Oxford Health NHS Trust

Head of Service

The closing date is 04 December 2025

Job summary

Do you have Substantial experience managing health and social care staff,building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholder?

Do you have substantial experience of directly leading substantial change?

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust seeks two strategic leaders to head either Adult & Older Adult Mental Health (AMH/OAMH) or Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Oxfordshire. These career-defining roles offer the chance to lead transformational change in a Trust known for innovation, collaboration, and compassionate care.

The Heads of Service will shape the future of mental health services by leading change, empowering teams, influencing strategy, and driving service development aligned with local and national priorities. They will oversee either AMH/OAMH or CAMHS pathways, uphold Trust values, and manage governance across quality, safety, finance, HR, and performance. Collaboration with other service leads and support teams is essential to meet strategic goals.

You will be an experienced operational leader seeking growth. Key qualities include adaptability, strong partnership skills, and a commitment to improving mental health outcomes across health, social care, and VCSE sectors--even in challenging contexts.

Main duties of the job

The key responsibilities of the role can be summarised as strategy, policy, and delivery in the following domains:

Quality
Workforce
Finance
Performance
Strategic change
Stakeholder engagement/partnership

The Head of Service will own these domains within reporting service(s) as well as being expected to contribute significantly to the Directorate-wide approach across them.

The Head of Service will use all reasonable endeavours to ensure that reporting service(s) comply with the five CQC domains:

Safe: people are protected from abuse and avoidable harm
Effective: people's care, treatment and support achieve good outcomes, promotes a good quality of life, and is based on the best available evidence Caring: the service(s) involves and treats people with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect Responsive: service(s) meet people's needs
Well led: leadership, management and governance assure the delivery of high-quality and person-centred care, supports learning and innovation, and promotes an open and fair culture.

Full details can be found at the CQC website by clicking on the link below:

Key lines of enquiry for healthcare services - Care Quality Commission

Please refer to the job description attached for a comprehensive list of duties

About us

Oxford Health is a great place to work. To be able toshowcaseyourself when making an application you are encouraged to read the "candidate guide to making an application" which is attached to all roles.

Please include details of qualifications (including years these were gained particularly if we need to assess for clinical roles that these are still valid) and tailor your supporting statement to the role you are applying for, addressing the essential criteria found in the JD.

As a Trust we provide physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset. Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people's homes, delivering care as close to home as possible. Our vision is that no matter who or where you are, you will receive:"Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team"

Our values are:"Caring, safe and excellent"

We offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing:

Excellent opportunities for career progression
Individual and Trust wide learning and development
27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service
NHS Discount
Pension scheme
Lease car scheme
Employee Assistance Programme
Mental Health First Aiders
Staff accommodation (waiting lists may apply)
Staff networking and support groups

Date posted

20 November 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8c

Salary

£76,965 to £88,682 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

267-OA7594783

Job locations

House 1

Slade Site

Oxford

OX3 7JH

Job description

Job responsibilities

We hope that the advert has given you a clear understanding of the skills we are seeking and the opportunity at hand. You will need to use the supporting statement element of your application form to demonstrate your suitability for this role and you should refer to the job description, person specification and the guidance notes attached to this role to help you tailor your application.

The essential and desirable criteria will be used to shortlist for interview, and you should ensure that you refer to these within your application to increase your chances of being selected for interview.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Educated to Master's degree level or equivalent professional experience
Evidence of continuing professional development

Desirable

Participation in a relevant NHS Senior Management Development Programme

Occupational Experience

Essential

Substantial experience managing health and social care staff. To include a range of knowledge base and experience of how to maximise peoples skills.
Extensive experience of the development of good relationships across a range of key stakeholders
Substantial experience of directly leading substantial change.

Additional Experience

Essential

In depth understanding of the NHS and/or public services and the likely changes over the next few years
Recognises the value and need to work collaboratively across the local health and social care economy
Good level of knowledge of commissioning - the split between CCG and other commissioning roles.
Good level of knowledge of Business Intelligence and how & when it should be used in everyday service delivery - how it should be developed as part of transformation
Evidence of continuing professional development

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Educated to Master's degree level or equivalent professional experience
Evidence of continuing professional development

Desirable

Participation in a relevant NHS Senior Management Development Programme

Occupational Experience

Essential

Substantial experience managing health and social care staff. To include a range of knowledge base and experience of how to maximise peoples skills.
Extensive experience of the development of good relationships across a range of key stakeholders
Substantial experience of directly leading substantial change.

Additional Experience

Essential

In depth understanding of the NHS and/or public services and the likely changes over the next few years
Recognises the value and need to work collaboratively across the local health and social care economy
Good level of knowledge of commissioning - the split between CCG and other commissioning roles.
Good level of knowledge of Business Intelligence and how & when it should be used in everyday service delivery - how it should be developed as part of transformation
Evidence of continuing professional development

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.