Service Line Leader

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust; Welwyn Garden City; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading mental health service provider is seeking a Service Line Leader for its Adult Community Mental Health Services in Welwyn Garden City. The role involves ensuring high-quality care, managing financial performance, and leading a dedicated team. Candidates should have experience in healthcare management and a passion for improving mental health services. The position offers a competitive salary, staff benefits, and a supportive work culture focused on career development.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Career development and training

Values-driven culture

Qualifications

• Experience in healthcare management, particularly in mental health.
• Strong understanding of NHS governance and quality standards.
• Ability to inspire and lead teams effectively.

Responsibilities

• Ensure safe and high-quality service delivery for the community.
• Accountable for financial planning and performance management.
• Work collaboratively with local healthcare partners.

Skills

Leadership

Team management

Strategic planning

Financial management

Communication

Education

Professional registration in the UK

Job description

The Service Line Leader is responsible for ensuring the successful delivery of high quality Care Pathways which effectively meet the needs of the people in East and North Hertfordshire.
As a member of the East and North Senior Leadership team, the Service Line Leader will play a leadership and implementation role in supporting the delivery of HPFT’s vision, strategic goals and organisational objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Hold responsibility and accountability for service user safety and adherence to quality standards.
• Govern policy, management, strategic planning, priority setting, financial/workforce management, partnership development and operational management of all health and social care facilities within the East and North Strategic Business Unit.
• Act with limited guidance, routinely within own authority, as a senior manager.
• Work closely with senior management teams of other Strategic Business Units to ensure effective co‑ordination and operational delivery of health & social care services within HPFT.
• Lead the delivery of a service taking account of the Trust’s transformation agenda and implementation of care pathways, ensuring a cohesive, effective and seamless service is provided for service users.
• Ensure effective delivery of community based care services for the Strategic Business Unit, working on a whole‑systems approach to achieve required levels of performance.
• Support management of relationships with primary care general practitioners, HCS, PCT and third‑sector organisations to engage them in developing the Strategic Business Unit’s strategic direction and priorities.
• Accountable for the financial planning, financial balance and performance management of the Strategic Business Unit.
• Play a senior role in local partnerships to ensure clear leadership and tangible inter‑agency collaboration to deliver broader long‑term service planning.
• Enable a strong and effective team by providing strategic vision and leadership for staff working within Strategic Business Unit.
• Deliver effective communication of the Strategic Business Unit strategy and service delivery to the community, external bodies, the media and the public.
• Work with Managing Directors and other Service Line Leaders to ensure equity across the HPFT in accessing services and take a lead role on priority areas across HPFT as required.

Governance and Quality

• Ensure high standards of staff governance, adhering to NHS code of conduct for managers and professional standards.
• Implement effective practice governance arrangements, giving appropriate assurance that services are managed and delivered in accordance with legal, statutory and strategic frameworks.
• Maintain effective arrangements for managing incidents and complaints, focusing on lessons learned.
• Represent the Trust at formal processes where service safety and appropriateness are under external scrutiny.
• Operate within HPFT’s Standing Orders, Standing Financial Instructions and Scheme of Delegation at all times, establishing and monitoring internal processes to ensure probity and compliance.
• Ensure effective utilisation of information systems to manage all types of data/records across the Business Unit and integrate with health and social care information systems.
• Collect and use feedback from service users and carers routinely to inform performance management and planning, ensuring local processes are robust and serve patient interests.
• Involve senior clinicians and professional heads in local practice governance to ensure high standards of care are provided.

Safe and Effective Services

• Provide quality care within a complex range of health and social care services that interface across HPFT and with other providers.
• Accountable for effective operational management of all care pathways, requiring liaison and co‑ordination with secondary, primary and independent contractors.
• Lead establishment of clear frameworks and processes to manage and monitor capacity on a day‑to‑day basis, ensuring effective escalation arrangements are in place.
• Lead the development and delivery of services for health promotion and prevention, working closely with other agencies.
• Ensure compliance with statutory requirements (e.g. CQC, HSE) and implement relevant assurance systems.

Service Delivery

• Implement care pathways that deliver cohesive and seamless service to the service user, embedding models of recovery and creating new organisational arrangements.
• Develop relationships with primary care practitioners to enable effective service development within the Strategic Business Unit.
• Manage service contracts efficiently, focusing on continuous improvement for service users.
• Spread best practice rapidly to deliver quality improvements and reduce secondary care demand.
• Work with Local Authorities to devise and implement effective assessment and decision‑making processes for social care, supported by appropriate cost‑effective models.
• Build community‑wide alliances with the public, service users, carers and their representatives, ensuring service planning and delivery reflect user views.

Leadership and Staff Management

• Inspire a strong and effective team through visible leadership and a clear strategic vision.
• Enable service modernisation and improvement across the Strategic Business Unit to optimise resource use and reduce waste.
• Capture and act on innovative ideas for improvement, promoting achievements through national awards.
• Maintain and improve own knowledge and skill, setting an example for others.
• Provide effective leadership across the Strategic Business Unit to ensure the workforce is fit for purpose, supporting staff learning and development.
• Lead organisational change to deliver agreed service initiatives across the area of control.
• Support opportunities to develop joint posts and integrated teams with partner agencies.
• Address individual performance issues through appropriate policies and procedures.

Financial Responsibility

• Accountable for financial planning, balance and performance management for the service line, acting independently with minimal supervision.
• Ensure effective budgetary and resource controls, monitoring processes and devolving budgets where appropriate.
• Provide appropriate clinical and performance information to support the Strategic Business Unit’s aims and objectives in collaboration with Informatics and Performance teams.

Service Development and Improvement

• Contribute to the development of the Leading by Design programme on behalf of the service line.
• Support implementation of the Strategic Business Unit’s Workforce Plan and the development of business cases for long‑term strategic service developments.
• Support development and implementation of plans and change programmes for policies that impact service redesign and development in line with corporate requirements.
• Deliver effective communication of the Strategic Business Unit strategy to senior staff, external bodies and the public where proposals impact the broader community.

Visa and Professional Registration

Candidates who require a Skilled Worker visa to work in the United Kingdom can assess their eligibility against the criteria specified on the UK government visa website. You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

About the Role

We have an exciting opportunity for a Service Line Lead to join our Adult Community Mental Health Services Team in Welwyn Garden City / Stevenage and North Herts. The area is well served with transport links to historic Hertfordshire and its glorious countryside as well as to London and beyond. We are looking for someone who is passionate about delivering care to adults with mental health issues.

About HPFT

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is an exceptional organisation with big ambitions; our aim is to be the leading provider of mental health and specialist learning disability services in the country. HPFT is rated by the Care Quality Commission as an Outstanding provider of mental health and learning disability services. In 2021 we won the Health Service Journal award for Mental Health Trust of the Year, and we were rated the 4th best mental health and learning disability trust to work for out of all 52 trusts in the country.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and staff benefits package.
• Excellent career development and training from HPFT.
• Supportive, compassionate, values‑driven culture.

Join HPFT

Whilst it is a challenging period for the NHS, there has never been a more exciting time to join HPFT. We are on a “Good to Great” journey as we continue to innovate, improve, transform and deliver the very highest standards of care to the service users and communities that we serve.