Job overview
Are you an experienced NHS leader ready to shape the future of adult community nursing services? Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a dynamic Head of Service to lead our Adults Long Term Services across ten Primary Care Network areas in West Kent.
This pivotal role offers the opportunity to drive strategic service development, ensure high-quality care delivery, and champion clinical excellence. You’ll work closely with the Assistant Director to define service strategy, oversee performance, and empower teams to deliver transformative care. As part of our senior leadership team, you’ll collaborate with partners across health and social care, including Primary Care, Acute Trusts, Hospices, and Social Services. If you’re passionate about improving patient outcomes, fostering innovation, and leading with compassion, we’d love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
As Head of Service, you’ll be responsible for the operational and strategic leadership of Community Nursing, Services. You’ll manage performance, quality, workforce planning, and financial control, ensuring services meet national standards. Key responsibilities include leading service transformation, managing Operational Managers, overseeing clinical governance, and driving quality improvement. You’ll analyse complex data, develop strategic plans, and represent the locality at quality and performance meetings. The role also involves contributing to policy development, managing budgets, and supporting staff development. You’ll deputise for the Assistant Director and play a key role in shaping the future of community care in Kent.
Additional Working Pattern: 30 hours per week over 4 days Monday to Friday, plus requirement to be part of the On Call manager rota which would involve weekends and out of hours
Working for our organisation
Rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC, we’ve got a passion for delivering high standards of patient care and excellent services to improve the health of our communities. To do this we need outstanding people who share our values compassionate Aspirational Responsive Excellent
We know a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion leads to better patient care and a happier workforce. We pride ourselves in being diverse and welcome applications from people with varied backgrounds, perspectives and experiences
We ask for information about your protected characteristics on our application forms. This isn’t visible to anyone involved with shortlisting or interviewing you, except when you choose to be considered under the guaranteed interview scheme due to disability. Short listers will see two ticks alongside your application to ensure they apply the principles of the scheme to your submission
The data we collect helps us to ensure we are attracting diversity in our applicants, that all our colleagues have equitable access to career opportunities and supports us on our journey to being a Great Place to Work
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want you to be able to work in a way that is best for us, for our patients and for you. Talk to us about a flexible working arrangement that won’t involve sacrificing time for personal interests or family commitments. We’ll support you to work flexibly in a way that will suits us both
See where you can go with KCHFT
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please note: at this stage, the role is open only to colleagues currently employed within Kent and Medway NHS Trusts and the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB).
Job responsibilities
As a community Trust many of our roles require individuals to be able to drive to perform their duties. As such you will be asked to confirm you have a full UK driving licence where driving is a requirement of the role to be able to proceed with your application. We are committed to supporting candidates with disabilities into employment, if you are unable to drive due to a disability, please contact the Recruitment Team via quoting the vacancy reference number so we can support you further.
The job description and person specification gives you all the information you need about this role. Please look carefully at the criteria in the person specification and tell us what you have done that shows you meet this in your application. If you need an application form in an alternative format please let our recruitment team know. All information you supply on your application should, to the best of your knowledge, be true and accurate.
Still have questions? The recruiting manager would love to hear from you, their contact details can be found in the job advert.
We can get a lot of applications for some roles so to be in with the best chance of being shortlisted please make sure you apply as soon as possible. A vacancy may close early if there is a lot of interest in the job.
At KCHFT we strongly encourage colleagues in clinical and non-clinical roles who have direct or social contact with patients to be fully vaccinated. In this way we will be doing all we can to ensure your safety and that of your colleagues and the patients we serve.
Find out more about the community difference here.
Good luck! We can’t wait to meet you and welcome you to #teamKCHFT, #cometocommunity.
It is important to us that all our staff are aligned to our Values and in particular the behaviours we expect from KCHFT managers. With this in mind as part of the selection process for this position you will be asked to complete two other activities in addition to the competency-based interview that you will invited to. This extended selection process is designed to assess your management style and the specific details of the exercises will be given if you are successfully shortlisted. The provisional date of the selection event is 26th November 2025, although this may be subject to change.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. Registered Healthcare Professional; Registered nurse; Evidence of Management Qualification or relevant experience
Desirable criteria
2. Master’s degree level qualification or equivalent experience relevant to management and leadership
Experience
Essential criteria
3. 3 years’ experience at Senior Management level within the NHS; Management of budgets; Successfully leading and motivating staff; Extensive clinical governance, patient safety and quality improvement experience; Leading and implementing change expertise;
Experience
Essential criteria
4. Evidence of applying national policy locally and involvement in effective strategic planning and development; Clear understanding of health services infrastructure and its relationship to partner organisations; Experience of effective partnership working across the health and social care platform.
Desirable criteria
5. Experience of remodelling and restructuring services within the NHS.
Knowledge
Essential criteria
6. Broad knowledge of the complex key local, regional and national policy; Context and strategies relating to patient safety, quality improvement and clinical governance; Knowledge of the principles of citizen engagement in clinical governance and improving the quality of clinical services; Knowledge of current drivers for quality and clinical governance; Knowledge of how to effectively lead and motivate people particularly in relation to change and improving the patient experience.
Skills and abilities
Essential criteria
7. Exemplary communication skills which include negotiation, persuading and influencing skills; Skilled in time management including effective delegation and prioritising workload; Ability to work autonomously and deal with conflicting demands; Ability to deal with and elevate conflict effectively.
Personal Attributes
Essential criteria
8. Ability to work to resolve complex issues; Understand cultural differences and diversity in the work place; Demonstrates emotional intelligence, through a proven ability to lead; Demonstrates a commitment to high quality patient care; Valid driving licence and access to a car for work purposes
Employer certification / accreditation badges