Head of Policy (Health)

Public Service Ombudsman; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 52,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Civil Service Pension scheme

32.5 days annual leave

Hybrid working

Volunteer leave

Employee Assistance Programme

Learning and development programme

Employee discount scheme

Bicycle loan

Season ticket loan

Professional memberships

Job summary

Public Service Ombudsman is seeking a senior policy-focused leader to turn casework insights into actionable health system improvements. You will influence national health policy using the Ombudsman’s data, collaborate with diverse teams, and drive cross-organisational change.

You will manage a four-person team, engage with external stakeholders, and develop strategic recommendations for senior decision-makers while upholding the organisation’s values of inclusion and wellbeing.

Qualifications

• Excellent policy analysis skills with evidence testing and option assessment.
• Ability to develop policy at senior level with clear reports and briefs.
• Experience engaging senior stakeholders across organisations.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of four and build relationships with external organisations.
• Influence change across the health system using data and insights.
• Translate complaints and investigations into clear policy recommendations.
• Collaborate with communications, data and systemic investigations teams.

Skills

Policy analysis

Stakeholder engagement

Team leadership

Public sector experience

Job description

Interview dates: w/c 16 November (in person)

About us

At the Public Service Ombudsman, we make final decisions on complaints that have not been resolved by UK Government departments and the NHS in England. We work closely with people to understand where, how and why public services sometimes fall short and fail to put people first. We share findings from our casework to help Parliament scrutinise public service providers. We also share our findings more widely to help drive improvements in public services and complaint handling.

Our culture is open, friendly and supportive. We listen, we learn, and we treat everyone with dignity and respect. Inclusion and wellbeing are at the heart of how we work, and we strive to create a workplace where every colleague feels valued, supported and able to thrive.

We work in a modern, flexible way built on trust and autonomy. You will split your time between working from home and spending around 40% of your week in our Manchester or London office, where collaboration and connection with your team are an important part of how we work.

Please note that we were formally known as The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

The role

This role is all about using what we learn from complaints, investigations and casework to help improve health services in England. The focus is on spotting wider issues, turning evidence into clear policy recommendations and influencing positive improvement in services.

Knowledge of the NHS in England and ability to apply that knowledge strategically is central to the role. You will be working to influence change across the health system, using the Ombudsman’s unique data and insight to support system improvements and working collaboratively with stakeholders.

There is also a strong focus on people and relationships. Leading a team of four, building relationships with external organisations and working collaboratively with our communications, data and systemic investigations teams.

There is a real opportunity to influence change across the health system. Our recent work on ADHD and autism services and end of life care shows how insight from complaints can identify wider problems, shape recommendations and help improve services for patients and families.

What we are looking for

• Excellent policy analysis skills, including the ability to test assumptions, interpret evidence, assess options and make proportionate recommendations.
• Can develop and influence policy at a senior level, producing clear advice, reports, briefings and recommendations for senior decision-makers.
• Can engage and influence senior stakeholders across organisational boundaries, including on sensitive, high-profile or contested issues.
• Can lead, support and develop others, including managing quality, giving constructive feedback and building an inclusive, high-performing team culture.

We recognise the value of lived experience. If you have experience of complaining about any public body, we strongly encourage you to apply.

• Civil Service Pension scheme
• 32.5 days annual leave (plus bank holidays on top)
• hybrid working, 40 percent office based
• one day paid volunteering leave per year
• access to a free, confidential Employee Assistance Programme offering 24/7 advice and support from professionals and counsellors
• comprehensive learning and development programme
• employee discount scheme across hundreds of retailers
• bicycle loan scheme
• season ticket loan
• paid for professional memberships

Equality, diversity, inclusion, and wellbeing are vital to the way we work and our culture. We want our colleagues feel included, valued, and supported at work. It is essential that we are representative and accessible for the people who work here and those who use our service.

Actions we take to embed this include

• an anonymised shortlisting process to make sure it is fair and unbiased
• monitoring the demographic trends in our workforce and making measured, sustained efforts to improve our diversity at all levels
• providing wellbeing support and opportunities for personal and professional development for all colleaguescreating spaces for connection and engagement through our employee network groups and social clubs
• part of the disability confident scheme
• providing reasonable adjustments
• engaging in regular inclusion learning to enhance the cultural competency of our organisation.

We know the value of having diverse, representative teams across our organisation. Which is why we particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented within the team.

• Asian, Black, Mixed Ethnicity or another ethnic background
• disabled
• LGBTQ.

Contact and important information

• Interviews: held onsite
• Feedback: we do not offer feedback at application stage
• Right to work: we can only consider candidates with the right to work in the UK.
• Sponsorship: we are unable to offer sponsorship (we do not have a licence).
• Agencies: no agencies; applications from individuals only.
• Early closure: we may close the advert early if we receive a high volume of applications.