Head of Risk and Performance Assurance in Chester

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP) is seeking an exceptional leader to join us as our new Head of Risk and Performance Assurance. This is a unique opportunity for an experienced governance, risk, assurance or performance professional to play a pivotal role in helping the Trust achieve its strategic objectives while ensuring high-quality, safe and effective services for our communities.

Working closely with Executive Directors, clinical leaders and senior managers, you will lead the Trust's corporate risk management and performance assurance arrangements, ensuring that risks are effectively identified, managed and mitigated, and that robust performance frameworks provide the insight needed to drive continuous improvement.

As Head of Risk & Performance Assurance, you will provide strategic and operational leadership for the Trust's risk management and performance assurance functions, helping to ensure the delivery of safe, effective and high-quality services across Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. You will work closely with Executive Directors, senior leaders and clinical teams to strengthen governance arrangements, support informed decision-making and drive continuous improvement across the organisation. This is a highly visible senior leadership role that offers the opportunity to influence strategic decision-making, strengthen organisational assurance and contribute directly to improving outcomes for patients, service users and communities across Cheshire and Wirral.

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP) provides health and care services for a population of over one million people, including mental health, learning disability, community physical health and all-age disability care, as well as the provision of three GP surgeries in Cheshire. We employ around 4,500 staff across 73 sites and have services across Wirral and Cheshire, as well as Trafford, Warrington, Bolton, Halton, Liverpool and Stockport. Our aim is to help improve the lives of everyone in our communities, adopting a compassionate, person-centred approach to everything we do. We are rated as Outstanding for Caring by the Care Quality Commission, with a Good rating overall.

As a Disability Confident Employer, Rainbow Badge Scheme member, Veteran Aware organisation and proud holder of the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award, CWP is committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible and developing a culture that values differences, and welcomes applications from people who have direct experience of accessing our services.

All new starters will commence in post on one fixed start date each month, in line with our Prepare to Care (P2C) induction programme date. P2C offers up to 3 weeks training to support you to meet the induction / initial training requirements of the role.

Details:

• Date posted: 31 July 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 8a
• Salary: £57,528 to £64,750 a year
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full-time
• Reference number: 373-CSS1305
• Job location: Redesmere, Liverpool Road, Chester, CH2 1BQ, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities:

Please download a copy of the job description for full details of the main responsibilities for this role. At CWP, our recruitment selection processes are based on both competence and values. CWP recruits people that can demonstrate the Trust's Values in their everyday life and we use a values-based approach in our interviews, which explores not only what you do but how and why you do it.

Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trust's Values and think about how these align with your own personal values. The supporting information section in your application should reflect your understanding of the Trust's Values and associated behaviours and you should provide examples from your work experience and/or personal life which demonstrate these values through your behaviours.

An applicant guide to help and support you through your recruitment journey can be accessed at the bottom of this page. Further help and support for completing your application can be accessed via our website. If you need any further guidance to help you complete your application, contact our recruitment team via email at: cwp.recruitment@nhs.net or by calling 01244 393100.

If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the essential criteria described in the person specification for an available position, please answer YES to the question: Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme? Please inform the team if you have any special support needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection processes.

The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post and encourages applications from armed forces reservists or cadet force adult volunteers.

Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £16 per year applies.

New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above. Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.

Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome you to Team CWP very soon!

Person Specification:

Qualifications:

• Essential: Master's degree or significant equivalent and relevant experience in risk management, clinical governance, or a healthcare-related field
• Essential: Project management qualification (e.g. PRINCE 2) or equivalent experience/qualification
• Desirable: Membership of an appropriate professional body such as the Institute of Risk Managers
• Desirable: Formal leadership qualification

Knowledge and Expertise:

• Essential: In-depth knowledge of risk management, corporate and clinical governance, performance management, and financial governance
• Essential: Experience of advising and influencing Senior Managers on best practice in governance approaches, particularly focusing on quality and service improvement
• Essential: Experience of working as a key stakeholder on governance projects
• Essential: Experience of interpreting legislation, national guidance and current best practices appropriate to the role
• Essential: Experience of coaching and training managers on governance, risk and performance issues
• Essential: Proven experience of staff involvement & engagement and influencing large groups of staff
• Essential: Experience of delivering a range of effective governance interventions within a public sector organisation
• Desirable: Experience within mental health or community healthcare
• Desirable: Experience working with regulators (e.g. CQC) or external assurance bodies

Experience:

• Essential: Experience of delivering Board-level reporting and assurance frameworks
• Essential: Experience of managing organisational performance frameworks, KPIs and accountability processes
• Desirable: Experience facilitating senior leadership forums or workshops
• Desirable: Experience using business intelligence tools (e.g. Power BI)

Trust Values:

• Essential: Demonstrate alignment with Trust Values (6 C's: Commitment, Communication, Care, Courage, Compassion, Competency)

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.

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.