Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Health Equities Senior Manager

The closing date is 05 March 2026

Job summary

In 2025, the Trust appointed a Chief Patient Experience Officer to lead a new Patient Experience Directorate focused on improving service user and carer experience and strengthening our approach to reducing health inequalities. Working with system partners and five clinical localities, the directorate supports genuine partnership working and addresses the drivers of inequality.

To deliver this ambition, the Trust has invested in a dedicated Health Equity Team, including a Senior Manager for Health Equity and, for the first time, a substantive Public Health Consultant.

We are seeking an experienced and passionate leader to drive strategic programmes that promote health equity, inclusion and service improvement. The role will lead development and delivery of the Health Equity Strategy, the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework, population health programmes and the Suicide Prevention Plan.

The postholder will provide strategic oversight of Recovery College and Chaplaincy services, ensuring high-quality, co-produced support for service users and carers. They will champion inclusion, strengthen community partnerships and help reduce health inequalities across our population.

The role also requires using data and quality improvement methods to inform practice, embed learning, support staff development, manage resources effectively and foster a culture of continuous improvement, shaping meaningful change and improved outcomes for our communities.

Main duties of the job

This Band 8b role provides strategic leadership in health equity, suicide prevention, recovery-focused learning, and inclusive service development to improve experience and outcomes for service users.

You will communicate complex and sensitive information to internal and external stakeholders, provide specialist advice, and represent the Trust to promote best practice and partnership working.Key responsibilities include planning inclusive events, analysing feedback and data to inform service improvements, and supporting locality teams with co-production initiatives. You will lead training programmes, develop policies, and embed cultural change around participation and involvement.

The role also involves building partnerships with academic and community networks, leading research-informed strategies, and mentoring staff in quality improvement. You will ensure compliance with national standards, lead on data submissions and audits, and act as an escalation point for complex experience-related issues, ensuring resolution aligns with Trust values and statutory duties.

About us

Here at NSFT we pride ourselves on being a welcoming, talented, friendly and supportive team who like nothing better than sharing experiences and learning from each other. In addition to ongoing training and development opportunities, we are committed to providing an environment in which you can thrive.

Why work for us? We have challenges as a Trust, but we have ambitious aspirations, are pushing ahead with exciting transformation work and we need dedicated individuals to support us on our journey. We have strong, established professional networks coupled with an exceptional leadership team who will ensure you are truly cared for and cared about.

Why Norfolk and Suffolk?The people here are warm and welcoming, you'll never be far from the beautiful coastline or Broads National Park. We're an hour and a half away from London and have an international airport in Norwich too. Our villages, towns and cities are packed full of history, independent cafes, shops and theatres. We have excellent shopping, eating out, top ranking schooling and affordable house prices too.

Details

Date posted

23 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£64,455 to £74,896 a year gross per annum/pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

246-COR7806093

Job locations

County Hall

Norwich

NR1 2DH


Job description

Job responsibilities

We welcome applicants to join a developing, high-profile team with strong system relationships and growing influence. You will work closely with the Chief Patient Experience Officer & Deputy CEO, becoming a key leader in an ambitious, valuesdriven programme. This is a unique and influential opportunity to shape and accelerate our work to reduce health inequalities across Norfolk and Suffolk.

Improving Health is one of NSFTs four strategic goals, underpinned by a major twoyear largescale change programme focused on Health Equity. Our aim is clear: to reduce avoidable inequalities in access, experience, and outcomes across all Trust activities.

We have launched our firstHealth Equity Strategy, centred on three priorities, Prevention and population health, Delivering equitable services within neighbourhoods and Suicide prevention.

Our dedicated Health Equity Team has been established to coordinate work on multiple projects including, the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF), Suicide prevention An Population health management. Our aim is to ensure underserved communities receive culturally competent, person-centred support. The team works collaboratively with system partners and our five clinical localities to strengthen partnership working and reduce inequalities.

Please find attached our Job Description and Person Specification for more detail on your Key Accountabilities, then if you feel you have what it takes to make a difference in your local communities, click APPLY!

Job description

Job responsibilities

We welcome applicants to join a developing, high-profile team with strong system relationships and growing influence. You will work closely with the Chief Patient Experience Officer & Deputy CEO, becoming a key leader in an ambitious, valuesdriven programme. This is a unique and influential opportunity to shape and accelerate our work to reduce health inequalities across Norfolk and Suffolk.

Improving Health is one of NSFTs four strategic goals, underpinned by a major twoyear largescale change programme focused on Health Equity. Our aim is clear: to reduce avoidable inequalities in access, experience, and outcomes across all Trust activities.

We have launched our firstHealth Equity Strategy, centred on three priorities, Prevention and population health, Delivering equitable services within neighbourhoods and Suicide prevention.

Our dedicated Health Equity Team has been established to coordinate work on multiple projects including, the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF), Suicide prevention An Population health management. Our aim is to ensure underserved communities receive culturally competent, person-centred support. The team works collaboratively with system partners and our five clinical localities to strengthen partnership working and reduce inequalities.

Please find attached our Job Description and Person Specification for more detail on your Key Accountabilities, then if you feel you have what it takes to make a difference in your local communities, click APPLY!

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to master's degree level in a relevant subject (e.g. health, social care, psychology, social sciences) or equivalent level of knowledge and experience
  • Evidence of relevant continued professional development (e.g. quality improvement)

Desirable

  • Post graduate qualification or equivalent in a related subject

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of managing multi-disciplinary teams, budgets, and service planning functions
  • Experience of developing and implementing strategies at a senior level

Desirable

  • Leading large-scale engagement or co-production projects across clinical or operational services

Skills

Essential

  • Effective financial and resource management skills, including budgeting, planning and delivering efficiency savings

Desirable

  • Effective conflict resolution skills, with the ability to manage sensitive situations, mediate differing perspectives, and support positive outcomes in complex or emotionally charged environments.

Knowledge

Essential

  • In-depth understanding of the wider determinants of health inequalities, including social, economic, and environmental factors, and their impact on access, experience, and outcomes for diverse populations.
  • Knowledge of the CQC self-assessment and improvement framework for providers

Desirable

  • Knowledge of inpatient and community services and pathways.
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to master's degree level in a relevant subject (e.g. health, social care, psychology, social sciences) or equivalent level of knowledge and experience
  • Evidence of relevant continued professional development (e.g. quality improvement)

Desirable

  • Post graduate qualification or equivalent in a related subject

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of managing multi-disciplinary teams, budgets, and service planning functions
  • Experience of developing and implementing strategies at a senior level

Desirable

  • Leading large-scale engagement or co-production projects across clinical or operational services

Skills

Essential

  • Effective financial and resource management skills, including budgeting, planning and delivering efficiency savings

Desirable

  • Effective conflict resolution skills, with the ability to manage sensitive situations, mediate differing perspectives, and support positive outcomes in complex or emotionally charged environments.

Knowledge

Essential

  • In-depth understanding of the wider determinants of health inequalities, including social, economic, and environmental factors, and their impact on access, experience, and outcomes for diverse populations.
  • Knowledge of the CQC self-assessment and improvement framework for providers

Desirable

  • Knowledge of inpatient and community services and pathways.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Address

County Hall

Norwich

NR1 2DH


Employer's website

https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/Pages/Home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Address

County Hall

Norwich

NR1 2DH


Employer's website

https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/Pages/Home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Chief Patient Experience Officer

Cath Byford

Cath.Byford@nsft.nhs.uk

Details

Date posted

23 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£64,455 to £74,896 a year gross per annum/pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

246-COR7806093

Job locations

County Hall

Norwich

NR1 2DH


Supporting documents

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