Social Care - Learning Disability Senior Improvement Manager

Public Health Wales NHS Trust; Cardiff; Hybrid; GBP 58,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

NHS Wales Performance & Improvement in Cardiff is seeking a Learning Disability Senior Improvement Manager to lead national improvement programmes across Wales. The post requires strong change management, co-production with lived experience and collaboration across health, social care and partners.

The role focuses on delivering transformation of learning disability services, working with local authorities, health boards and Welsh Government to improve outcomes and community-based care.

Qualifications

• Masters degree or equivalent level of senior management/clinical experience.
• Continued professional development evidence.
• PRINCE2, PGCE, Leadership and management, AMHP qualifications.
• Project/programme management qualification or equivalent experience.
• Coaching qualification.

Responsibilities

• Lead improvement programmes across Wales to strengthen integrated services.
• Collaborate with local authorities, health boards, Welsh Government and third sector.
• Drive sustainable change through co-production with lived experience.

Skills

Influencing

Negotiation

Change management

Program leadership

Communication

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Stakeholder management

Education

Masters Degree or equivalent

Coaching qualification

Tools

PRINCE2

Job description

Social Care - Learning Disability Senior Improvement Manager

Band 8a

Main area Learning Disabilities Grade Band 8a Contract 17 months (Secondment until 31 March 2028) Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 028-AC178-0926

Site Matrix House, Bocam Park, Capital Quarter, Clwydian House (with agile working and travel across Wales) Town Cardiff Salary £58,379 - £65,723 per annum pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 21/09/2026 23:59

Job overview

THIS POST IS A FULL TIME SECONDMENT OPPORTUNITY UNTIL 31 MARCH 2028.

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL ONLY ACCEPT APPLICATIONS FROM STAFF ELIGIBLE FOR A SECONDMENT POSITION.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN APPLYING FOR THIS SECONDMENT POSITION, YOU MUST OBTAIN PERMISSION FROM YOUR CURRENT LINE MANAGER PRIOR TO APPLYING.

Are you an experienced social care leader with a passion for improving the lives of people with a learning disability?

NHS Wales Performance and Improvement is seeking a Learning Disability Senior Improvement Manager to play a leading role in delivering the ambitious transformation of learning disability services across Wales. This role is central to the implementation of the Welsh Government's vision for improving outcomes, transparency and community support for people with a learning disability.

This is a unique opportunity for someone with a strong background in social care for people with a learning disability in Wales to influence change at a national level. Working across health, social care and partner organisations, you will lead improvement programmes that strengthen integrated services, support community-based care, and improve outcomes for individuals, families and carers.

You will work closely with local authorities, health boards, Welsh Government, the third sector and people with lived experience, using your expertise in programme leadership, quality improvement and co-production to drive sustainable change across Wales.

Main duties of the job

We are looking for an individual who can demonstrate:

• Extensive knowledge and experience of learning disability social care services in Wales
• Strong programme and change management skills
• Experience of working across organisational boundaries and influencing senior stakeholders
• A commitment to co-production and improving outcomes for people with a learning disability

Working for our organisation

NHS Wales Performance & Improvement (formerly the NHS Wales Executive) has an important and valuable role in the delivery of key Welsh Government priorities:

To support NHS Wales to deliver better health services for patients and the public
To support Ministers to hold NHS Wales to account for the provision of health services

Since its inception in April 2023, strong foundations have been put in place within NHS Wales Performance & Improvement (NHS P&I) - including a more joined up and informed approach between policy development and operational NHS delivery, and improved coordination and collaboration across whole systems and pathways. Building on this foundation, NHS P&I aims to be an acknowledged centre of excellence in its field, efficient and responsive to the needs of both NHS Wales and Ministers, supporting best practice, and streamlining accountability.

NHS P&I will support the NHS by providing:

• Improvement services
• Value and sustainability support
• Clinical expertise in service improvement, drawing on the best in Wales

NHS P&I will support Ministers by providing:

• Performance management support
• Planning adviceAdvice to Welsh Government on use of powers of directions and intervention

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents.

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; English and/or Welsh speakers are equally welcome to apply.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Educated to Masters Degree level or equivalent level of experience working at a senior management/ clinical level or Registered Professional Healthcare or Social Care Qualification requiring registration on a Clinical Professional Register (HCPC/NMC/Social Care Wales), e.g. Registered Nurse, Allied Health Professional etc.
• Evidence of continued professional development.
• Supplemented with appropriate advanced specialist vocational courses (e.g., PRINCE2, PGCE, Leadership and management, AMHP).
• Project/programme management qualification or equivalent experience in leading programme/projects with demonstrable outcomes.
• Coaching qualification

Experience

• Knowledge and expertise of the needs of people with Learning Disabilities through working in Social Care in Wales.
• Significant experience in a senior role including staff management / clinical leadership, ideally within the NHS or Social Care.
• Experience of process/problem analysis, challenging existing thinking and generating improvements and solutions.
• Experience of successfully leading and implementing project driven change management.
• Experience of mentoring or coaching teams or individuals.
• Experience of co-production and collaborative working with stakeholders, including those with a lived experience.

Skills

• Ability to work closely with people in other disciplines and form professional working relationships, influencing, negotiation and resolving conflict with regards to change management.
• Ability to communicate highly complex technical concepts and analysis effectively to different organisations and audiences; including formal presentations e.g. Board level.
• Ability to explain and work with concepts of improvement to a variety of audiences and to provide practical support for teams in developing measures for improvement.
• Ability to organise, plan and prioritise a diverse range of complex strategic programmes to meet statutory and other deadlines typically involving other disciplines/organisations.
• Ability to train multi-disciplinary groups including clinical staff through the delivery of multi-organisational training programmes.
• Can demonstrate initiative, creativity, flexibility and a personal ethos of continuous improvement.
• Ability to focus, concentrate and accurately complete tasks within given timeframes whilst dealing with unscheduled interruptions e.g., changing priorities.
• Ability to manage services across organisations.
• Ability to translate strategy into action.
• Demonstrable additional specialist knowledge and expertise e.g. advanced presentation and facilitation skills.
• Knowledge of policy priority and direction in Learning Disabilities in Wales
• Understand the requirements of Information Governance in relation to the NHS.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Name Rachel Ann Jones Job title National Learning Disability Programme Lead Email address [e-mail]