NHS England

Deputy Foundation School Director

The closing date is 23 July 2025

Job summary

The role of the Deputy Foundation School Director (FSD), is to work with and support the Foundation School Director and Postgraduate Dean in leading the delivery of a wide range of functions, aligned to the NHS England mandate.

Main duties of the job

The role is professionally and managerially accountable to the Foundation School Director. The Deputy FSDs will focus upon improvement of learner supervision, assessment and experience, engagement of faculty and ensuring effective educational outcomes, both now and in the future. The role is evolving and will also focus on whole workforce transformation and developing multi-professional links.

Foundation training in NHSE across the east of England is in transition and undergoing significant expansion as a consequence of students progressing through training in the new medical schools.

The Deputy FSDs will be responsible for Foundation Programme training in East Anglia Foundation School. Working as a team with the other the deputy FSDs and also in conjunction with the FSD, and Deputy Dean for Foundation training, this role will also contribute to the leadership and implementation of the strategic direction, programme management, quality management, faculty development and external relations of foundation training across NSHE EoE.

About us

The NHS England board have set out the top-level purpose for the new organisation to lead the NHS in England to deliver high-quality services for all, which will inform the detailed design work and we will achieve this purpose by:

  • Enabling local systems and providers to improve the health of their people and patients and reduce health inequalities.
  • Making the NHS a great place to work, where our people can make a difference and achieve their potential.
  • Working collaboratively to ensure our healthcare workforce has the right knowledge, skills, values and behaviours to deliver accessible, compassionate care
  • Optimising the use of digital technology, research, and innovation
  • Delivering value for money.

If you would like to know more or require further information, please visithttps://www.england.nhs.uk/.

Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in-person.

If you are successful at interview, we will run an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) in the Electronic Staff Record system (ESR). This transfer gathers valuable information from a previous or current NHS employer to support the onboarding process, including; statutory and mandatory competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement. You will have the opportunity throughout the recruitment process to inform us if you do not consent.

Details

Date posted

09 July 2025

Pay scheme

Hospital medical and dental staff

Grade

Consultant

Salary

Depending on experience In line with HoS sessional payments

Contract

Secondment

Duration

15 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

990-EOE-12742-E

Job locations

Victoria House

Fulbourn

CB21 5XB


Job description

Job responsibilities

Education and Training Quality Improvement and Performance

  • To emphasise the importance and promote the development of a quality learning environment for all learners.
  • To support Postgraduate Deans in meeting all NHSE statutory requirements.

Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality Improvement

  • Assist in the development of quality processes which are complementary across the healthcare workforce.
  • To support the use of clinical skills training and simulation (where appropriate/applicable), stressing the importance of teamwork and human factors.

School Programme Management

To oversee School programme management and advise Postgraduate Deans on the following matters:

  • Specialty-specific matters and trainee/trainer concerns;
  • Recruitment to training posts and programmes;
  • Postgraduate programme management, including assessments, progression, rotations, support and remediation, OOP management, trainee management, careers support, less than full-time training, interdeanery transfer, academic training and other related work-streams.
  • To oversee the School structure and relevant School meetings within the structure.

Educational and Workforce Development

To advise and support the Postgraduate Dean in educational and workforce development elements, including:

  • Professional Development of the educational faculty
  • To support compliance with requirements particularly with regard to the supervision and support for trainees and learners.
  • To identify learning needs and support provision of educational appraisal, educator development and resource for faculty, trainees and learners.
  • To create and promote shared learning opportunities to increase effective inter-professional working across the School.

Intelligence Support/ provision

  • To ensure local intelligence processes inform quality management processes.
  • To engage with information systems (trainee database, post establishments).

Strategic Workforce Development and Commissioning

  • To contribute to workforce planning, ensuring clinical engagement with local and national workforce planning processes.
  • To develop educational programmes where needed to support achievement of curriculum competencies, engaging with commissioning processes as required.
  • To identify and support the implementation of alternative workforce solutions within the School.
  • To advise the Postgraduate Dean on commissioning and decommissioning activities.

Finance

  • To engage with business planning processes and associated School budgets as needed.
  • To ensure compliance with procurement requirements

You can find further details about the role, including key responsibilities and accountabilities, alongside the organisational structure and person specification in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents.

Secondments

Applicants from within the NHS will be offered on a secondment basis only, agreement should be obtained from their employer prior to submitting the application.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Education and Training Quality Improvement and Performance

  • To emphasise the importance and promote the development of a quality learning environment for all learners.
  • To support Postgraduate Deans in meeting all NHSE statutory requirements.

Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality Improvement

  • Assist in the development of quality processes which are complementary across the healthcare workforce.
  • To support the use of clinical skills training and simulation (where appropriate/applicable), stressing the importance of teamwork and human factors.

School Programme Management

To oversee School programme management and advise Postgraduate Deans on the following matters:

  • Specialty-specific matters and trainee/trainer concerns;
  • Recruitment to training posts and programmes;
  • Postgraduate programme management, including assessments, progression, rotations, support and remediation, OOP management, trainee management, careers support, less than full-time training, interdeanery transfer, academic training and other related work-streams.
  • To oversee the School structure and relevant School meetings within the structure.

Educational and Workforce Development

To advise and support the Postgraduate Dean in educational and workforce development elements, including:

  • Professional Development of the educational faculty
  • To support compliance with requirements particularly with regard to the supervision and support for trainees and learners.
  • To identify learning needs and support provision of educational appraisal, educator development and resource for faculty, trainees and learners.
  • To create and promote shared learning opportunities to increase effective inter-professional working across the School.

Intelligence Support/ provision

  • To ensure local intelligence processes inform quality management processes.
  • To engage with information systems (trainee database, post establishments).

Strategic Workforce Development and Commissioning

  • To contribute to workforce planning, ensuring clinical engagement with local and national workforce planning processes.
  • To develop educational programmes where needed to support achievement of curriculum competencies, engaging with commissioning processes as required.
  • To identify and support the implementation of alternative workforce solutions within the School.
  • To advise the Postgraduate Dean on commissioning and decommissioning activities.

Finance

  • To engage with business planning processes and associated School budgets as needed.
  • To ensure compliance with procurement requirements

You can find further details about the role, including key responsibilities and accountabilities, alongside the organisational structure and person specification in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents.

Secondments

Applicants from within the NHS will be offered on a secondment basis only, agreement should be obtained from their employer prior to submitting the application.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Membership/Fellowship of a College, Faculty, professional association and/or regulatory body
  • Attendance at courses aimed to support educational development
  • Primary clinical healthcare qualification

Desirable

  • Educational qualification such as postgraduate certificate diploma or masters in medical education

Experience

Essential

  • Considerable experience of working with learners or doctors in training in an educational context
  • Experience of clinical and educational leadership and innovation, including managing a multi-professional team
  • Understanding of developments involving the relevant Colleges/Faculties, professional bodies related NHS organisations and regulatory bodies

Desirable

  • Previous or current appointment as a leader in healthcare education
  • Awareness of funding streams for healthcare education
  • Understanding of current health, social care and education policy

Skills

Essential

  • Demonstrable leadership skills and an ability to influence and motivate others
  • Ability to quickly establish personal and professional credibility with colleagues and other key Stakeholders
  • Committed to own personal development and an ability to support others to develop and progress

Desirable

  • Ability to rapidly establish academic credibility

Behavious and Values

Essential

  • To contribute to the vision of the local NHS and to enhance patient care by providing leadership and direction with respect to the quality of education and training
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Membership/Fellowship of a College, Faculty, professional association and/or regulatory body
  • Attendance at courses aimed to support educational development
  • Primary clinical healthcare qualification

Desirable

  • Educational qualification such as postgraduate certificate diploma or masters in medical education

Experience

Essential

  • Considerable experience of working with learners or doctors in training in an educational context
  • Experience of clinical and educational leadership and innovation, including managing a multi-professional team
  • Understanding of developments involving the relevant Colleges/Faculties, professional bodies related NHS organisations and regulatory bodies

Desirable

  • Previous or current appointment as a leader in healthcare education
  • Awareness of funding streams for healthcare education
  • Understanding of current health, social care and education policy

Skills

Essential

  • Demonstrable leadership skills and an ability to influence and motivate others
  • Ability to quickly establish personal and professional credibility with colleagues and other key Stakeholders
  • Committed to own personal development and an ability to support others to develop and progress

Desirable

  • Ability to rapidly establish academic credibility

Behavious and Values

Essential

  • To contribute to the vision of the local NHS and to enhance patient care by providing leadership and direction with respect to the quality of education and training

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

NHS England

Address

Victoria House

Fulbourn

CB21 5XB


Employer's website

https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/working-for/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

NHS England

Address

Victoria House

Fulbourn

CB21 5XB


Employer's website

https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/working-for/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Foundation School Director

Dr Helen Barker

helen.barker6@nhs.net

Details

Date posted

09 July 2025

Pay scheme

Hospital medical and dental staff

Grade

Consultant

Salary

Depending on experience In line with HoS sessional payments

Contract

Secondment

Duration

15 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

990-EOE-12742-E

Job locations

Victoria House

Fulbourn

CB21 5XB


Supporting documents

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