Head of Therapy Services

CancerCare North Lancashire and South Cumbria; Lancaster; On-site; GBP 42,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading charity in North Lancashire and South Cumbria is seeking a Head of Therapy Services to oversee high-quality therapeutic services for individuals affected by cancer and bereavement. This role involves managing both freelance and staff therapists, ensuring compliance with professional standards, and leading a multidisciplinary team to provide compassionate support.

Qualifications

• Experience in managing therapeutic services and multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong knowledge of safeguarding protocols and professional standards.
• Ability to analyze client feedback for service improvement.

Responsibilities

• Manage operations of therapeutic services ensuring ethical and effective delivery.
• Lead a team of therapists and facilitate training and development.
• Coordinate therapeutic oversight and compliance with professional standards.

Skills

Management

Therapeutic Oversight

Team Leadership

Education

Relevant professional qualifications in therapy

Job description

A FULLY COMPLETED APPLICATION FORM IS REQUIRED FOR THIS ROLE.

Visit Careers - CancerCare to download an application form

Accountable to:Chief Executive Officer

Working Hours:30 hours per week

Salary:£32,386 actual (£41,482 FTE)

Location:Charity wide, based in Lancaster

Role Overview

The Head of Therapy Services is responsible for overseeing the delivery of high-quality, client-centred therapeutic services to individuals affected by cancer, life shortening illnesses and bereavement. This role ensures the effective management of both freelance therapists and PAYE staff, fostering a collaborative environment that upholds CancerCare's commitment to compassionate and flexible support.

Key Responsibilities

Client Services

• Manage the day-to-day operations of CancerCare’s therapeutic services, ensuring ethical and seamless service delivery across all centres.
• Oversee the client journey, maintaining professional standards and analysing client feedback to inform service improvements.
• Oversee outcome measures to evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions.
• Collaborate with the Head of Finance & HR to establish and monitor service budgets.

Team Leadership & Management

• Lead and manage a multidisciplinary team of therapists providing individual, group, and online therapeutic sessions for adults, children, and young people.
• Be responsible for the safe recruitment, induction, and ongoing professional development of therapists and group facilitators.
• Supervise the therapy coordination team and assessors, currently comprising six direct reports.
• Facilitate relevant training and development opportunities for staff to support continuous professional growth.
• Assist the fundraising team in securing grant funding, ensuring compliance with grant agreements and timely reporting.

·Cultivate and maintain effective relationships with referrers, service providers, and statutory and voluntary sector partners involved in providing treatment and support to cancer patients, their families and those bereaved

• Represent CancerCare at external meetings, including Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust (UHMBT), cancer networks, bereavement forums, and Children & Young People's (CYP) groups.

Therapeutic Oversight

• Coordinate with approximately 60 therapists and group facilitators to ensure balanced caseloads, adherence to safeguarding protocols, and appropriate client discharge planning or extensions to therapy services.
• Ensure all services provided by our therapists comply with professional standards, including those set by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the Federation of Holistic Therapists (FHT), and others.
• Ensure CancerCare advocates for individuals with lived experience of cancer, contributing to service improvements within the medical cancer pathway.

Governance & Compliance

• Serve as the charity's Safeguarding Lead, ensuring adherence to safeguarding policies and procedures.
• Lead the organisational quality assurance and clinical governance initiatives for therapeutic services.
• Act as the Caldicott Guardian, overseeing the management and protection of client information.
• Conduct annual professional standards audits to maintain service excellence.

Reporting & Evaluation

• Manage client data within the Integrated Management System (IMS), ensuring accurate, up to date and confidential record-keeping.

·Ensure safeguarding concerns are logged, stored appropriately and that confidentiality is upheld.

• Review and analyse client satisfaction feedback to inform service improvements.
• Evaluate current services, pilot projects, and other initiatives to assess effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.

Additional Responsibilities

• Prepare presentations, proposals, and reports for the Trustee Board and Executive Leadership Team.
• Collaborate with the Executive Leadership Team and Trustee Board to develop and review budgets and financial reports.
• Participate actively in the Executive Leadership Team, contributing to strategic planning and decision-making.
• Organise and attend therapists' meetings, providing support and guidance as needed.
• Adhere to CancerCare's policies and procedures, including those related to Equal Opportunities, Health & Safety, Confidentiality, Complaints, Data Protection, and Safeguarding.
• Demonstrate flexibility in working hours to meet the needs of the role and responsibilities.
• Undertake any other duties as determined by the Executive Leadership Team.