Job summary
37.5 hours per week
Head of
Occupational Health and Wellbeing Services
We are seeking
a dynamic, values-led Head of Occupational Health and wellbeing services
(OH&WB) to lead our multi-Trust regional OH&WB service across South
West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Leeds and York Partnership NHS
Foundation Trust.
You will
provide overall operational leadership (with a deputy as clinical lead) to
deliver safe, effective, high-quality and financially sustainable OH&WB
service at scale. This senior role blends strategic service planning,
operational delivery, governance and assurance, commercial leadership
(SLAs/contracts) and multi-disciplinary team leadership to ensure a seamless,
end-to-end service for our workforce and external customers.
The role will
form part of the People directorate leadership team (PDLT) and will work
closely with HR and OD colleagues to ensure that we support our staff.
At
the time of advertising, this role does meet the minimum requirements set by UK
Visas and Immigration to sponsor candidates to work in the UK. We look forward
to receiving your application.
All employees of the Trust are
strongly encouraged to have their up-to-date flu vaccination to protect staff
and patients.
Main duties of the job
The postholder
will lead and develop high quality, safe and financial sustainable
services. The role will provide
strategic and operational leadership, will oversee governance, performance and
commercial standards and contracts and ensure compliance with national
standards.
You should have
experience in leading and managing occupational services.
We are also
recruiting for a Deputy Head of Occupational Health (clinical lead) to support.
For an
informal discussion about the role please contact Christine Brereton, Interim
Chief People Officer.
Closing date
for the role is Tuesday 7th April 2026.
Interviews
for the role will take place week commencing 13th April to be
confirmed.
About us
We
are a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental health
and learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale,
Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and are
the lead for the west Yorkshire secure provider collaborative.
Our mission is
to help people reach their potential and live well in their communities, we do this
by providing high-quality care in the right place at the right time. We employ
staff in both clinical and non-clinical services who work hard to make a
difference to the lives of service users, families and carers.
We encourage
and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we value
diversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.
Being
a foundation Trust means were accountable to our
members, who can have a say in how were run. Around 14,300 local people
(including staff) are members of our Trust.
Join
us and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improving
the mental, physical and social needs of the thousands of people we meet and
help each year.
We
are committed
to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and
vulnerable adults and expects all colleagues and volunteers to share this
commitment.
We do reserve to right to close vacancy before the advertised closing date if necessary, so please apply as soon as possible.
Job description
Job responsibilities
JOB SUMMARY
The post holder will oversee the delivery of Occupational Health and
Wellbeing (OH&WB) services across West Yorkshire Mental Health and Learning
Disability Trusts and other extensive external contracts.
The post-holder will be responsible for the overall operational and
clinical (supported by the deputy who will be the clinical lead) leadership of
the Occupational Health & Wellbeing Service (OHB Service) across Leeds and
York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LYPFT) and South West Yorkshire
Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (SWYPFT), FT Bradford District Care NHS and other external contracts.
This will include strategic service planning, policy development and ensuring
as required highly complex decision making for the running of the service. The
post-holder will ensure robust governance and delivery of a high quality, safe
and effective OH&WB Service in accordance with the agreed service strategy
across all localities; including significant external contracts.
The postholder will oversee the delivery of the contracts both
internally and externally against agreed service level agreements and within
defined budgets. The postholder, with
support from a clinical deputy ensure oversight and leadership of the
occupational health function.
The postholder
will:
Lead and develop safe,
effective, high quality OH&WB Services within agreed resources and achieve
agreed performance standards and service level agreements across West Yorkshire.
Build and retain an
innovative, dynamic, high performing team supporting the delivery of an
excellent evidence based service to continually improve the service offer.
Be responsible for the
overall operational framework and internal operational policies to ensure a
seamless end to end process of all service elements with no duplication.
To undertake active
participation in the extended Executive Management Team
To be a member of the
People Directorate leadership team to advocate and support OH services ensuring
that it forms part of the People Directorate and offers joined up services
internally.
Work in an autonomous
manner as required and interpret professional guidelines, Service and Trust
policies and exercise full responsibility for the professional governance of
OH&WB provision.
Working with the CPO,
DCPO and ADELOD, the post-holder will ensure that annual plans for OH&WB are
identided taking into account any identified cost improvements.
Overall leadership for
the management of the team, supported by a deputy clinical lead ensure the
management of a large multi-disciplinary
team including: Occupational Health Assistants, Occupational Therapists, Specialist
Physiotherapists, Musculoskeletal Specialist Advisors, Health and Wellbeing Practitioners,
Staff Counsellors and Administrators. The Post-holder will have line management
responsibility for the contracted Occupational Health Physician.
Supporting the deputy and
clinical team for ensuring triaging Occupational Health referrals to the
appropriate MDT clinicians, work-flow management to ensure minimal waiting times
for all Occupational Health service elements and workforce planning within the
OH&WB service.
Actively engage, co-ordinate with research and
development activities as required relating to the wide range of Occupational
Health Service provision in order to ensure the service is a regional centre of
excellence.
To advise of the Chief
People Officer and wider executive team of any highly confidential and complex
health and wellbeing matters relating to senior personnel as appropriate.
For full details of the role please see the supporting documents attached.
We are aware that an increasing number of applicants are
using AI technology to generate responses on NHS Job application forms. We
strongly discourage this and will conduct a thorough screening process before
selecting candidates to progress to the next stage. If you are using AI to
enhance your application, please disclose this in your NHS Jobs application
form.
Job description
Job responsibilities
JOB SUMMARY
The post holder will oversee the delivery of Occupational Health and
Wellbeing (OH&WB) services across West Yorkshire Mental Health and Learning
Disability Trusts and other extensive external contracts.
The post-holder will be responsible for the overall operational and
clinical (supported by the deputy who will be the clinical lead) leadership of
the Occupational Health & Wellbeing Service (OHB Service) across Leeds and
York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LYPFT) and South West Yorkshire
Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (SWYPFT), FT Bradford District Care NHS and other external contracts.
This will include strategic service planning, policy development and ensuring
as required highly complex decision making for the running of the service. The
post-holder will ensure robust governance and delivery of a high quality, safe
and effective OH&WB Service in accordance with the agreed service strategy
across all localities; including significant external contracts.
The postholder will oversee the delivery of the contracts both
internally and externally against agreed service level agreements and within
defined budgets. The postholder, with
support from a clinical deputy ensure oversight and leadership of the
occupational health function.
The postholder
will:
Lead and develop safe,
effective, high quality OH&WB Services within agreed resources and achieve
agreed performance standards and service level agreements across West Yorkshire.
Build and retain an
innovative, dynamic, high performing team supporting the delivery of an
excellent evidence based service to continually improve the service offer.
Be responsible for the
overall operational framework and internal operational policies to ensure a
seamless end to end process of all service elements with no duplication.
To undertake active
participation in the extended Executive Management Team
To be a member of the
People Directorate leadership team to advocate and support OH services ensuring
that it forms part of the People Directorate and offers joined up services
internally.
Work in an autonomous
manner as required and interpret professional guidelines, Service and Trust
policies and exercise full responsibility for the professional governance of
OH&WB provision.
Working with the CPO,
DCPO and ADELOD, the post-holder will ensure that annual plans for OH&WB are
identided taking into account any identified cost improvements.
Overall leadership for
the management of the team, supported by a deputy clinical lead ensure the
management of a large multi-disciplinary
team including: Occupational Health Assistants, Occupational Therapists, Specialist
Physiotherapists, Musculoskeletal Specialist Advisors, Health and Wellbeing Practitioners,
Staff Counsellors and Administrators. The Post-holder will have line management
responsibility for the contracted Occupational Health Physician.
Supporting the deputy and
clinical team for ensuring triaging Occupational Health referrals to the
appropriate MDT clinicians, work-flow management to ensure minimal waiting times
for all Occupational Health service elements and workforce planning within the
OH&WB service.
Actively engage, co-ordinate with research and
development activities as required relating to the wide range of Occupational
Health Service provision in order to ensure the service is a regional centre of
excellence.
To advise of the Chief
People Officer and wider executive team of any highly confidential and complex
health and wellbeing matters relating to senior personnel as appropriate.
For full details of the role please see the supporting documents attached.
We are aware that an increasing number of applicants are
using AI technology to generate responses on NHS Job application forms. We
strongly discourage this and will conduct a thorough screening process before
selecting candidates to progress to the next stage. If you are using AI to
enhance your application, please disclose this in your NHS Jobs application
form.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Masters level qualification or can demonstrate equivalent level of knowledge and competency achieved through experiential learning/experience.
- Relevant management qualification or can demonstrate equivalent level of knowledge and competency acquired through experience and training.
Desirable
Physical Attributes
Essential
- Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post. A satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years (subject to the need to act with fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where the sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy).
Training
Essential
- Evidence of continual personal and professional development relevant to the post / speciality.
Experience
Essential
- Evidence of extensive successful senior management experience working at a strategic level.
- Evidence of successfully managing a team focussed on delivering service level agreements with performance driven outcomes.
- Experience of managing a health and wellbeing function and/or occupational health.
- Evidence of extensive and successful internal / external partnership working and networking.
- Extensive experience of managing and resolving conflicts involving a wide range of stakeholders.
- Strong performance management experience of teams and individuals.
- Leading strategy and service development / implementation.
- Governance and risk arrangements and dealing with complex complaints.
- Substantial and successful financial and resource management to achieve budget and resource targets.
- Proven track record of successfully delivering significant change within complex clinical environments.
- Substantial and successful record of delivering challenging objectives and achieving targets and delivering performance improvements.
Desirable
- Evidence of managing a clinical area/clinical experience.
- Commercial experience.
Special Knowledge/Skills
Essential
- Knowledge and experience of a wide range of management disciplines, including finance, people management, commissioning, risk management, performance management, service improvement, clinical governance, change management and project management.
- Demonstrate extensive, highly skilled , detailed and expertise knowledge of Occupational Health and/or health and wellbeing speciality.
- Ability to make judgements and decisions leading to resolution through effective negotiation / problem solving.
- Strong analytical skills, literacy, numeracy and IT skills with the ability to produce a range of documents / presentations for a wide variety of audiences.
- Experienced in developing information systems and processes to measure success of the service provision and ensuring the service is fit for purpose.
- Personal resilience and ability to prioritise work in a complex and demanding environment and meet challenging deadlines through effective time / workload management.
- Sound working knowledge and understanding of developing and presenting effective business cases.
- Sound working knowledge of national strategies and initiatives, evidence based practice.
- Evidence of credibility with nursing, medical and AHP staff and able to work in the OH speciality within scope of practice.
- Track record of effective leadership skills and the ability to drive and motivate teams in a high pressured environment.
- Act as a role model, catalyst for change, standard setter , coach and motivator with a clear strategic vision.
- Political astuteness.
- Ability to plan strategically and adjust plans and resource requirements accordingly.
- Ability to work in a complex system.
- Ability to manage high levels of ambiguity and complex issues.
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Strong, inclusive leadership style.
- Ability to work under significant pressure and to demanding timescales.
- Commitment to team working with the ability to take personal responsibility for difficult highly complex decision making.
- Excellent communication and influencing skills and requiring a high level of sensitivity and diplomacy.
- Ability to influence and negotiate.
- Excellent inclusive leadership skills.
- Ability to meet deadlines.
- Strong personal presence.
- Able to demonstrate values-based leadership.
- High levels of resilience and ability to manage multiple highly complex demands of a senior role.
- Highly professional role model.
- Ability to make highly autonomous decisions for highly complex issues.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Masters level qualification or can demonstrate equivalent level of knowledge and competency achieved through experiential learning/experience.
- Relevant management qualification or can demonstrate equivalent level of knowledge and competency acquired through experience and training.
Desirable
Physical Attributes
Essential
- Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post. A satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years (subject to the need to act with fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where the sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy).
Training
Essential
- Evidence of continual personal and professional development relevant to the post / speciality.
Experience
Essential
- Evidence of extensive successful senior management experience working at a strategic level.
- Evidence of successfully managing a team focussed on delivering service level agreements with performance driven outcomes.
- Experience of managing a health and wellbeing function and/or occupational health.
- Evidence of extensive and successful internal / external partnership working and networking.
- Extensive experience of managing and resolving conflicts involving a wide range of stakeholders.
- Strong performance management experience of teams and individuals.
- Leading strategy and service development / implementation.
- Governance and risk arrangements and dealing with complex complaints.
- Substantial and successful financial and resource management to achieve budget and resource targets.
- Proven track record of successfully delivering significant change within complex clinical environments.
- Substantial and successful record of delivering challenging objectives and achieving targets and delivering performance improvements.
Desirable
- Evidence of managing a clinical area/clinical experience.
- Commercial experience.
Special Knowledge/Skills
Essential
- Knowledge and experience of a wide range of management disciplines, including finance, people management, commissioning, risk management, performance management, service improvement, clinical governance, change management and project management.
- Demonstrate extensive, highly skilled , detailed and expertise knowledge of Occupational Health and/or health and wellbeing speciality.
- Ability to make judgements and decisions leading to resolution through effective negotiation / problem solving.
- Strong analytical skills, literacy, numeracy and IT skills with the ability to produce a range of documents / presentations for a wide variety of audiences.
- Experienced in developing information systems and processes to measure success of the service provision and ensuring the service is fit for purpose.
- Personal resilience and ability to prioritise work in a complex and demanding environment and meet challenging deadlines through effective time / workload management.
- Sound working knowledge and understanding of developing and presenting effective business cases.
- Sound working knowledge of national strategies and initiatives, evidence based practice.
- Evidence of credibility with nursing, medical and AHP staff and able to work in the OH speciality within scope of practice.
- Track record of effective leadership skills and the ability to drive and motivate teams in a high pressured environment.
- Act as a role model, catalyst for change, standard setter , coach and motivator with a clear strategic vision.
- Political astuteness.
- Ability to plan strategically and adjust plans and resource requirements accordingly.
- Ability to work in a complex system.
- Ability to manage high levels of ambiguity and complex issues.
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Strong, inclusive leadership style.
- Ability to work under significant pressure and to demanding timescales.
- Commitment to team working with the ability to take personal responsibility for difficult highly complex decision making.
- Excellent communication and influencing skills and requiring a high level of sensitivity and diplomacy.
- Ability to influence and negotiate.
- Excellent inclusive leadership skills.
- Ability to meet deadlines.
- Strong personal presence.
- Able to demonstrate values-based leadership.
- High levels of resilience and ability to manage multiple highly complex demands of a senior role.
- Highly professional role model.
- Ability to make highly autonomous decisions for highly complex issues.
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
