The Head of Partnerships & Integration is a senior, system facing leadership role within Vertis GP Federation, created to drive the organisations transition into Neighbourhood Health across Worcestershire. This role will shape and coordinate all cross sector collaboration needed to deliver truly integrated, preventative and community based care.
Sitting at the heart of system relationships, the postholder will act as the principal architect of partnership working, ensuring health, social care, community and voluntary sector partners operate as a unified ecosystem through Integrated Neighbourhood Teams (INTs). They will lead strategic development, governance, digital integration and workforce culture to enable seamless neighbourhood level delivery.
The role requires a strong blend of strategic leadership, stakeholder influence, system awareness, and operational credibility. It carries high visibility across the Integrated Care System and plays a pivotal part in positioning Vertis as the trusted integrator for population focused care in Worcestershire.
Main duties of the job
System Integration & Strategy: Designing and driving a unified neighbourhood health model aligned with national Neighbourhood Health frameworks.
Partnership Leadership: Acting as one of the conveners across ICB, local authority, NHS providers, VCSE partners and other stakeholders to build shared governance and collaborative delivery.
Governance & Performance: Developing governance arrangements, supporting contracting models such as capitated budgets, and overseeing neighbourhood level outcome monitoring.
Workforce & Culture: Embedding multidisciplinary, integrated ways of working and supporting systemwide workforce development.
Digital & Population Health: Championing shared data, interoperable digital solutions and population health intelligence to drive evidence-based decision making.
External Representation: Positioning Vertis regionally and nationally as a leader in neighbourhood integration and innovation.
About us
Vertis Health is a federation of GP surgeries and PCNs in Worcestershire, supporting over 600,000 patients. Our members are our stakeholders, and we exist to reduce administrative pressure so GPs can focus more on patient care. Practices remain independent while benefiting from the scale, support and shared services of a larger organisation. We advocate for our members, deliver business and operational support, and create sustainable, revenue generating services that strengthen primary care. We’re ambitious, collaborative and committed to helping PCNs reinvest in local priorities building a resilient, future focused primary care system for our communities.
Job responsibilities
Vertis is entering an exciting phase of transformation as it positions itself as a provider for Neighbourhood Health across Primary Care Networks. National guidance emphasises that neighbourhood health requires integrated care, partnership led working, and a shift towards preventative, community based models. Integrated Neighbourhood Teams (INTs) deliver personalised and proactive support by bringing together professionals from healthcare, social care and community sectors.
The Head of Partnerships & Integration will be the senior leader responsible for shaping, strengthening, and driving cross system collaborations to enable Vertis to act as an integrator for neighbourhood level care and to prepare for the requirements of the 10 Year Health Plan, aligning budgets and outcomes across a whole population.
Key Responsibilities
A. Strategic Leadership & System Integration
* Lead the development of a unified neighbourhood health model across the PCNs, grounded in national guidelines for Neighbourhood Health.
* Drive the design and implementation of Integrated Neighbourhood Teams, ensuring alignment of community, mental health, social care and voluntary sector partners.
* Shape Vertis readiness for future contracting, including capitated budgets and outcome based accountability.
* Provide executive level leadership on prevention, early intervention, and integrated models of care.
B. Partnership Development & Relationship Management
* Build strong, strategic relationships with:
* Worcestershire Integrated Care Board
* NHS community and mental health providers
* Local authority adult social care and public health
* VCSE organisations and neighbourhood level community groups
* Acute providers where pathways overlap
* Develop and maintain Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), shared governance agreements, and partnership frameworks.
C. Governance, Contracting & Performance
* Support the CEO and Board in establishing a governance structure, focusing on population health improvement and collaborative decision making.
* Contribute to the development of subcontracting arrangements across partners, aligning delivery and financial incentives.
* Lead monitoring and reporting of neighbourhood health performance, outcomes and integration indicators.
D. Workforce & Culture
* Promote a culture of integrated, multidisciplinary working, reflecting the INT model where diverse professionals flex around individual needs.
* Oversee cross organisational workforce development programmes, including shared learning and leadership initiatives.
* Collaborate with HR and PCN leaders to support workforce sustainability, skillmix evolution and integrated team identity.
* Champion shared population health intelligence capabilities, consistent with the evidence based approach described in NHIPIC resources.
* Promote interoperable digital solutions to enable real time care coordination and data driven decision making.
* Support development of dashboards, outcome frameworks, and analytical insights.
F. External Engagement & Reputation Building
* Represent Vertis at ICs boards, neighbourhood collaboratives, and national/regional forums.
* Lead communication strategies showcasing Vertis integration achievements and neighbourhood innovations.
* Position Vertis as the trusted lead provider for neighbourhood health in Worcestershire.
Person Specification
Experience
* Extensive leadership experience within primary care, community health, local government, VCSE, or integrated care systems.
* Strong understanding of:
* oNeighbourhood Health models, integration principles and prevention focused approaches.
* oIntegrated Neighbourhood Teams and the operational changes required to implement them.
* oThe national roadmap for Integrated Health Organisations, including capitated contracts and population outcomes.
* Proven ability to build multi agency partnerships and manage complex stakeholder environments.
* Experience leading organisational change in multi provider contexts.
Skills & Attributes
* Exceptional relationship building, convening and influencing skills.
* Strategic thinking with the ability to translate national policy into local delivery.
* Strong political and system awareness.
* Outstanding communication and negotiation abilities.
* Ability to navigate ambiguity and lead through change.
* Commitment to population health improvement and reducing inequalities.
Values & Behaviours
* Collaborative, compassionate and community focused.
* Committed to working across organisational boundaries.
* Personally aligned to the core aims of neighbourhood health: prevention, integration and empowerment.
Additional Information
* This is an executive-level role with high visibility across the ICs.
* The role requires flexibility, resilience and the ability to manage competing priorities
Qualifications
* Degree level education or equivalent senior experience.
* Evidence of continued professional development.
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.
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