Head of Therapy (Addiction)

NHS Jobs; Redditch; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Gordon Moody seeks a Head of Therapy to lead clinical practice across residential and remote services. You will drive evidence-based, trauma-informed care while maintaining a small caseload for complex cases, reporting to the Clinical Director and shaping service delivery with the SLT.

You will oversee governance, safeguarding, supervision and staff development, ensuring high-quality outcomes and continuous improvement within a compassionate, person-centered framework.

Qualifications

• Postgraduate/doctoral qualification in therapy or mental health.
• Current accreditation or registration with BABCP, BACP, HCPC, UKCP or equivalent.
• Recognised clinical supervision qualification and CPD evidence.
• Extensive post-qualification experience in addiction/mental health services.
• Experience with complex/high-risk presentations, safeguarding and suicidality.
• Proven experience in line managing qualified therapists or clinicians.
• Leadership at senior level with governance, audit and QA experience.
• Knowledge of safeguarding, risk assessment and regulatory responsibilities.
• Experience monitoring outcomes and performance data to drive improvements.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist expertise in assessment, formulation and treatment of gambling-related harms.
• Lead therapy teams to ensure evidence-based, trauma-informed, recovery-focused practice.
• Oversee clinical governance, audits, policy reviews and supervision frameworks.
• Line manage therapists, provide supervision and professional development.
• Represent Gordon Moody in partnerships, strategy discussions and external forums.
• Ensure safe, timely access and consistent clinical practice across services.

Skills

Therapy leadership

Line management

Clinical governance

Safeguarding

Strategic planning

Communication

Risk assessment

Auditing & QA

Stakeholder collaboration

Education

Postgraduate or doctoral therapy/mental health qualification (e.g., CBT, counselling, psychology, nursing)

Accreditation/registration with BABCP, BACP, HCPC, UKCP or equivalent

Clinical supervision qualification & CPD evidence

Significant post-qualification experience in addiction/mental health

Tools

Electronic records systems

Clinical supervision tools

Job description

Head of Therapy

Reporting to: Clinical Director

Direct reports: Gambling Therapists and other clinical staff as allocated

Hours: 35 hours per week

Location: Redditch, with organisation-wide responsibility and travel to services as required

About Gordon Moody

At Gordon Moody, we believe in second chances and helping people build lives free from gambling-related harm. For more than 50 years, we have provided specialist treatment and support to people whose lives have been significantly affected by gambling. Our services combine clinical expertise, evidence-based treatment and compassionate, person-centred care. We help people achieve meaningful and lasting recovery in a safe, respectful and non-judgemental environment.

The role

The Head of Therapy is a senior clinical leadership role responsible for the quality, safety and effectiveness of therapeutic practice across Gordon Moody's residential and remote services. As our senior therapy subject matter expert, you will provide professional leadership to therapists and wider clinical teams, ensuring treatment remains evidence-based, person-centred, trauma-informed and responsive to people experiencing gambling-related harms and associated mental health difficulties. Working closely with the Clinical Director and Senior Leadership Team, you will translate strategy into high-quality clinical delivery, combining strategic leadership with clinical credibility. You will also maintain a small clinical caseload where appropriate, particularly involving complex or high-risk presentations.

Key responsibilities

Clinical leadership and practice

Provide specialist expertise in the assessment, formulation and treatment of gambling-related harms, behavioural addictions and co-occurring mental health difficulties. Lead or advise on complex and high-risk cases, ensuring appropriate treatment planning, review and escalation. Deliver and oversee evidence-based individual and group interventions, including CBT, motivational approaches and appropriate integrative therapies. Maintain a limited caseload and model excellent therapeutic practice, trauma-informed care and recovery-focused working. Ensure continuity of care across assessment, treatment, transfer, discharge and aftercare.

Clinical governance, safeguarding and risk

As Designated Safeguarding Lead, you will provide organisation-wide oversight of safeguarding, suicidality, crisis escalation and clinical risk. Lead therapy-related clinical governance, including audit, policy review, peer review, supervision frameworks and quality improvement. Ensure safeguarding and clinical risk concerns are identified, documented, escalated and reviewed appropriately. Maintain compliance with safeguarding legislation, professional standards, regulatory requirements, commissioner expectations and Gordon Moody policies. Monitor clinical quality indicators, treatment outcomes and service performance and use findings to drive improvement. Support inspections, audits, commissioner reviews and external assurance activity.

People leadership and development

Line manage Gambling Therapists and other allocated clinical staff, including objectives, one-to-ones, appraisal, wellbeing, capability and performance. Provide expert clinical supervision and ensure clinicians receive supervision appropriate to their role, registration, competence and caseload complexity. Lead reflective practice and support clinicians with complex formulation, therapeutic decision-making, professional boundaries and risk. Develop and deliver training for clinical and wider teams. Promote staff engagement, inclusion, psychological safety and a compassionate, accountable culture. Support recruitment, induction, workforce planning, retention and succession planning.

Service delivery and operational leadership

Lead therapeutic services so access, assessment and treatment are timely, safe and effective. Work with service leads to maintain appropriate staffing, caseload oversight and consistent clinical practice. Ensure therapists follow agreed processes for assessment, care planning, record keeping, clinical meetings, handovers and outcome monitoring. Oversee delivery against service standards, programme requirements and commissioner expectations. Support effective referral, transfer, discharge and onward-care arrangements. Deputise for the Clinical Director when required.

Strategy, service development and partnerships

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, you will provide expert advice on therapy, clinical risk, workforce and service development. Work with the Clinical Director and senior colleagues to design, review and diversify treatment programmes. Ensure service development is informed by evidence, service-user need, outcomes and relevant policy. Support alignment with national gambling harms treatment frameworks and wider mental health priorities. Represent Gordon Moody in clinical networks, commissioner discussions, partnership meetings and external forums. Act as a subject matter expert in gambling harms, addiction treatment and therapeutic practice. Contribute to strategic planning, business development and organisational change.

Outcomes, evaluation and learning

Report on programme activity, completion, outcomes, quality and effectiveness to senior leaders, commissioners and stakeholders. Lead or contribute to programme evaluation, clinical audit, policy development and service-related research. Use clinical data, service-user feedback, audit findings and research evidence to identify improvement priorities. Maintain current knowledge of gambling treatment, addiction, mental health and therapeutic innovation and translate learning into practice. Facilitate in-house clinical training.

About you

We are looking for an experienced therapeutic professional who combines strong clinical credibility with confident, compassionate leadership. You will be comfortable working strategically while remaining connected to frontline practice, with sound professional judgement and a strong understanding of safeguarding, clinical risk and complex presentations. You will be able to build trust, influence others, challenge constructively and create an environment in which clinicians can learn, develop and deliver excellent care.

Essential qualifications and experience

• A recognised postgraduate or doctoral therapeutic or mental health professional qualification, such as CBT, counselling, clinical or counselling psychology, or mental health nursing.
• Current accreditation or registration with BABCP, BACP, HCPC, UKCP or another relevant recognised professional body.
• A recognised clinical supervision qualification and evidence of current continuing professional development.
• Significant post-qualification experience, including at least three years within addiction and/or mental health services.
• Experience of complex and high-risk presentations, including safeguarding concerns, suicidality and co-occurring mental health difficulties.
• Ability to integrate other appropriate therapeutic approaches.
• Proven experience of line managing qualified therapists or other registered clinicians.
• Experience of leading clinical teams and contributing at senior leadership level.
• Strong experience of clinical governance, audit, quality assurance and improvement.
• Detailed knowledge of safeguarding, clinical risk assessment, crisis escalation and relevant legal and regulatory responsibilities.
• Experience of monitoring outcomes and performance information and using findings to improve services.
• Excellent communication, influencing, analytical and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to work effectively with service users, staff, commissioners, NHS services, regulators and external partners.
• Competence in electronic clinical or patient record systems.
• Safeguarding Level 3.

Desirable experience

• Experience within gambling harms services and/or other behavioural addictions.
• Experience across residential and remote or community treatment settings.
• A leadership, management, quality improvement, research or service evaluation.