Child and Adolescent Clinical Director in Manchester

Reports to: Chief Medical Officer

Direct Reports: Clinical Care Hub

Location: Remote/Hybrid (with some in-person meetings each month) - London

Commitment: Full-time

About Us

We combine high-calibre clinical expertise with innovative technology to deliver accessible, safe, and compassionate ADHD and Autism care for children, young people, and families.

Our adult ADHD service is already recognised for clinical excellence, patient experience, and innovation. Now, we’re launching a dedicated children and adolescent service - and we’re looking for an exceptional Child and Adolescent Clinical Director to lead it.

We move quickly but never at the expense of quality, governance, or the warmth and trust that underpin exceptional care. This is a chance to shape the future of children’s neurodevelopmental services at a pivotal moment in our growth.

The Role

This is both a strategic and hands-on leadership role. You’ll be the prescribing clinician at the helm of our children and adolescent ADHD and Autism service, shaping how we deliver outstanding, life-changing care for children and young people.

You will:

• Lead the growth and development of the service, shaping how we deliver outstanding care and ensuring every pathway meets the highest standards.
• Carry a clinical caseload where required, working autonomously from assessment to diagnosis and long-term care - including prescribing and reviewing medication.
• Provide visible, values-driven leadership to a passionate multi-disciplinary team.
• Build outstanding relationships with families, schools, community teams, and the wider children’s mental health system.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership and Service Development

• Lead the growth, development, and continuous improvement of our children and adolescent ADHD & Autism service, shaping how we deliver gold-standard care.
• Act as the Lead for children’s safeguarding, embedding a safe, responsive, and accountable safeguarding culture.
• Work closely with the Clinical Ops Lead to ensure effective delivery of care pathways in line with agreed quality, safety, and activity requirements.
• Partner with relevant stakeholders on all aspects of service development, assuring a safe system of practice for every clinical component.
• Contribute to the Quality and Safety team, ensuring robust systems and processes are in place for clinical assurance.
• Implement, review, and evaluate care pathways using QI methodology to promote clinical effectiveness, foster innovation, and eliminate waste.

Clinical Governance and Risk Management

• Ensure systems for case supervision and monitoring standards of practice are embedded throughout the service.
• Implement an integrated approach to risk management across all clinical operations.
• Lead investigations into serious incidents, safeguarding concerns, and complaints, producing timely reports and ensuring that lessons learned inform practice.
• Disseminate learning from complaints, incidents, and safeguarding reviews, ensuring action plans are implemented and monitored.
• Oversee patient safety incident reviews, using both local and national learning to improve services.
• Ensure robust procedures, guidelines, and training are in place for complaints, concerns, and compliments, with evidence of change where needed.

Clinical Practice

• Carry out, and oversee staff carrying out, specialist neurodevelopmental assessments that truly get to the heart of what children and families need.
• Provide specialist clinical input for children and young people with complex ADHD and ASC presentations.
• Work collaboratively with families, schools, community teams, and other professionals to deliver joined-up, child-centred care.
• Maintain notable clinical skills and expertise in evidence-based interventions for serious mental disorders and emotional or behavioural problems in children and adolescents.
• Uphold fidelity to evidence-based models of care with routine audits to ensure ongoing alignment with NICE guidelines.

Workforce Leadership and Development

• Provide direct supervision, mentorship, and support for clinicians across the service.
• Develop and lead training packages for all new clinical staff to ensure best-practice assessment and treatment.
• Contribute to the CPD of colleagues and junior staff through appraisals, reviews, and peer supervision.
• Address performance concerns promptly and support colleagues to improve practice where required.

Research, Audit and Quality Improvement

• Lead and participate in service audits, reflective practice, and service evaluation to shape future care.
• Use research and outcome data to guide clinical decision-making and service innovation.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement across the team.

Regulatory and Professional Standards

• Maintain your own CPD and produce evidence for annual appraisals in line with the organisation’s clinical dimensions and indicators.
• Promote professional standards of practice based on relevant codes of conduct and regulatory guidance.
• Contribute to the formal regulation of practice across the service, including peer reviews and appraisal feedback.

Partnership and External Engagement

• Build strong relationships with schools, local authorities, third-sector organisations, and healthcare partners.
• Represent the service externally at professional forums, strategic meetings, and commissioner discussions.
• Actively support initiatives to improve patient experience, working with the Head of Clinical Care Hub, Head of Client Services, and other senior leaders.
• Key relationships with:
• Chief Medical Officer
• Clinical Operations Lead
• Adult Clinical Director
• Quality and Safety Team
• Senior Leadership Team

What Will Help You Thrive in This Role

• You’ll need a recognised clinical qualification (e.g. psychiatrist, paediatrician, nurse prescriber) with active registration and prescribing rights.
• Extensive experience in child and adolescent ADHD and Autism assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.
• Significant leadership experience in CAMHS or equivalent neurodevelopmental settings.
• Deep understanding of safeguarding and children’s mental health systems.
• Proven ability to embed clinical governance, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance.
• Confidence in managing complexity, from challenging cases to organisational change.
• Excellent communication skills, able to inspire trust across multi-disciplinary teams.
• A collaborative style, high professional standards, and a strong ethical compass.
• Enthusiasm for using technology and innovation to improve access, experience, and outcomes.

Why Join Us

• Shape a national children’s ADHD and Autism service at the forefront of healthtech innovation.
• Work with a high-calibre, supportive, and mission-driven senior team.
• Influence both day-to-day care and long-term strategic direction.
• Flexible hybrid working with in-person time at our beautiful Canary Wharf based office.
• Competitive salary and benefits.

If you’re ready to combine exceptional clinical care with visionary leadership - and help redefine what’s possible in children and adolescent ADHD and Autism services - we’d love to hear from you.

Apply now with your CV and a cover letter telling us why this role excites you.

We’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive environment. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, especially those from historically marginalised communities, as we work together to create a more equitable future.