Head Of Vulnerable Adults & Complex Pathways

Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group; Poole; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group is seeking an accomplished senior leader to drive Mental Health strategy and oversee multidisciplinary teams. You will shape integrated pathways in collaboration with ICS partners and ensure safeguarding and MCA compliance across services.

The role requires a registered healthcare professional with a Master's degree or equivalent and extensive senior leadership experience in health and social care.

Qualifications

• RN/RMN registered healthcare professional.
• Master's degree or equivalent in healthcare, leadership, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Provide corporate leadership for Mental Health, strategic oversight of the MCA, and leadership across system partnerships to deliver integrated pathways for vulnerable adults.
• Be accountable for all aspects of service delivery, ensuring care is safe, effective, responsive, and aligned to Trust priorities, CQC standards, and system objectives.
• Provide highly visible, credible, and authoritative clinical leadership for nursing and AHP teams, promoting professional excellence, evidence-based practice, and improved patient outcomes.
• Ensure services are effective, well-coordinated, and responsive to evolving needs of patients with mental health conditions, driving innovation and continuous quality improvement.
• Lead partnership working across the Integrated Care System (ICS), collaborating with community providers, local authority partners, mental health trusts and the voluntary sector to deliver integrated, person-centred pathways and improve population health outcomes.
• Contribute at place and system level to shared strategic priorities, ensuring seamless pathways and patient flow across acute, community, and mental health services.
• Provide senior leadership for safeguarding and MCA practice, ensuring robust systems, compliance with legislation, and assurance to the Trust Board and external regulators.

Skills

Communication & negotiation

Stakeholder management

Strategic leadership

Education

Master's degree or equivalent in healthcare/leadership

Job description

Detailed job description

and main responsibilities

• Providing corporate leadership for Mental Health, strategic oversight of the MCA, and leadership across system partnerships to deliver integrated pathways for vulnerable adults.
• Be accountable for all aspects of service delivery, ensuring care is safe, effective, responsive, and aligned to Trust priorities, CQC standards, and system objectives.
• Provide highly visible, credible, and authoritative clinical leadership for nursing and AHP teams, promoting professional excellence, evidence-based practice, and improved patient outcomes.
• Ensure services are effective, well-coordinated, and responsive to the evolving needs of patients with mental health conditions, driving innovation and continuous quality improvement.
• Lead partnership working across the Integrated Care System (ICS), collaborating with community providers, local authority partners, mental health trusts and the voluntary sector to deliver integrated, person-centred pathways and improve population health outcomes.
• Contribute at place and system level to shared strategic priorities, ensuring seamless pathways and patient flow across acute, community, and mental health services.
• Provide senior leadership for safeguarding and MCA practice, ensuring robust systems, compliance with legislation, and assurance to the Trust Board and external regulators.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Relevant professional registration RN/RMN Registered Healthcare Professional (NMC, HCPC, Social Work England or equivalent recognised professional body).
• Master's degree or equivalent level of experience in healthcare, social care, leadership, management, or a related field.

Desirable criteria

• Master’s degree in leadership, Healthcare Management, Mental Health, Public Health or equivalent.
• Specialist qualification in Safeguarding, Mental Health, Learning Disabilities or Dementia Care.

Experience

Essential criteria

• Significant senior leadership experience within health, social care, safeguarding and complex care services.
• Experience of operational management, workforce planning and budget management.
• Experience of partnership working across organisational boundaries.

Desirable criteria

• Demonstrable experience of working collaboratively with local authorities, Integrated Care Systems (ICS), and third-sector partners.

Technical Skills

Essential criteria

• Highly developed communication and negotiation skills, including the ability to influence senior stakeholders and multidisciplinary teams.
• Able to balance strategic thinking with operational delivery, maintaining focus on organisational priorities and patient outcomes.

Desirable criteria

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage complexity and drive sustainable change.

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Extensive knowledge of safeguarding adults legislation and practice.
• Understanding of NHS operational flow, discharge processes and reduction of delayed discharges.

Desirable criteria

• Expert knowledge of safeguarding adults legislation, policy, and best practice