Job summary
- Main area
- Diagnostic & Clinical Support Management
- Grade
- AfC Band 8c
- Contract
- 18 months (Fixed Term Contract)
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 384-JH-EMF18799-B8c
- Employer
- Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust
- Town
- Guildford
- Salary
- £76,412 - £87,723 (per annum) includes high cost area supplements (HCAS)
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 17/07/2025 23:59
Employer heading
AHP Head of Service
AfC Band 8c
Job overview
Due to a recent retirement, we are excited to offer a unique opportunity for a senior AHP professional to join Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust at a pivotal time. This 18-month fixed-term role will lead the design and development of a Trust-wide AHP strategy, aligned with the national AHP Strategy for England (2022–2027), and play a key role in shaping the future of AHP services across the organisation.
As AHP Head of Service, you will work in close partnership with Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, co-developing a shared vision for AHP leadership, workforce development, and integrated care delivery. You will also hold divisional operational responsibility for the therapy team, ensuring strategic alignment with high-quality, patient-centred service delivery.
This is a senior leadership role requiring a strong operational background, a deep understanding of national AHP priorities, and a passion for innovation. If you are a forward-thinking, inclusive leader with a track record of delivering high-quality care in acute or community settings—and are ready to shape the future of AHP services at Royal Surrey and beyond—we would love to hear from you.
Kindly note if invited to interview, you will be required to attend a stakeholder panel in the first instance, and if successful at this stage you will then be invited to interview. Both of these stages will require you to attend a face to face appointment in an on site environment, and we will not be able to offer an alternative date. Stakeholder and Interview will be held on Tuesday 29 July 2025.
Main duties of the job
You will lead on the development of a robust AHP leadership framework, promote digital transformation, and champion the appropriate AHP patient led pathways and community-based care models. Your work will directly contribute to reducing hospital admissions, improving patient outcomes, proposing an AHP leadership team and enhancing the professional development and retention of AHPs.
Working for our organisation
Royal Surrey is a compassionate and collaborative acute and community Trust. Recognising that our 5000 colleagues are our greatest strength, we offer a comprehensive health and wellbeing program along with a commitment to developing and advancing your career. Our diverse and welcoming Royal Surrey family will ensure you that you feel valued from your initial interview through your entire tenure.
We are clinically led and provide joined up care by bridging the gap between hospital and community services alongside regional specialist cancer care. Our main acute hospital site is in Guildford with community hospital sites at Milford, Haslemere and Cranleigh. We provide adult community health services in homes across Guildford and Waverley.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) have given us an overall rating of Outstanding.
Royal Surrey has a strong reputation and history to build on. We are proud of our achievements and we are investing in our colleagues through our commitment to supporting professional development as well as investing more than £45 million in our physical environment and new equipment in the next few years. There has never been a better time to join us.
Although it isn't the Trusts normal practice, adverts may close early, so you are encouraged to submit an application as soon as possible.
A video about the Royal Surrey - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R96pMboIYdo
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
• Take a lead role across the Trust in transforming services and patient pathways to ensure provision of high quality, safe and innovative acute clinical services within the Trust
• The role will include supporting the Chief Nurse providing professional leadership to all professions within the AHP work force, developing and maintaining links with regional and national professional bodies.
• Manage staffing, including recruitment, appraisal, CPD, performance; Support Heads of Service with complex performance issues,
• Responsible for policy & service development;
• Clinically accountable for clinical service delivery and liaise with other agencies as appropriate;
• Responsible for budget & physical resources.
• Empower and support AHP department leads by providing them with the resources and knowledge necessary to achieve their goals and enhance their professional development;
• Be the lead professional for AHPs in the Division and to be an advocate for patients, clients and their families in the achievement of clinical excellence. The post holder will provide Senior clinical leadership for AHP’s and will lead operational management within the Division and support Trust wide AHP initiatives;
• The post holder will lead in the delivery of excellent care to ensure that local objectives align to the Trust Nursing, midwifery and AHP professional plan.
• Taking a trust wide lead in one/or more of the corporate AHP initiatives.
• Deputise for the divisional triumvirate for the diagnostic and clinical support services division, this covers the roles of the Associate Director of Nursing and Associate Director of Operations.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Degree (or equivalent) in a relevant AHP profession
- Relevant post-graduate professional qualifications at a Masters to Doctorate level (or equivalent)
- Ability to gain appropriate Professional Membership: Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists o The Association of UK Dietitians o The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy o Royal College of Occupational Therapists
- H.C.P.C registered
Desirable criteria
- Quality Improvement qualification
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Demonstrates successful management and leadership at a senior NHS (or equivalent) level
- Demonstrably able to successfully utilise own in-depth professional and leadership knowledge from within a relevant profession to lead the SBU: o Speech & Language Therapy o Nutrition & Dietetics o Physiotherapy o Occupational Therapy
- Demonstrates knowledge and experience to successfully: o budget hold a number of complex budgets; o implement business planning; o deliver key targets o work under pressure / to defined timescales; o implement and develop new services & business cases; o improve service delivery, patient experience and quality of care; o implement organisational change management; o manage contracts and tenders; o market these services;
- Demonstrates knowledge and experience to lead all aspects of clinical governance pertaining to this complex SBU and mitigate/manage Trust-wide impact;
- Demonstrates applied knowledge of the context and background driving the aims of: o current healthcare policy; o national guidance; o Commissioning (health and social care); and appreciate the implications of this on engagement of the SBU within the Division, Trust and wider health and social care economy;
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Hayley Connoley
- Job title
- Associate Director of Operations for DCSS
- Telephone number
- 01483 571122
- Additional information
If you are passionate about playing a vital and senior role in the design and delivery of safe, high-quality, and compassionate AHP services, this could be the perfect role for you.
Interested candidates should contact Jo Michie ([email protected]), or Associate Director of Nursing and Hayley Connoley ([email protected]), Associate Director of Operations, Diagnostic and Clinical Support services.
If you have problems applying, contact
- Address
-
Royal Surrey Foundation Trust
- Telephone
- 01483 571122 Ext 2478
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