Devon Partnership NHS Trust

Expert by Experience Lead

The closing date is 19 September 2025

Job summary

We are looking for a passionate and experienced Expert by Experience Lead to co-lead transformation across the South West Provider Collaborative. This part-time (18.75 hours per week - 0.5 FTE) role places you at the heart of strategic decision-making, ensuring the voices of people with lived experience shape the design, delivery, and improvement of regional mental health services. You will work alongside clinical and professional experts to co-produce pathways across Adult Secure Mental Health, Learning Disability/Autism, CAMHS, Eating Disorders, and other priority services. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with leadership experience, advocacy skills, and a commitment to co-production to make a real impact on the quality, inclusivity, and effectiveness of services across the South West.

Main duties of the job

As the Expert by Experience Lead, you will: co-design and co-lead service development and transformation initiatives; co-chair meetings, drive governance, and produce high-quality programme reporting; coordinate the SWPC co-production strategy and lead the Family Ambassador service; embed lived experience engagement across system-wide services; support service redesign and improvement initiatives; build and maintain partnerships with stakeholders across organisations; champion inclusion, equality, and reduction of health inequalities; and provide leadership in engagement, culture change, and strategic service delivery. You will work closely with service users, carers, clinicians, and professionals to ensure the lived experience voice drives meaningful change across mental health pathways in the South West.

About us

About Devon Partnership Trust

We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.

Date posted

08 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£55,690 to £62,682 a year pro rata (18.75 hours per week)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

C9369-25-0732

Job locations

Langdon Hospital

Exeter Road

Dawlish

Devon

EX7 0NR

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Description

Please refer to the Job Description attached.

Working pattern

This post is for 18.75 hours per week. This role is expected to be a mix of office work and home working but the post holder will be required to travel within the south west region on occasion.

Interviews

Interviews will take place via Microsoft Teams

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Description

Please refer to the Job Description attached.

Working pattern

This post is for 18.75 hours per week. This role is expected to be a mix of office work and home working but the post holder will be required to travel within the south west region on occasion.

Interviews

Interviews will take place via Microsoft Teams

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

Experience of partnership working across organisational boundaries
Substantial experience of working at senior management level
Substantive experience of representing and co-producing people with lived experience in health care
Leadership/management of complex systems and processes
Experience of leading service re-design and development

Qualifications

Essential

Educated to Masters degree level or equivalent, assessed through some, a combination of or all of the following.
Formal qualification in business with a postgraduate qualification in management
Formal training in tools and techniques applicable to service improvement and stakeholder engagement, BCS Professional
Managing Successful Programmes at least Foundation level
Post-graduate study in leadership and change management
Professional programme in group facilitation
Evidence of continued professional development relevant to the role

Desirable

Certificate in Stakeholder Engagement and/or CIPR Stakeholder Engagement or equivalent
Professional qualification in a discipline relating to mental health/learning disability
PRINCE 2 Project Management Practitioner qualification, training or equivalent experience

Knowledge

Essential

Knowledge of change management theory and practice
Knowledge of current policy and strategic priorities relating to health and social care
Understanding of the legislation relating to the duty of public sector organisations to consult on substantial service changes

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

Experience of partnership working across organisational boundaries
Substantial experience of working at senior management level
Substantive experience of representing and co-producing people with lived experience in health care
Leadership/management of complex systems and processes
Experience of leading service re-design and development

Qualifications

Essential

Educated to Masters degree level or equivalent, assessed through some, a combination of or all of the following.
Formal qualification in business with a postgraduate qualification in management
Formal training in tools and techniques applicable to service improvement and stakeholder engagement, BCS Professional
Managing Successful Programmes at least Foundation level
Post-graduate study in leadership and change management
Professional programme in group facilitation
Evidence of continued professional development relevant to the role

Desirable

Certificate in Stakeholder Engagement and/or CIPR Stakeholder Engagement or equivalent
Professional qualification in a discipline relating to mental health/learning disability
PRINCE 2 Project Management Practitioner qualification, training or equivalent experience

Knowledge

Essential

Knowledge of change management theory and practice
Knowledge of current policy and strategic priorities relating to health and social care
Understanding of the legislation relating to the duty of public sector organisations to consult on substantial service changes

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.