Deputy Head of Allied Health Professions
Join to apply for the Deputy Head of Allied Health Professions role at Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust.
Please note, at this stage, the role is open only to internal staff (including NHSP and Agency staff currently on placement within our organisation) and staff substantively employed within Kent and Medway NHS Trusts and the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB). Any individual who is at risk of redundancy will be given priority, provided they meet the essential criteria.
We are pleased to offer an exciting opportunity to join Kent and Medway Mental Health Trust as Deputy AHP Lead for Forensic & Specialist Services. This senior leadership role will strengthen the Allied Health Professional workforce across diverse pathways, including Forensic Mental Health, Specialist Inpatient Services, and Community Teams.
As Deputy AHP Lead, you will work closely with the AHP Lead to provide strategic and clinical leadership, building strong relationships with service managers, clinical leads, and MDTs to champion AHP practice, quality, and innovation.
Key Responsibilities
* Provide operational management and professional supervision to AHPs (OTs, SLTs, Physiotherapists, Dietitians).
* Offer visible clinical leadership across forensic inpatient units, community teams, and specialist services.
* Support safe, effective, person-centred AHP service delivery.
* Lead service development, quality improvement, workforce planning, and evidence-based practice.
* Represent AHPs within senior leadership forums and contribute to Trust-wide AHP strategy.
* Drive recruitment, retention, career progression, and professional governance.
* Base negotiable across Kent & Medway with hybrid options.
* Join a supportive AHP leadership team committed to high-quality care.
* Support the directorate head of AHPs in the delivery of effective and efficient professional management and clinical leadership of all AHP Staff within the Directorate.
* Oversee operational management of Forensic AHP services.
* Influence and develop all AHP services across Forensic and Specialist Services.
* Depute for the AHP lead for forensic and Specialist Services.
* Provide clinical/professional supervision to AHP staff within the Forensic and specialist Directorate.
* Provide clinical leadership and support to AHP teams across all Forensic and Specialist Directorate Services.
* Attend and contribute to a range of Forensic and Specialist, and Trust Wide AHP Leadership Meetings.
* Lead/facilitate CPD opportunities for AHP staff including forums, Action Learning Sets and training.
We are the Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust. We care for the mental health and wellbeing of people across Kent and Medway. Our teams support adults with a wide range of mental health needs. Because we cover the whole county and both hospital and community settings, we can make care more joined up and easier to access for the 1.8 million people of Kent and Medway. Rated ‘Good’ by the CQC, we care for over 2,000 people in our hospitals and 54,000 in the community each year.
Our vision is simple: We are here to help communities not just live with mental illness, but live well. It’s why we’re passionate about working with communities to make mental health care better for everyone. And everything we do is guided by our values caring, inclusive, curious and confident.
Join us - if you share our passion for better mental health care and want to be part of a team that’s doing well together.
For further details / informal visits contact:
Name: Clare Hardwick
Job title: Head of Allied Health Professions
Email address: clare.hardwick1@nhs.net
Telephone number: 07879652656
Seniority level
Executive
Employment type
Full-time
Job function
Business Development and Sales
Industries
Hospitals and Health Care
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