Head of Patient Experience & Public Engagement

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; Dorchester; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in the UK is seeking a Patient Experience and Public Engagement Manager to develop strategies and lead a team focused on improving patient experiences. The ideal candidate will have specialist knowledge of healthcare regulations, extensive experience in managing patient engagement, and strong leadership skills. This role involves collaboration with various stakeholders to implement best practices and monitor service quality. The Trust is committed to inclusivity and welcomes applications from diverse backgrounds.

Benefits

Commitment to diversity and inclusion

Supportive team environment

Qualifications

• In-depth specialist knowledge of healthcare regulations and standards.
• Extensive experience in patient experience and public engagement within the healthcare sector.
• Demonstrable senior management experience in complex organizations, preferably in the NHS.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a Patient Experience and Public Engagement Strategy.
• Oversee the Complaints, PALS, Volunteer services and patient-engagement initiatives.
• Ensure up-to-date policies and procedures are relevant and complied with.

Skills

Leadership skills

Strong communication skills

Project management

Negotiation skills

Problem-solving skills

Education

Master's degree or equivalent experience

Business / Project management qualification

Leadership / governance qualification

Tools

Datix

Job description

Job overview

The post holder will be required to lead and develop a robust Patient Experience and Public Engagement Strategy in collaboration with the Director of Nursing, Deputy Director of Nursing and Divisional Heads of Nursing and Quality. They will provide visible senior leadership to ensure that effective patient‑experience strategies are implemented across the Trust, with processes, systems, training and enabling tools for staff to implement these strategies locally, thereby ensuring safe and effective care for patients, staff and visitors.

The post holder will lead the Patient Experience and Public Engagement Team, overseeing the Complaints, PALS, Volunteer, Carers and patient‑experience and public‑engagement services in supporting the Trust to meet the requirement of the National Patient Experience Strategy.

The post holder will keep abreast of national initiatives and developments, identifying and communicating changes to ensure that best‑practice initiatives are implemented as part of continuous improvement within Patient Experience, Volunteering and Patient and Public Engagement. They will ensure that teams have up‑to‑date policies and procedures that are relevant, understood and complied with, and will provide training and development of staff as appropriate.

Working for our organisation

At DCHFT we pride ourselves on the care we provide for our patients and on the culture we are creating for our staff. We work hard to create a fair, inclusive environment for our staff.

The Mission is to work in partnership to provide high‑quality, compassionate services and to nurture an environment where people can be at their best. Our vision is healthier lives, empowered citizens, thriving communities.

We are a Trust that celebrates diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We welcome applications from people in all under‑represented groups.

We understand that some applicants may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist in preparing their application materials. While this is not discouraged, we remind candidates that all submissions must be truthful and accurately reflect their own experiences and suitability for this role. Personal integrity and authenticity are central to our recruitment process, and we value honesty and appreciate genuine applications.

UKVI Sponsorship

This role is eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route as defined by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). We welcome applications from individuals who require sponsorship to work in the UK. Sponsorship will be offered subject to meeting UKVI eligibility criteria.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Our DCHFT Job Description and Person Specification (attached) tells you all about this role, what to expect and what is needed to succeed. When completing your application, please make sure to tell us how your experience and skills fit the person specification.

Person specification

Education, Qualifications and Training

Essential criteria

• In‑depth specialist knowledge of healthcare regulations, standards and accreditation bodies acquired through Masters education or equivalent experience plus specialist experience and expertise in clinical governance and staff management.
• Business / Project management qualification, or equivalent experience.
• Leadership / governance qualification.
• Extensive experience in patient experience and public engagement, or a related field within the healthcare sector.
• Evidence of further professional and personal development.

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria

• Strong leadership skills, with a track record of successfully managing and motivating teams.
• Experience of patient experience and public engagement activities – standards/audit, guidelines, protocols, quality improvement methodologies, research and risk management.
• Demonstrable senior management experience within a complex large organisation preferably within the NHS.
• Experience of working with external providers/commissioners in measuring and developing service improvements.
• Experience of developing systems and mechanisms for measuring elements of service level or patient‑level standards of care.
• Experience of working with patients/service stakeholders to improve quality of service.
• Knowledge of the components of patient experience and public engagement and assurance functions – current NHS national policies, standards, requirements and direction that relate to measuring and improving the quality and safety of patient care.
• Excellent presentation, communication, problem solving and report writing skills.
• Experience of liaising with external agencies and multidisciplinary working.
• Experience of having managed and supervised teams diverse in both makeup and geography.
• Experience of developing and implementing strategy and/or project management at a senior level preferably in the NHS.

Skills and Abilities

Essential criteria

• Proven written and oral communication and interpersonal skills, with high level negotiation and influencing skills and an ability to build effective relationships with colleagues and a range of external partners.
• Ability to develop effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders who have differing and sometimes conflicting needs.
• Self‑motivated, can organise and prioritise work using own initiative.
• Ability to deal confidently with staff at all levels of the organisations.
• Demonstrates commitment to improving the quality of patient care.
• Advanced planning and organisational skills.
• Excellent leadership, influencing and motivational skills.
• Able to negotiate and influence at an organisational level and externally with a range of stakeholders.
• Excellent verbal and written communication.
• Excellent computer literacy skills with knowledge of developing and leading presentations, using and managing databases and effective use of word processing software, and incident reporting systems such as Datix.

Our Mission

Outstanding care for people in ways which matter to them.

Our Vision

Dorset County Hospital, working with our health and social care partners, will be at the heart of improving the well‑being of our communities.

Our Values

Integrity, Respect, Teamwork, Excellence – We are a Trust that celebrates diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We welcome applications from people in all under‑represented groups.