CAMHS Acute & Urgent Care; Patient Flow Clinical Service Delivery Lead

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Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust CAMHS Acute & Urgent Care; Patient Flow Clinical Service Delivery Lead

The closing date is 15 November 2026

Apply for this job

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and ambitious clinical leader to help transform urgent and acute mental health services for children and young people across Sussex.

We are seeking a CAMHS Acute & Urgent Care Patient Flow Clinical Service Delivery Lead to provide strategic and clinical leadership across our urgent and acute pathway, including COAST, CAMHS Liaison, Inpatient Services and Transitions.

About the Role

As a senior clinical leader, you will take overarching responsibility for the coordination, quality and performance of the acute and urgent care pathway. Working closely with clinical leaders, service managers and system partners, you will drive improvements in patient flow, reduce avoidable admissions, minimise length of stay and support timely, safe discharge planning.

You will provide visible leadership across services, ensuring that clinical priorities are translated into effective operational delivery and that services remain responsive to changing demand and system pressures.

The role will have clinical oversight of:

• CAMHS Outreach, Support and Treatment Service (COAST)
• CAMHS Inpatient Services
• CAMHS Liaison Services
• Transition Services

Main duties of the job

What You'll Be Doing

• Providing clinical and strategic leadership across the acute and urgent care pathway.
• Leading initiatives to improve patient flow and reduce delays in care.
• Driving implementation of the CYP IMHS model locally.
• Working collaboratively with acute hospitals, community CAMHS, social care, education and wider system partners.
• Supporting development of community alternatives to admission and intensive community support models.
• Leading quality improvement, governance and performance initiatives.
• Supporting workforce planning, recruitment, professional development and service sustainability.
• Contributing to business planning and engagement with commissioners and key stakeholders.
• Ensuring the voices of children, young people and families remain central to service development and delivery.

About us

We provide mental health and learning disability care for children, young people and adults across Sussex.

Working in Sussex:

• Travel easily between coast and countryside, with a blend of picturesque villages and seaside towns.
• Enjoy a range of beautiful rural settings and bustling city locations.
• With easy access to Gatwick and Heathrow and excellent railway links across the UK there is plenty of opportunity for adventure.

This is a rare opportunity to play a leading role in shaping the future of urgent and acute mental health services for children and young people across Sussex. You will join a highly committed team at the forefront of service transformation and have the opportunity to influence care across the entire pathway.

Most importantly, you will make a lasting difference to the lives of children, young people and families at some of the most challenging times in their lives.

If you are a compassionate, innovative and influential clinical leader who is committed to improving care for children and young people, we would love to hear from you.

Details

Date posted

30 October 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£66,582 to £77,368 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

354-CS-21965

Job locations

The Harbour Unit

Princess Royal Hospital Lewes Road

Haywards Heath

RH16 4EX

United Kingdom

Job description

Job responsibilities

Essential Criteria

Qualifications & Registration

• Professional registration with a relevant healthcare profession (e.g. Nursing, Social Work, Occupational Therapy, Psychology or equivalent).
• Educated to Master's level or able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge and experience.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.

Experience

• Significant senior leadership experience within CAMHS, mental health, urgent care, crisis services, inpatient services or a related healthcare setting.
• Experience of leading multidisciplinary teams across complex services and organisational boundaries.
• Experience of managing clinical risk, patient flow, demand and capacity within healthcare services.
• Experience of leading service transformation and implementing change programmes.
• Experience of quality improvement, governance, performance management and service development.
• Experience of partnership working with a range of agencies including health, social care, education and acute hospital providers.
• Experience of staff management, supervision, recruitment and workforce development.

Knowledge

• Excellent understanding of children and young people's mental health services and care pathways.
• Knowledge of the CYP Intensive Mental Health Services (CYP IMHS) model and relevant national policy and guidance.
• Understanding of patient flow principles, admission avoidance, discharge planning and least restrictive practice.
• Knowledge of safeguarding, clinical governance and quality assurance frameworks.
• Understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion within healthcare delivery.

Skills & Abilities

• Strong strategic and operational leadership skills.
• Proven ability to influence and manage across organisational and professional boundaries.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to analyse complex information and make timely decisions in challenging environments.
• Ability to lead through change and maintain focus on service quality and patient outcomes.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities.

Personal Attributes

• Compassionate, credible and visible leader.
• Committed to improving outcomes and experiences for children, young people and families.
• Resilient and able to work effectively in a fast-paced and complex environment.
• Demonstrates integrity, accountability and professionalism.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Essential Criteria

Qualifications & Registration

• Professional registration with a relevant healthcare profession (e.g. Nursing, Social Work, Occupational Therapy, Psychology or equivalent).
• Educated to Master's level or able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge and experience.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.

Experience

• Significant senior leadership experience within CAMHS, mental health, urgent care, crisis services, inpatient services or a related healthcare setting.
• Experience of leading multidisciplinary teams across complex services and organisational boundaries.
• Experience of managing clinical risk, patient flow, demand and capacity within healthcare services.
• Experience of leading service transformation and implementing change programmes.
• Experience of quality improvement, governance, performance management and service development.
• Experience of partnership working with a range of agencies including health, social care, education and acute hospital providers.
• Experience of staff management, supervision, recruitment and workforce development.

Knowledge

• Excellent understanding of children and young people's mental health services and care pathways.
• Knowledge of the CYP Intensive Mental Health Services (CYP IMHS) model and relevant national policy and guidance.
• Understanding of patient flow principles, admission avoidance, discharge planning and least restrictive practice.
• Knowledge of safeguarding, clinical governance and quality assurance frameworks.
• Understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion within healthcare delivery.

Skills & Abilities

• Strong strategic and operational leadership skills.
• Proven ability to influence and manage across organisational and professional boundaries.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to analyse complex information and make timely decisions in challenging environments.
• Ability to lead through change and maintain focus on service quality and patient outcomes.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities.

Personal Attributes

• Compassionate, credible and visible leader.
• Committed to improving outcomes and experiences for children, young people and families.
• Resilient and able to work effectively in a fast-paced and complex environment.
• Demonstrates integrity, accountability and professionalism.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to Masters level in relevant subject or equivalent level or equivalent experience of working at a senior level
• Professional registration - Social Work England, NMC, HCPC, UKCP etc.

Desirable

• Post-graduate degree, MBA or Masters in Management Studies or similar qualification or evidence of critical thinking, research, analysis and report writing at Masters degree level

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• Extensive experience at senior management level in a health or social care organisation.
• Demonstrated experience of leading organisation-wide change programmes and projects in complex and challenging environments.
• Experience of working with senior stakeholders, managing their expectations and reporting progress with delivery.
• Management of resources and good track record with change management, efficiency savings and financial recovery plans.
• Experience of writing and presenting successful Business Cases.
• Significant experience of working with local partners and the public in changing services including service closures and staff redundancies.
• Working successfully with partner organisations and stakeholders, including staff, in a consensual but decisive manner. Experience of managing stakeholder relationships.
• Significant experience of involving service users and carers in the development and improvement of services.
• Experience of setting up and implementing internal processes and procedures.
• Knowledge of Financial Systems e.g. monitoring budget management, processing invoices and procurement. Managing significant budgets and achievement of recurrent efficiency savings.

Desirable

• Experience of creating and giving presentations to a varied group of internal and external stakeholders.

Skills, capabilities & attributes

Essential

• Understanding of the national and local context for Mental Health, Substance Misuse and Learning Disability services, clinical and corporate governance and the regulatory framework for Foundation Trusts and can translate and apply into clear service strategies and plans.
• Clear understanding of multi-agency policies and programmes relating to this age group.
• Excellent verbal and written communication. Track record of meeting competing priorities and delivering under pressure.
• Strategic and business planning - able to think and plan strategically, tactically and creatively and gain agreement to relevant plans and to implement plans through service delivery.
• Ability to travel across sites.
• Ability to prepare, produce and present concise yet insightful communications for dissemination to senior stakeholders and a broad range of stakeholders as required. Ability to communicate complex technical issues clearly to a non-technical audience.
• Experience of developing and maintaining effective partnerships with stakeholders in the redesign of services.
• Ability to work systematically, effective planning and prioritisation.

Analytical & Judgement skills

Essential

• Ability to analyse very complex issues where material is conflicting and drawn from multiple sources.
• Ability to effectively provide and receive complex information which may require analysis and interpretation and develop solutions if required.
• Capability to act upon incomplete information, using experience to make inferences and decision making.
• Numerate and able to understand complex financial and performance issues combined with deep analytical skills.
• Ability to analyse and judge the impact of projects on the organisations processes and ensure that any process changes are managed across the Trust.
• An understanding of effective systems for project and programme governance and the management of clinical and nonclinical risks.

People Management/Leadership

Essential

• An open and facilitative style of leadership which can be adapted when necessary to ensure delivery of objectives.
• Leading and developing teams of managers, clinicians and administrative staff.
• Good performance management skills combining clarity around expectations, direction and holding others to account.
• Ability to secure resources for Programmes across all projects, negotiating with colleagues across the Trust for the release of resources - some part-time - to support the work programme.
• Experience of modernising services without additional resources.
• Demonstrated capabilities to manage own workload and make informed decisions in the absence of required information, working to tight and often changing timescales.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to Masters level in relevant subject or equivalent level or equivalent experience of working at a senior level
• Professional registration - Social Work England, NMC, HCPC, UKCP etc.

Desirable

• Post-graduate degree, MBA or Masters in Management Studies or similar qualification or evidence of critical thinking, research, analysis and report writing at Masters degree level

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• Extensive experience at senior management level in a health or social care organisation.
• Demonstrated experience of leading organisation-wide change programmes and projects in complex and challenging environments.
• Experience of working with senior stakeholders, managing their expectations and reporting progress with delivery.
• Management of resources and good track record with change management, efficiency savings and financial recovery plans.
• Experience of writing and presenting successful Business Cases.
• Significant experience of working with local partners and the public in changing services including service closures and staff redundancies.
• Working successfully with partner organisations and stakeholders, including staff, in a consensual but decisive manner. Experience of managing stakeholder relationships.
• Significant experience of involving service users and carers in the development and improvement of services.
• Experience of setting up and implementing internal processes and procedures.
• Knowledge of Financial Systems e.g. monitoring budget management, processing invoices and procurement. Managing significant budgets and achievement of recurrent efficiency savings.

Desirable

• Experience of creating and giving presentations to a varied group of internal and external stakeholders.

Skills, capabilities & attributes

Essential

• Understanding of the national and local context for Mental Health, Substance Misuse and Learning Disability services, clinical and corporate governance and the regulatory framework for Foundation Trusts and can translate and apply into clear service strategies and plans.
• Clear understanding of multi-agency policies and programmes relating to this age group.
• Excellent verbal and written communication. Track record of meeting competing priorities and delivering under pressure.
• Strategic and business planning - able to think and plan strategically, tactically and creatively and gain agreement to relevant plans and to implement plans through service delivery.
• Ability to travel across sites.
• Ability to prepare, produce and present concise yet insightful communications for dissemination to senior stakeholders and a broad range of stakeholders as required. Ability to communicate complex technical issues clearly to a non-technical audience.
• Experience of developing and maintaining effective partnerships with stakeholders in the redesign of services.
• Ability to work systematically, effective planning and prioritisation.

Analytical & Judgement skills

Essential

• Ability to analyse very complex issues where material is conflicting and drawn from multiple sources.
• Ability to effectively provide and receive complex information which may require analysis and interpretation and develop solutions if required.
• Capability to act upon incomplete information, using experience to make inferences and decision making.
• Numerate and able to understand complex financial and performance issues combined with deep analytical skills.
• Ability to analyse and judge the impact of projects on the organisations processes and ensure that any process changes are managed across the Trust.
• An understanding of effective systems for project and programme governance and the management of clinical and nonclinical risks.

People Management/Leadership

Essential

• An open and facilitative style of leadership which can be adapted when necessary to ensure delivery of objectives.
• Leading and developing teams of managers, clinicians and administrative staff.
• Good performance management skills combining clarity around expectations, direction and holding others to account.
• Ability to secure resources for Programmes across all projects, negotiating with colleagues across the Trust for the release of resources - some part-time - to support the work programme.
• Experience of modernising services without additional resources.
• Demonstrated capabilities to manage own workload and make informed decisions in the absence of required information, working to tight and often changing timescales.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

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

Additional information

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

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

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Address

The Harbour Unit

Princess Royal Hospital Lewes Road

Haywards Heath

RH16 4EX

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Address

The Harbour Unit

Princess Royal Hospital Lewes Road

Haywards Heath

RH16 4EX

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Head of Service CAMHS Acute & Eating Disorders

Nicola Chainey

[email protected]

07391415265

Details

Date posted

30 October 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£66,582 to £77,368 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

354-CS-21965

Job locations

The Harbour Unit

Princess Royal Hospital Lewes Road

Haywards Heath

RH16 4EX

United Kingdom

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