West Sussex Professional Lead for Psychological Professions

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; Worthing; On-site; GBP 94,000 - 109,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Leadership development

Research culture

Professional networks

Job summary

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust invites applications for the West Sussex Professional Lead for Psychological Professions. This deputy- and Trust-wide leadership post spans adult and older people’s mental health, dementia care, and development of psychologically informed models of care.

You’ll shape strategic programmes, governance and workforce development while maintaining a specialist clinical caseload.

Qualifications

• Senior clinical credibility and leadership experience.
• Expertise in adult mental health, older people’s mental health and/or dementia care.
• Experience leading professional development, governance and workforce initiatives.
• Strong partnership-working and influencing skills.
• A passion for developing psychologically informed and trauma-informed services.
• A commitment to improving outcomes for patients, carers and families.

Responsibilities

• Providing strategic and professional leadership for psychological professions across adult and older people’s services in West Sussex
• Leading Trust-wide psychological professions practice in older people’s mental health and dementia care
• Shaping service development, transformation programmes and psychologically informed models of care
• Leading professional governance, supervision, appraisal, CPD and standards of practice
• Supporting workforce planning, recruitment and development of psychological professionals across multiple services
• Working closely with NHS, local authority, primary care, community and voluntary sector partners
• Providing expert consultation on complex psychological care, formulation, service design and risk management
• Leading research, audit, teaching, service evaluation and quality improvement initiatives
• Maintaining a specialist clinical caseload relevant to your area of expertise

Skills

Senior leadership

Adult & older adult MH

Governance & workforce

Partnership working

Trauma-informed care

Impactful leadership

Job description

West Sussex Professional Lead for Psychological Professions

NHS AfC Band 8d

£94,356 to £108,814 per annum

Permanent | Full time, 37.5 hours per week

Based at Portland House, Worthing

Could you provide strategic leadership for psychological professions across adult and older people's mental health services in West Sussex?

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced senior psychological professional to join us as Professional Lead for Psychological Professions within our West Sussex Adult and Older People's Mental Health Services.

This is a significant leadership opportunity for someone who wants to influence services at scale, shape the future of psychologically informed care and champion the contribution of psychological professions across a large and diverse range of services.

Alongside divisional leadership responsibilities, you will also provide Trust-wide strategic leadership for psychological professions practice in older people's mental health and dementia care, making this a rare opportunity to influence practice far beyond a single service area.

The opportunity

This role combines strategic leadership, professional leadership and expert clinical practice.

Working as part of the West Sussex divisional leadership team, you'll collaborate with senior leaders across nursing, medicine and allied health professions to help shape services, influence transformation programmes and strengthen psychologically informed care across adult and older people's pathways.

You will play a pivotal role in delivering the ambitions of our Psychological Professions Strategic Plan 2025-2030, helping improve access to psychological interventions, clinical outcomes, workforce development and staff wellbeing.

This is a role for someone who wants to leave a lasting impact, not only on services but on the future direction of psychological professions across Sussex.

What you’ll be doing

• Providing strategic and professional leadership for psychological professions across adult and older people’s services in West Sussex
• Leading Trust-wide psychological professions practice in older people’s mental health and dementia care
• Shaping service development, transformation programmes and psychologically informed models of care
• Leading professional governance, supervision, appraisal, CPD and standards of practice
• Supporting workforce planning, recruitment and development of psychological professionals across multiple services
• Working closely with NHS, local authority, primary care, community and voluntary sector partners
• Providing expert consultation on complex psychological care, formulation, service design and risk management
• Leading research, audit, teaching, service evaluation and quality improvement initiatives
• Maintaining a specialist clinical caseload relevant to your area of expertise

About you

We’re looking for a highly experienced psychological professional with significant leadership experience and the confidence to influence at both operational and strategic levels.

Applications are welcomed from suitably qualified practitioner psychologists, psychological therapists and psychotherapists who meet the professional requirements of the role.

You will bring:

• Senior clinical credibility and leadership experience
• Expertise in adult mental health, older people’s mental health and/or dementia care
• Experience leading professional development, governance and workforce initiatives
• Strong partnership-working and influencing skills
• A passion for developing psychologically informed and trauma-informed services
• A commitment to improving outcomes for patients, carers and families

Why join Sussex Partnership?

This is an exciting time to join our Psychological Professions leadership community.

You’ll be part of a large, skilled and developing workforce spanning community, specialist and inpatient services, working alongside colleagues from practitioner psychology, CBT, family and systemic psychotherapy and wider psychological professions backgrounds.

We offer:

• Flexible working opportunities where service needs allow
• Strong professional leadership support and networks
• Opportunities to influence practice across the Trust
• A culture that values innovation, research and service improvement
• Access to leadership development and continuing professional development opportunities
• The chance to shape the future of psychological professions practice across Sussex

Why this role stands out

Opportunities at this level are rare.

This role offers the chance to combine strategic influence, professional leadership and specialist clinical expertise while helping shape services for adults, older people and people living with dementia across West Sussex and beyond.

For the right candidate, this is an opportunity to make a lasting contribution to the future of psychologically informed care across an entire division and across the Trust.

Live and work in Sussex

Worthing offers the best of coast and countryside living, with easy access to Brighton, London and the South Downs National Park.

Ready to make an impact?

If you’re looking for a senior leadership role where you can influence strategy, develop the workforce and improve outcomes for patients, carers and families, we’d love to hear from you.