Service Manager in Essex

The Service Manager for Community Mental Health Services provides senior operational leadership across the Tendring & Colchester Community Mental Health Teams, Dementia Services, Early Intervention in Psychosis and At Risk Mental State Services in North East Essex. Acting as a senior liaison point between acute hospitals, community services, third-sector and primary care partners, the role drives effective collaboration and system-wide integration to improve patient flow, capacity management, and timely access to mental health support. This includes seamless coordination across multiple interfaces (emergency departments, discharge hubs, primary care, etc.) to ensure high-quality, person-centred, trauma-informed care is delivered.

This pivotal role leads on service planning, performance management, and pathway optimisation as part of the senior leadership team, ensuring services meet national and local targets while being responsible for embedding continuous improvement and innovation. The post holder must be a highly motivated, collaborative leader with deep understanding of urgent and integrated care systems, able to influence across organisational boundaries to enhance system efficiency and patient outcomes. They will need to provide and receive highly complex, sensitive, or contentious information, using advanced communication and negotiation skills to secure cooperation and shared ownership among stakeholders. The role also demands strategic system leadership representing the Trust in multi-agency forums and shaping developments across the local Neighbourhood System as the area rapidly mobilises in alignment to Neighbourhoods as part of the NHS Long Term Plan.

Importantly, the Service Manager will ensure that service developments align with national and local strategic priorities. This includes advancing the goals of the NHS Long Term Plan (integrating services and expanding community-based care) and implementing the principles of the Community Mental Health Framework for place-based, integrated mental health care. The role directly contributes to EPUT's Strategic Objectives 2023-2028 delivering safe, high-quality integrated care, working with partners to improve services, and supporting our communities to thrive thereby supporting the Trust's vision and the wider systems strategic aims.

Person Specification

• Registration: Professional registration with a registered body.
• Resilience & Emotional Intelligence: High level of emotional intelligence, with the ability to tolerate and manage stress in self and others. Can remain calm and provide guidance in fast-paced or emotionally charged situations. Resilience to weekly emotional demands is essential.
• Knowledge: Highly developed specialist knowledge of health service management and improvement methodologies, underpinned by theory and experience to a master's level standard. Understanding of NHS financial management and resource allocation processes is desirable.
• Education/Qualifications: Master's degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience at senior level in health or social care at 8a and above. Evidence of CPD in quality improvement, project management, or system leadership is desirable.

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.