Deputy Operational Lead

Oxford Health Nhs Foundation Trust; Aylesbury; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 days annual leave

NHS Discount

Lease car scheme

Cycle to work scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Mental Health First Aiders

Staff accommodation

Career progression

Job summary

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Deputy Operational Lead to support the Buckinghamshire Neurodevelopmental ADHD pathway within the Aylesbury team. The role focuses on maintaining high standards, supervising staff, and contributing to service development in a neuro-affirming setting.

You will work with a multidisciplinary team, travel between sites, and help implement robust clinical processes while ensuring high-quality community mental health care for children and families.

Qualifications

• Registered professional qualification with current registration (NMC/HCPC/SWE)
• Master’s degree in a relevant clinical, leadership or management discipline
• ADOS trained or additional neurodevelopmental assessment training
• Teaching, supervision or mentoring qualification
• Significant post-registration experience with children and young people in mental health/neurodevelopmental settings
• Experience leading, supervising, and developing teams and pathways
• Experience in CAMHS/neurodevelopmental services and ADHD pathways
• Commitment to CPD and professional development

Responsibilities

• Support the Operational Lead in developing the Buckinghamshire Neurodevelopmental and ADHD pathway, including structures, recruitment, and service implementation.
• Deputise for the Operational Lead as needed, ensuring delivery of high‑quality community mental health care packages.
• Line manage, supervise and appraise team colleagues, contributing to performance management.
• Collaborate with team leaders and managers to enhance community mental health services across the wider service.
• Ensure effective joint working with statutory and voluntary agencies to deliver responsive services.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Risk assessment

Organisational skills

Team development

Education

NMC/HCPC/SWE registration

Master’s degree in clinical/leadership

ADOS neurodevelopmental training

Teaching/mentoring qualification

Experience in CAMHS/neurodevelopmental services

Line management experience

ADHD pathway experience

Evidence of continuing professional development

Job description

Job summary

Do you want to take a step up into leadership in a clinical setting supporting young people with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental challenges? We are looking for a Deputy Operational Lead to join our Aylesbury based team on a. You will be joining a busy service of committed and welcoming people who strive to offer a high-quality service. You should be a motivated individual who is confident to support the operational lead in maintaining the high standards. Both teams have recently undergone significant redesign which has included a change in processes and recruitment, they have met this challenge with enthusiasm and a focus on quality and commitment to enabling best outcomes for the families in Bucks. The team strive to be neuro-affirming and embrace the role they undertake using a strength based approach. You should have a background of being a social worker, mental health nurse, OT or SALT professional ideally having worked with children and young people. This could be your first step into a leadership position in a clinical setting or continuing to build and hone your skillsets in a slightly different environment.

• Support the Operational Lead in managing and developing the Buckinghamshire Neurodevelopmental Assessment and ADHD Pathway, including clinical structures, staff recruitment, and service implementation.
• Deputise for the Operational Lead as needed, ensuring the delivery of high-quality community mental health care packages.
• Line manage, supervise, and appraise team colleagues, contributing to the development and implementation of a robust performance management system.
• Collaborate with team leaders and managers to enhance community mental health service provision across the wider service.
• Ensure effective joint working with statutory and voluntary agencies to deliver responsive and appropriate services to users and carers.

The ability to travel independently between sites within the Trust is essential for this role.

About us

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust provides physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset. Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people's homes, delivering care as close to home as possible. Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive: "Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team". Our values are: "Caring, safe and excellent". At Oxford Health we offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:

• Excellent opportunities for career progression
• Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and development
• 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service
• NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers
• Lease car scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Mental Health First Aiders
• Staff accommodation (please note waiting lists may apply)
• Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team

Job responsibilities

We hope that the advert has given you a clear understanding of the skills we are seeking and the opportunity at hand. You will need to use the supporting statement element of your application form to demonstrate your suitability for this role and you should refer to the job description, person specification and the guidance notes attached to this role to help you tailor your application. The essential and desirable criteria will be used to shortlist for interview, and you should ensure that you refer to these within your application to increase your chances of being selected for interview. We are aware that some candidates may choose to use AI tools to support their application. We kindly remind applicants that submissions should remain an honest and accurate representation of their experience and must take care to ensure the use of AI tools does not generate an application that does not accurately reflect their knowledge, skills and values.

Person Specification

Training and Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Mental Health Nurse, Learning Disability Nurse, Paediatric Nurse, Occupational Therapist, Speech and Language Therapist, Social Worker or other relevant registered professional qualification
• Current registration with relevant professional body (NMC, HCPC, Social Work England or equivalent)
• Evidence of continuing professional development and maintenance of professional registration
• Master's degree in a relevant clinical, leadership or management discipline
• ADOS trained and/or additional neurodevelopmental assessment training
• Teaching, supervision or mentoring qualification
• Significant post-registration experience working with children and young people with mental health and/or neurodevelopmental needs
• Experience of providing clinical supervision, mentorship or leadership to colleagues
• Experience of multidisciplinary and multi-agency working across health, education and social care
• Experience of complex assessment, formulation, risk management and clinical decision-making
• Experience contributing to service improvement, audit, quality assurance or governance activities
• Experience working within a dedicated Neurodevelopmental Assessment Service or ADHD pathway
• Experience of line management and appraisal responsibilities
• Experience working within CAMHS community services
• Experience supporting ADHD medication pathways
• Experience leading service development or pathway redesign initiatives

Knowledge and skills

Essential

• Sound knowledge of neurodevelopmental conditions, including Autism and ADHD
• Understanding of neuro-affirming, child-centred and evidence-based practice
• Ability to undertake specialist assessments and contribute to formulation-led care planning
• Strong clinical risk assessment and risk management skills
• Ability to make autonomous clinical decisions and manage clinical complexity
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex and sensitive information to children, families and professionals
• Ability to lead, motivate and support staff through change and service pressures
• Understanding of clinical governance, safeguarding, quality improvement and performance management processes
• Strong organisational skills and ability to manage competing priorities effectively
• Advanced knowledge of neurodevelopmental assessment frameworks and NICE guidance
• Direct experience of conducting neurodevelopmental assessments
• Knowledge of ADHD medication monitoring and governance requirements
• Experience interpreting performance and activity dataExperience presenting information to senior leaders or external agencies

Leadership and Management

Essential

• Experience supporting staff development through supervision, coaching or leadership
• Ability to promote a positive, inclusive and psychologically safe team culture
• Ability to contribute to workforce planning, recruitment and staff development
• Demonstrates values-based, compassionate leadership and professional integrity
• Formal leadership experience within CAMHS or neurodevelopmental services
• Experience managing performance, attendance or capability processes

Other

Essential

• Commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion and neuro-affirming practice
• Ability to travel across Buckinghamshire and surrounding localities as required by the role
• Lived experience of neurodiversity

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. Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).