Lead AHP - 8a in Eastbourne

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Main area Lead AHP Grade 8A Contract Secondment: 6 months Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (out of hours roster) Job ref 374-LB5308

Site East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust Town East Sussex Salary £57,528 - £64,750 PA, Pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 16/10/2026 23:59

We are proud to provide ‘Outstanding’ care and be a great place to work.

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust provides safe, compassionate and high quality hospital and community care to the half a million people living in East Sussex and those who visit our local area.

We are one of the largest organisations in East Sussex with an annual income of £700 million and we are the only integrated provider of acute and community care in Sussex.

Our extensive health services are provided by over 8,000+ dedicated members of staff working from two acute hospitals in Hastings and Eastbourne, three community hospitals in Bexhill, Rye and Uckfield, over 100 community sites across East Sussex, and in people’s own homes.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated us as ‘Good’ overall, and ‘Outstanding’ for being Caring and Effective. The Conquest Hospital in Hastings and our Community Services were rated ‘Outstanding’ and Eastbourne DGH was rated ‘Good’ Our two acute hospitals have Emergency Departments and provide 24 hour a day care, offering a comprehensive range of surgical, medical, outpatient and maternity services, supported by a full range of diagnostic and therapy services.

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a professional and operational leadership role within CHIC Planned Care Community Rehabilitation as a newly created 8a Lead AHP on a fixed-term/secondment basis.

As Lead AHP, you will provide visible and compassionate leadership to multidisciplinary teams, ensuring the delivery of safe, effective, high-quality care. You will be responsible for maintaining professional, clinical and regulatory standards through robust governance, assurance, audit and quality improvement processes.

Working closely with operational, nursing and medical colleagues, you will play a key role in service development, workforce planning and innovation across community rehabilitation pathways. You will support a culture of accountability, learning and continuous improvement, while influencing practice and addressing areas of concern where necessary.

The successful candidate will be a registered AHP with active HCPC registration and substantial senior leadership experience within clinical services. You will have a proven ability to lead teams, manage operational pressures, drive service improvement and ensure compliance with national standards and quality indicators.

Strong experience in governance, patient safety, quality improvement and service assurance is essential, alongside excellent communication and relationship-building skills. Above all, you will be a values-driven, inclusive leader with a commitment to improving patient experience, safety and outcomes.

Key requirements:

• Registered AHP with active HCPC registration.
• Significant senior leadership experience.
• Experience in governance, patient safety and quality improvement.
• Proven ability to deliver sustainable service improvements.
• Visible, compassionate and inclusive leadership style.

Main duties of the job

Provide visible clinical and professional leadership

Ensure the delivery of safe, effective and high-quality care

Lead quality improvement, patient safety, governance and assurance programmes.

Monitor clinical standards, audits, incidents and performance, driving continuous improvement.

Develop and support the workforce through recruitment, education, appraisal and professional development.

Work collaboratively with AHP, nursing, medical and operational leaders to improve services and patient pathways.

Lead on safeguarding, infection prevention, risk management and regulatory compliance.

Manage staffing, resources and operational performance to ensure safe and sustainable services.

Provide expert professional advice and act as a visible role model for compassionate leadership.

Participate in the CHIC site rep of the day rota which includes weekend working.

Working for our organisation

A wide range of staff benefits are available to our staff including staff development, enrolment in the NHS pension scheme, auto-enrolment to our Temporary Workforce Service, access to onsite nurseries. staff restaurants and accommodation.

In addition to an internal Occupational Health department, all staff also have access to free psychological support through our confidential Employee Assistance Programme. Onsite parking is available from only £50 a year.

Statement on the Use of AI

We value the individuality that each candidate brings to the application process. While we understand that AI tools are widely available, we strongly discourage applicants from using AI-generated content when applying for jobs with us. We believe that your application should reflect your true skills, experiences, and motivations, which are best conveyed through your own words and unique perspective.

Using AI for your application may not accurately represent your knowledge, skills, and experience and may result in a disconnect between your qualifications and our assessment of your application.

We encourage applicants to take the time to thoughtfully complete their applications; by doing so, you allow us to better understand your true potential and ensure a fair and transparent evaluation of your application. Over reliance on AI-generated content may diminish your chance of success.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see attached the job description

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse and hold active registration with NMC or Registered AHP and hold active registration with HCPC
• Masters level qualification relevant to role to demonstrate expert clinical and leadership skills
• Mentoring or coaching qualification
• Project management and Quality improvement qualification

Experience

• Proven experience working in a leadership position within NHS or relevant healthcare organisation.
• Demonstrate experience of : Quality/Service improvement- Project Management - Operational leadership - People Management
• Demonstrates evidence of national or regional networking

Patients come first at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.

Our vision is to be:

• The healthcare provider of first choice for the people of East Sussex.

Our mission is to:

• Deliver better health outcomes and an excellent experience for everyone we provide with healthcare services.

Our strategic objectives are to:

• Improve quality and clinical outcomes by ensuring that safe patient care is our highest priority.
• Play a leading role in local partnerships to meet the needs of our local population and improve and enhance patients’ experiences.
• Use our resources efficiently and effectively for the benefit of our patients and their care to ensure our services are clinically, operationally and financially sustainable.

Our aims are that all services delivered by the Trust are:

• Safe
• Effective
• Caring
• Responsive and
• Well led

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Name Carol Widdows Job title Deputy Divisional Director of Operations Email address carol.widdows@nhs.net

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