Associate Director of AHPs

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Swindon; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 92,000; Full time

Job summary

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an Associate Director of AHPs to provide strategic leadership across allied health professions. The post focuses on developing a Trust-wide strategy for AHP services, working with divisional leaders to transform workforce and care models.

You will lead professional standards, drive innovation, manage budgets, and build a sustainable AHP community in Swindon and the wider system as part of the BSW Hospitals Group.

Qualifications

• Registered AHP with masters level or equivalent.
• Postgraduate management qualification or equivalent.
• Evidence of further personal development.
• Experience in health care including relevant clinical qualifications.
• NHS Improving Quality tools and techniques.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership to all AHP disciplines across the Trust.
• Develop and implement a Trust-wide AHP strategy and plan.
• Lead transformation and drive clinical innovation in allied health.
• Collaborate with divisional leaders to shape system-level AHP activity.

Education

Registered AHP with masters level or equivalent

Postgraduate management qualification or equivalent

Evidence of further personal development

Experience in health care including relevant clinical qualifications

NHS Improving Quality tools and techniques

Job description

Employer Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Town Swindon Salary £79,504 - £91,609 Per annum, Pro Rata Salary period Yearly Closing 20/09/2026 23:59

Associate Director of AHPs

Band 8c

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a unique organisation, serving as the sole integrated provider in the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire system. Our scope extends beyond boundaries as we oversee adult community services in Swindon and provide acute care from the Great Western Hospital.

Our 5,500 staff have 1.2m patient contacts a year, with 13,000 operations carried out in our Theatres, around 4,000 babies born, and our emergency attendances are now well over 100,000 per year. Those numbers only tell part of our story about what an exciting time it is to join Great Western Hospitals.

We are cultivating a culture that fosters our ambitions, prioritising equality, diversion, inclusion, wellbeing, and leadership. We aim to create an environment where every member of our team can truly thrive.

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used, then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

If we receive a high volume of applications, we may close adverts prior to the published closing date. Therefore, we advise you to complete and submit your application as soon as possible.

Job overview

Associate Director of AHPs

The Associate Director for Allied Health Professions is a pivotal role in the leadership, identity and development of allied health professionals (AHPs) within Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. They will provide strategic leadership to all AHP disciplines which include acute services, occupational therapy and physiotherapy, nutrition and dietetics, speech and language, podiatry, imaging, optometry, operating department practitioners and paramedics.

The post holder will work strategically to raise the profile of AHPs and will lead the development and implementation of a Trust wide strategy plan for allied health professional services and associated activities. Working proactively and collaboratively with Divisional Triumvirates, medical and nursing leaders they will provide professional leadership to identify and execute opportunities for allied health professional transformation, driving clinical innovation and new ways of working to meet current and future patient needs. Identifying workforce opportunities to liberate the potential and demonstrate the value of Allied Health Professionals is a key component of this role.

Main duties of the job

The Associate Director Allied Health Professionals will collaborate with professional leads across non-AHP disciplines and will be actively engaged with the BSW Hospital Group, playing an important role in shaping the strategic landscape for Allied Health Professionals at system level and in building a sustainable Allied Health Professional community.

You will provide strong credible AHP leadership and working with the Heads of Service deliver a leadership structure that delivers strategically, professionally, operationally and clinically with clear lines of authority, delegation and accountability

You will provide senior, professional leadership to AHPs across GWH demonstrating advanced analytical and judgement skills to interpret highly complex facts and information to enable the development of an AHP vision and strategic plan.

Working for our organisation

We are proud to be part of BSW Hospitals Group – a formal partnership between Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust and Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust. With a combined workforce of over 17, 600 colleagues, and budget of 1.6 billion the Group is united by a common purpose to deliver the best possible care to over 1 million people.

We are creating a health and care system that works with the people we care for, reducing the differences people currently face in access, experience and outcomes, improving the experience of our colleagues and tackling shared challenges like sustainability and finances. Every improvement we make across our Group will be guided by what creates the greatest benefit for our colleagues, our patients, our communities and our partners.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Associate Director for Allied Health Professions is a pivotal role in the leadership, identity and development of allied health professionals (AHPs) within Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Please see attached full job description

Person specification

Qualifications

• Registered AHP with masters level or equivalent
• Postgraduate management qualification or equivalent high-quality training/experience
• Evidence of further personal development
• Experience in health care including relevant clinical qualifications
• NHS Improving Quality tools and techniques

Experience

• Significant operational healthcare experience
• Track record of achieving financial and service targets
• Leading change through empowering people and holding them to account
• Good understanding of NHS policy
• Good understanding of the framework for clinical governance
• Understanding of clinical pathways and treatments relevant to the Service
• Experience of managing and utilising budgets effectively
• Evidence of creative and inspirational approach to problem solving
• Significant operational experience in acute/integrated healthcare.
• Previous involvement in NHS service development and reconfiguration
• Experience in participation in NHS on call service as a senior manager.

Thank you for expressing interest in this role. For further employer guidance, please review the attached supplementary applicant information.

Certificate of Sponsorship - Sponsorship can only be offered where the role meets the relevant eligibility criteria, including minimum salary requirements. Please note that not all roles within the organisation are eligible for sponsorship. Eligibility for this role includes:

• Current right to work in the UK, subject to verification

Meeting the Skilled Worker visa criteria, where applicable

From 4 April 2024, UK immigration policy changes increased the minimum salary levels required for Skilled Worker visas. Further information is available on the UK Visas and Immigration website.

Current employees should be aware that this position is advertised as a Great Western Hospitals position and appointment ends any TUPE protection.

Candidates are responsible for covering the cost of their own DBS check if required: £21.50 for a Standard DBS check, recoverable from the first pay, or £49.50 for an Enhanced DBS check, divided and recoverable over the initial two pay periods. Payment for DBS checks for bank posts must be settled prior to commencement. Apprentices are exempt from DBS payment.

We are committed to supporting our staff in achieving a healthy work-life balance through flexible work arrangements. Upon joining the Trust, you have the right to request flexible working, with an unlimited number of requests allowed.

Upon acceptance of a job offer, your information will be transferred to the national NHS Electronic Staff Records System. All communication regarding your application will be conducted via email; please ensure to check your junk/spam folders as emails may occasionally be filtered there.

The Trust is a Disability Confident Employer; all applicants who have a disability can opt to be considered under the guaranteed interview scheme, which means that, providing they meet the minimum essential criteria for the post, they will be offered an interview. We are also proudly accredited as a Veteran Aware organisation and have signed The Armed Forces Covenant.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.