathways and ensure coordinated care.
- Engage stakeholders, build relationships, influence partners and align services to shared strategic goals.
6. Performance Management and Quality Improvement
- Deliver and improve performance across all service areas, monitor service performance using data, audit and reporting.
- Identify and address performance gaps, implement improvement plans and communicate risks.
- Continuously improve quality, analyse complex data and use insights to inform decision‑making.
7. Governance, Compliance and Risk Management
- Operate within a robust governance framework, meeting statutory and regulatory requirements.
- Ensure compliance with NHS standards, safeguarding processes, incident and complaint management.
- Maintain evidence of compliance, support inspections and audits.
8. Patient‑Centred Care and Inclusion
- Develop care pathways that meet diverse needs and promote equality, diversity and inclusion.
- Ensure culturally sensitive, dignified and respectful patient care.
- Provide choice and accessibility, support patient engagement and recovery goals.
9. Communication and Influencing
- Communicate complex information clearly, influence senior stakeholders and motivate staff.
- Adapt communication styles for patients, families, staff and partners.
- Promote the organisation positively, contribute to business development.
10. Service Development and Innovation
- Lead service innovation, identify opportunities for improvement, develop new roles and ways of working.
- Support early intervention and preventative care models.
- Apply evidence‑based decision‑making using data, research and benchmarking.
11. Strategic Partnerships and System Leadership
- Develop shared strategic vision with partners and support system‑wide service transformation.
- Engage stakeholders, align priorities, lead communication strategies across organisations.
- Interpret national policy locally, shape long‑term strategies and influence system direction.
12. Accountability and Professional Autonomy
- Operate as a senior autonomous leader, make decisions within remit and seek advice when required.
- Accountable for service performance, financial management, workforce leadership, and compliance.
- Apply high levels of professional judgement in managing complex challenges.
13. Additional Responsibilities
- Participate in senior on‑call rotas and complete mandatory training.
- Maintain up‑to‑date knowledge of policies and best practice.
- Provide supervision and support to staff, work flexibly, and support 24/7 service delivery when required.
About us
Valuing you, recognising your dedication. At EPUT, we look after you.
Support and benefits
- Supervision and support to fulfil your potential.
- Inclusive community and engagement events.
- Mental health and wellbeing services, occupational health advice and counselling.
- 27 days holiday plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 10 years’ service.
- Excellent pension of up to 14.5% of pensionable pay.
- Staff discounts: Blue Light Card, NHS discount offers, and staff benefits.
- £8,000 relocation package if you move to Essex.
- Interest‑free seat‑loan for season tickets covering tram, rail or bus travel.
- Job share: applications for job shares are welcomed.
Person Specification
Qualifications
- Current relevant Healthcare Professional Qualification (RN/AHP)
- Business Management, including business planning.
- Contracting processes, development of SLAs and service specifications.
Knowledge
- Advanced theoretical and practical knowledge of Children’s Community Specialist Health Services provision.
Experience
- Demonstrable experience of managing services and teams (operational management).
- Demonstrable experience of managing complex change.
- Effective working across organisational boundaries and with partner organisations.
Skills
- Effective working across organisational boundaries and with partner organisations.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a submission for Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
#J-18808-Ljbffr…