Lead Allied Health Professional

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust; Taunton, Yeovil; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working options

NHS pension scheme

Generous annual leave

Career development

Blue Light Card

Job summary

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an inspirational Lead Allied Health Professional to shape the future of AHP practice within Mental Health Inpatient and Urgent Care Services. The role leads workforce development, clinical governance, and professional standards for AHP staff, driving evidence-based care and quality improvement across services.

You will provide leadership, supervision, coaching, and professional support to AHP colleagues, working with senior leaders and the Trust's AHP

Qualifications

• HCPC registration and significant senior-level experience in mental health services.
• Proven leadership, governance and change-management capabilities.
• Commitment to ongoing professional development and evidence-based practice.

Responsibilities

• Provide professional leadership and management for AHPs within Mental Health Inpatient and Urgent Care Services.
• Lead workforce development, clinical governance, and service improvement initiatives.
• Advise Heads of Service on staffing establishments, skill mix, and service delivery models.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Workforce development

Clinical governance

Quality improvement

Mentoring

Education

BSc/MSc in an Allied Health Profession

Leadership and Management training

Practice Placement Educator training

Master’s degree in progress / study

Job description

Lead Allied Health Professional (Indicative Band 8a)

Are you an experienced Allied Health Professional ready to influence strategic service development and lead a skilled multidisciplinary workforce? We are seeking an inspirational Lead Allied Health Professional to provide professional leadership across our Mental Health Inpatient and Urgent Care Services.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of AHP practice, champion evidence-based care, and drive quality improvement. Working closely with senior leaders, service managers and the Trust's Chief AHP, you will lead workforce development, clinical governance, service improvement initiatives and professional standards for AHP staff.

You will contribute to strategic planning and business development, and ensure AHP voices are represented at all levels of service delivery. You will also provide leadership, supervision, coaching and professional support to AHP colleagues across inpatient and urgent care pathways.

We are looking for a HCPC-registered AHP with significant senior-level experience, a strong background in mental health services, proven leadership skills, and a passion for innovation, quality improvement and workforce development. Leadership and management training, evidence of ongoing professional development, and an ability to influence change are essential. If you are committed to improving outcomes, strengthening multidisciplinary working and leading the development of AHP services, we would love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

To provide professional leadership and management for Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) within Mental Health Inpatient and Urgent Care Services, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, evidence-based care and supporting the development of AHP practice in line with Trust objectives, professional standards, and national policy.

To be professionally accountable for the clinical and professional standards of the AHP workforce within the service, providing expert advice and guidance on matters relating to Allied Health Professions. The post holder will act as the lead AHP representative, ensuring that AHP perspectives contribute to service planning, workforce development, clinical governance, and service improvement initiatives.

To provide specialist professional advice to Heads of Service, Operational Managers, and multidisciplinary colleagues regarding AHP roles, workforce requirements, staffing establishments, skill mix, professional standards, and service delivery models, supporting the effective utilisation of AHP resources to meet service needs.

To contribute to the operational and strategic development through professional leadership, quality improvement, workforce planning, education, and the implementation of national and local priorities relevant to AHP's.

To provide leadership across the multidisciplinary team, promoting collaborative working, professional excellence, innovation, and a culture of continuous improvement to enhance patient outcomes, experience, and service effectiveness.

About us

At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:

• Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
• NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
• Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
• A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential

Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.

We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.

Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.

The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.

Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.

Job responsibilities

Please see attached job description for further information about the role and the personal requirements and specification

Qualifications

• BSc or MSc in an Allied Health Profession
• Leadership and Management training
• Practice Placement Educator training
• Working towards or prepared to undertake a master's degree programme
• Evidence of up-to-date continuous professional development

Experience

• Significant post-qualification experience in a senior role
• Experience in Clinical Governance, Audit and Research
• Experience of Service Development
• Experience in staff appraisal, supervision and staff Development
• Knowledge and experience in supervision and leadership with registered and non-registered staff and students
• Experience of Team Management

Additional Criteria

• Highly developed specialist knowledge, skills and experience in physiotherapy, occupational therapy or other allied health profession, dementia care and physical and mental health of older people.
• Knowledge of practice in relation to wider Allied Health Professions
• Knowledge of evidence-based models of practice, assessments and interventions and strong reflective practice and clinical reasoning skills
• Significant knowledge of Mental Health
• Clinical and legislative knowledge in health services, knowledge of the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act
• Knowledge and experience in Health & safety, Risk assessment and management
• Caseload Management including highly complex conditions and cases
• To have highly developed verbal and written communication skills for working with individuals and groups, patients and carers, staff, managers and external agencies
• To have strong interpersonal skills and approachability work with others and strengthen teamwork
• Able to persuade & influence in highly complex and difficult situations with sensitivity and compassion
• Highly reliable and motivated, ability to organise own, others & service workload
• Ability to manage, review and develop team performance
• To have a positive approach and ability to adapt to change
• Flexibility to respond and adapt to service needs
• To have supported the implementation of evidence-based models of practice, assessments & interventions
• Able to demonstrate a good standard of English language
• Ability to provide highly complex advice or information which may require persuasive, motivational and negotiating skills
• Able to fulfil Occupational Health requirements for the post (with reasonable adjustments if necessary)
• SFT requires all its staff and prospective employees to carry out your duties in line with Trust Equality policies and procedures, including relevant
• legislation, to deliver and promote equity of access to healthcare and equality of opportunity at work at all times.
• Willingness to use technology to improve standards of care and support to our patients
• *Membership of relevant special interest group
• *Recruitment and Selection
• *Evidence of policy development
• *Evidence of Professional Publications
• *Knowledge and experience in supervision and leadership with registered and non-registered staff and students
• *Experience of Team Management

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.