Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Operational Programme Lead

The closing date is 24 February 2026

Job summary

Fixed Term Contract / Secondment Opportunity

This is a new and exciting fixed term or secondment opportunity offering leadership opportunities for an experienced operational lead within the field of neurodiversity (ND). This is a vital role with key responsibilities for supporting the development, implementation & establishment of a pilot to test a new ND service model for children & young people (CYP) across several South East London (SEL) boroughs. This is pilot has a planned end date of 30 June 2027, however there may be the potential to extend by a further 3 months.

The pilot will test a new multi-borough ND support & assessment model, aiming to support the needs of CYP with suspected or confirmed ND and contributing to the reduction in the longest waits for ADHD & ASD assessment across the system. The Hub will be multi-disciplinary, including community paediatrics, psychiatry, GP, speech & language therapy, nursing & psychology.

Main duties of the job

Supported by the Service Manager and Clinical Programme Lead, the postholder will be responsible for managing a small multi-professional team for the day-to-day operational delivery of the service and will contribute to the development of the scope of the service, outcomes and full pathway evaluation and re-design throughout the duration of the pilot. Through the use of highly effective operational management and leadership skills and abilities, the postholder will enable the team to deliver timely and effective wellbeing and diagnostic assessments and interventions for CYP with ADHD and/or ASD. The postholder will be a skilled & highly experienced operational lead with demonstrable experience of managing staff and leading a team or service. Whilst experience within the healthcare environment is required, experience working with CYP and/or the specialist neurodiversity area would be preferred but is not essential.

About us

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes.We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

  • We're Kind
  • We're Fair
  • We Listen
  • We Care

Details

Date posted

17 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£61,631 to £68,623 a year pro rata per annum

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

15 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

277-7803872-CYP

Job locations

Barnard Health Centre, Sidcup

43 Granville Road

Sidcup

DA14 4TA


Job description

Job responsibilities

To co-lead, manage and plan the delivery of the new pilot, with the Clinical Programme Lead, supporting the workforce and children and young people within and across services.

To provide service delivery specialist oversight, providing insight to the ND Hub Clinical Programme Lead and the Service Manager, enabling effective pathway co-design and development.

To co-lead on and hold responsibility for, with the Clinical Programme Lead, the provision of clinical input to the CYP ND Hub design across a range of professionals and teams within Childrens Services.

To support the development, evaluation and monitoring of relevant service delivery policies or standard operating procedures, through the deployment of professional skills in service management, research, service evaluation and audit.

To escalate to the Directorate Management Team any challenges and opportunities relating to service performance.

To effectively manage the team budget and be an authorised signatory.

To be responsible for the delivery of highly effective staff management, supervision and support for the team within the CYP ND Hub, including identifying and enabling support strategies to facilitate a positive, inclusive and psychologically safe environment.

To co-lead the service and ensure the team are fully engaged with corporate colleagues, to enable the successful development and inclusion of digital solutions and IT systems to support the delivery of a highly effective service and future focused service.

Job description

Job responsibilities

To co-lead, manage and plan the delivery of the new pilot, with the Clinical Programme Lead, supporting the workforce and children and young people within and across services.

To provide service delivery specialist oversight, providing insight to the ND Hub Clinical Programme Lead and the Service Manager, enabling effective pathway co-design and development.

To co-lead on and hold responsibility for, with the Clinical Programme Lead, the provision of clinical input to the CYP ND Hub design across a range of professionals and teams within Childrens Services.

To support the development, evaluation and monitoring of relevant service delivery policies or standard operating procedures, through the deployment of professional skills in service management, research, service evaluation and audit.

To escalate to the Directorate Management Team any challenges and opportunities relating to service performance.

To effectively manage the team budget and be an authorised signatory.

To be responsible for the delivery of highly effective staff management, supervision and support for the team within the CYP ND Hub, including identifying and enabling support strategies to facilitate a positive, inclusive and psychologically safe environment.

To co-lead the service and ensure the team are fully engaged with corporate colleagues, to enable the successful development and inclusion of digital solutions and IT systems to support the delivery of a highly effective service and future focused service.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Demonstrable experience working within and managing clinical services
  • Experience of leading or supporting service design and transformation.
  • Evidence of budgetary management
  • Experience of managing staff and leading or supporting with recruitment

Desirable

  • Experience or awareness of neurodiversity (ADHD and/or ASD) assessment and treatment pathways

Skills/knowledge

Essential

  • Highly effective communication skills
  • Proficient with all forms of IT
  • Ability to form good working relationships with others in a multidisciplinary setting
  • Effective management of a busy administration workload with conflicting priorities

Desirable

  • Knowledge of digital service design, including issues relation to implementation, adoption and spread.

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to degree level, with evidence of strong intellectual capability and a track record of continuous professional development at management level
  • Holds a recognised postgraduate management qualification or demonstrates equivalent leadership experience
  • Diploma or equivalent advanced academic achievement
Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Demonstrable experience working within and managing clinical services
  • Experience of leading or supporting service design and transformation.
  • Evidence of budgetary management
  • Experience of managing staff and leading or supporting with recruitment

Desirable

  • Experience or awareness of neurodiversity (ADHD and/or ASD) assessment and treatment pathways

Skills/knowledge

Essential

  • Highly effective communication skills
  • Proficient with all forms of IT
  • Ability to form good working relationships with others in a multidisciplinary setting
  • Effective management of a busy administration workload with conflicting priorities

Desirable

  • Knowledge of digital service design, including issues relation to implementation, adoption and spread.

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to degree level, with evidence of strong intellectual capability and a track record of continuous professional development at management level
  • Holds a recognised postgraduate management qualification or demonstrates equivalent leadership experience
  • Diploma or equivalent advanced academic achievement

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

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Barnard Health Centre, Sidcup

43 Granville Road

Sidcup

DA14 4TA


Employer's website

http://oxleas.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Barnard Health Centre, Sidcup

43 Granville Road

Sidcup

DA14 4TA


Employer's website

http://oxleas.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

ND Pathway Improvement Programme Manager

Holly Jessop

holly.jessop2@nhs.net

07990374916

Details

Date posted

17 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£61,631 to £68,623 a year pro rata per annum

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

15 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

277-7803872-CYP

Job locations

Barnard Health Centre, Sidcup

43 Granville Road

Sidcup

DA14 4TA


Supporting documents

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