Service Lead

NHS Jobs; Ashford; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

NHS Jobs is seeking a capable leader to head the Kent Specialist Stop Smoking Outreach Service, directing a team of stop smoking advisors and an administrator. You will oversee service development, performance, and partnerships with primary and secondary care, ensuring high-quality, evidence-based interventions for priority groups.

The role requires strategic leadership, governance oversight, and effective communication with stakeholders to sustain referrals and service improvements across Kent.

Qualifications

• Experienced leader of health and wellbeing services across community settings.
• Ability to motivate and support teams to achieve high standards.
• Skilled in designing, delivering and evaluating outcomes in complex health systems.
• Strong communication with clients, staff, volunteers and partners.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of stop smoking advisors and an administrator across Kent.
• Oversee delivery of the Kent Specialist Stop Smoking Outreach Service and ensure KPI achievement.
• Coordinate internal performance reviews, data reporting, and governance processes.

Skills

Leadership

Quality improvement

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Strategic thinking

Communication

Job description

you will lead a team to provide targeted outreach, flexible, bespoke tobacco dependency support, with a focus on priority cohorts where smoking prevalence is high and engagement requires a consistent innovative co-productive approach. The priority cohorts you will be supporting are: Mental Health Social Housing Children and Young People Workplace CoSTED Programme -Proactive outreach and VBA within A & E Departments This is a leadership role where the post holder will have a real influence on the clinical and operational excellence of the service. Working with the System Integration Lead, the post holder will create strong partnerships with community groups and organisations to deliver tobacco dependency services in a bespoke manner, based on the requirements of each cohort. You will also work proactively with secondary care settings and will support stop smoking specialist practitioners to deliver outcomes that benefit clients referred to the service.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. 1. Leadership & Quality Improvement Lead a team of stop smoking specialist advisors and an administrator to deliver tobacco dependency support to priority community groups and the CoSTED Programme across Kent providing day to day supervision, performance management and professional support. Develop and coordinate the Kent Specialist Stop Smoking Outreach Service team to ensure delivery of high-quality, evidence-based interventions to priority groups across Kent. Support staff through regular audits, observations, and development planning to maintain high standards of smoking cessation/tobacco dependency practice and to inform service development plans. Provide strong practice leadership aligned with the organisations values, modelling best practice and promoting reflective practice and continuous improvement. Drive quality improvement and contribute to the overall objectives of the Kent service. Support governance processes to ensure the service remains safe, caring, effective, responsive and well-led in accordance with ABL Health internal standards. Produce high-quality reports that showcase effectiveness, highlight trends, and recommend actions to improve performance.
2. 2. Service Development & Operational Management Lead on internal performance review boards to monitor the service for continued improvement Lead on service planning, development, implementation, and coordination of all elements of the Kent Specialist Stop Smoking Outreach Service. Work collaboratively with the ABL Healths Lead Clinical Supervisor/Professional Lead for Smoking Cessation to embed best practice into the Kent Specialist Stop Smoking Outreach Service. Ensure key performance indicators (KPIs) are met, providing regular updates to the Head of Service. Work effectively with the data team to ensure service data demonstrates clear and measurable outcomes. Plan and organise workloads efficiently to meet service priorities and deadlines. Ensure robust, accurate, and timely client records are always maintained. Use reflection, feedback, and evaluation to continually refine and improve the Kent Specialist Stop Smoking Outreach Service. Support the promotion and communication of the Kent Specialist Stop Smoking Outreach Service to increase referrals and awareness.
3. 3. Stakeholder Engagement & Partnership Working Provide very brief stop smoking advice training to appropriate professionals and stakeholders to strengthen service delivery and collaborative working across Kent Work collaboratively with key stakeholders across community, primary care, and secondary care settings to ensure seamless referral pathways and effective referral feedback processes. Participate in multidisciplinary meetings as required, providing specialist input to support integrated care. Build strategic relationships that help increase referrals, improve communication, and strengthen service reach. Contribute to wider service campaigns, community engagement, and social value initiatives. Promote the service externally and represent it professionally at events, meetings, and partnership activities.

Skills and Competencies Required

Skills and Competencies Required An experienced leader with experience in delivering health and wellbeing related services across community settings and to priority groups with the ability to motivate, engage and support teams to achieve the highest standards and outcomes. Skilled in project management accustomed to using tools and processes to identify project goals, set and manage the schedule, anticipate, and identify issues, remove obstacles, delineate responsibility, track task completion, and communicate progress Experience in leading evolving and developing services within a complex health system. A strategic thinker, able to foresee and take action to deal with problems and opportunities. An adept communicator who adapts the message to fit the needs of the audience including clients, staff, volunteers and partner agencies Results orientated always working actively to outperform their goals. Be able to build strong relationships, foster trust and co-operation among colleagues and stakeholders for best outcomes. Be quality driven; naturally seek high standards for self and others and actively seek to improve them. Value and remain open to new ideas and perspectives. Please note that we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role