Head of Centre, London

Salary: £52,406 per annum, plus 15% ILW

Hours: Full time, 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 5:30pm

Contract Type: 16 month fixed term contract

Location: London

Reports to: Director of Clinical Services

THE CHARITY

James’ Place is a charity that saves the lives of men in suicidal crisis by delivering free, life‑saving therapy. We run centres in Liverpool, London and Newcastle, and new centres are opening in Birmingham. We have treated over 5,100 men and we are committed to making help easy to find.

THE OPPORTUNITY

We are seeking an experienced clinician to join us on a fixed‑term contract to cover maternity leave. The Head of Centre will lead our London centre, taking overall responsibility for clinical and operational management, serving as the senior clinician and guardian of the charity’s ethos, culture and tone.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Leadership and Management: Act as a senior leader, building close working relationships across the charity and fostering a culture of excellence and improvement. Work closely with clinical and non‑clinical colleagues to further our mission of urgent clinical services. Develop partnership and fundraising opportunities locally. Oversee the building’s management via the Centre Manager. Lead and supervise the clinical team, ensuring first‑class treatment for every man who visits. Maintain adequate staffing levels, manage sickness absence, performance and ensure staff receive appropriate supervision, PDRs and PDPs. Develop new and existing engagement and referral pathways, ensuring high‑quality and informed referrals.
• Clinical: Lead the clinical activity at the London centre and ensure safety for users and supporters. Report on clinical outcomes, manage local governance and risk assessments. Provide weekly and monthly metrics on progress. Collaborate with the Director of Clinical Services on evaluation and research. Be an expert user of our clinical information system. Carry a clinical caseload (≈20% of working time). Create an environment respecting confidentiality, privacy, dignity and proactive stigma‑free practice. Ensure staff training in suicide prevention and the James’ Place intervention model. Represent the charity at safeguarding and risk management forums. Provide cover for other Heads of Centre when required. Lead incident reviews and safeguarding for users in care.
• Fundraising and Finance: Manage the centre budget and maintain accurate, auditable records. Represent James’ Place locally, establishing and nurturing stakeholder relationships. Represent the charity in the media and at events, promoting its work. Represent nationally on occasion. Work with local fundraisers and the wider team to meet agreed targets and KPIs.
• James’ Place Charity: Collaborate with the Director of Clinical Services and Executive Leadership Team to deliver the business plan. Promote service evaluation and support the London team’s development. Contribute to understanding men’s suicide crisis. Lead specific projects to support the charity’s aims, including clinical quality groups.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential:

• Clinician with HCPC/Social Work England/BACP qualification/NMC/UCKP or equivalent – psychotherapy, psychology, OT, mental health background.
• Experience accountable for care/support delivery to people with mental health needs.
• Experience delivering expert structured care in a mental‑health or therapy setting.
• Proven management of clinical and non‑clinical staff.
• Ability to plan and deliver therapy sessions.
• Ability to deliver high‑quality presentations to stakeholders, funders, academics.
• In‑depth knowledge of the local health economy; ability to identify and overcome barriers to James’ Place implementation.
• Experience working with academic partners on evaluation and research.
• Resilience in challenging situations.
• Knowledge and understanding of suicide prevention.
• Openness to innovation and new ways of working.
• Constructive and collaborative attitude.
• Awareness of mental health variations across diverse backgrounds.
• Project management experience.
• Ability to address organisational priorities and remedial action when necessary.

Desirable:

• Experience managing a mental‑health clinical team.
• Deep understanding of the impact of mental health/suicide.
• Project management qualification.

WE OFFER

• 7% employer contributory pension scheme.
• Family‑friendly policies.
• Death in service insurance scheme.
• 25 days plus bank holidays leave entitlement (FTE), including enhanced holiday allowance with incremental rises after qualifying period.

James’ Place is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community. No applicant, temporary worker or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender or transgender status, race and ethnicity, religion and belief, marital or civil partnership status or sexual orientation. If you have a disability or health condition that would benefit from adjustments to the interview process to help you perform at your best, please let us know in advance. Any job offers made are subject to the receipt of two satisfactory employment references, including one from your most recent or current employer, as well as a satisfactory DBS check and a Right to Work in the UK check.