Director of Patient and Carer Experience in Norfolk

Job summaryWe are seeking an experienced and compassionate Director of Patient and Carer Experience to provide strategic leadership and ensure their voices genuinely influence decisions at every level of our organisation. You will be the Trust's senior professional clinical lead for service user and carer experience, providing leadership across experience, involvement, participation and co-production.A central focus of this role will be strengthening the way we listen to, involve and work alongside carers and families. You will champion meaningful co-production, ensure carers and families have opportunities to influence service improvement and strategic decision-making, and help create a culture where their knowledge, experiences and contribution are recognised and valued.You will lead the Trust wide Service User and Carer Experience Strategy and ensure learning from complaints, concerns, compliments, surveys, engagement and feedback leads to demonstrable improvements in quality and care.We are looking for a registered healthcare professional with significant senior healthcare leadership experience and expertise in patient and carer experience, quality improvement, clinical governance, engagement and co-production. You will bring compassionate and inclusive leadership, excellent influencing skills and the ability to create trusted relationships with service users, carers, families, communities and partners.Main duties of the jobThe Director of Patient and Carer Experience is the Trust's senior professional clinical lead for service user and carer experience. Working as part of the Patient Experience Directorate and reporting to the Chief Patient Experience Officer, the postholder provides strategic leadership, professional advice and expert guidance to ensure that the voices, experiences and outcomes of service users, carers and families are integral to the delivery, improvement and redesign of services.The postholder will ensure that service user and carer experience is considered alongside safety, clinical effectiveness, equity and outcomes within the Trust's quality governance framework.As a registered health care professional, the postholder is professionally accountable for ensuring that service user and carer experience is embedded as a core component of quality, alongside patient safety and clinical effectiveness, and that learning from feedback, complaints, concerns, incidents, compliments and engagement activity results in demonstrable service improvement.About usAt Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, inclusion is at the heart of how we work. We are committed to creating a fair, transparent and accessible recruitment process where every candidate has the opportunity to succeed.We actively encourage applications from people from all backgrounds, particularly those currently underrepresented in our workforce, including those from the global majority. We recognise that not everyone has equal access to opportunities and are working to address this.We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process and ensuring all candidates receive a positive and equitable experience.Here at NSFT we pride ourselves on being a welcoming, talented, friendly and supportive team who like nothing better than sharing experiences and learning from each other. In addition to ongoing training and development opportunities, we are committed to providing an environment in which you can thrive.Why work for us? We have challenges as a Trust, but we have ambitious aspirations, are pushing ahead with exciting transformation work and we need dedicated individuals to support us on our journey. We have strong, established professional networks coupled with an exceptional leadership team who will ensure you are truly cared for and cared about.DetailsDate posted23 October 2026Pay schemeAgenda for changeBandBand 9Salary 112,782 to 129,783 a year Dependant on Experience ContractPermanentWorking pattern Full-time Reference number246-COR8365571Job locationsCounty HallMarinteau LaneNorwichNR1 2DHUnited KingdomJob descriptionJob responsibilitiesPlease find attached our Job Description and Person Specification for more detail on your Key Accountabilities, then if you feel you have what it takes to make a difference in your local communities, click APPLY! Job description Job responsibilitiesPlease find attached our Job Description and Person Specification for more detail on your Key Accountabilities, then if you feel you have what it takes to make a difference in your local communities, click APPLY!Person Specification Qualifications EssentialRegistered healthcare professional with current registration with the NMC, HCPC, GPhC or equivalent recognised professional regulator.Evidence of continuing professional development and maintenance of professional registration.DesirableAcademic publication or research activity within healthcare quality, patient safety or service user and carer experience. Experience EssentialSignificant experience at senior leadership level within healthcare.Experience leading patient experience, involvement, engagement, complaints or quality portfolios.DesirableExperience of working across different organisations within the health and social care economy Skills EssentialAdvanced clinical leadership skillsAbility to present complex and emotive information to public forums and handling high profile risk incidentsAbility to communicate issues clearly and openly with staff at all levels, from the senior leadership team to frontline staff. Knowledge EssentialComprehensive understanding of patient safety and clinical governance frameworks.Knowledge of health inequalities, equality legislation and inclusion frameworks. Person Specification Qualifications EssentialRegistered healthcare professional with current registration with the NMC, HCPC, GPhC or equivalent recognised professional regulator.Evidence of continuing professional development and maintenance of professional registration.DesirableAcademic publication or research activity within healthcare quality, patient safety or service user and carer experience. Experience EssentialSignificant experience at senior leadership level within healthcare.Experience leading patient experience, involvement, engagement, complaints or quality portfolios.DesirableExperience of working across different organisations within the health and social care economy Skills EssentialAdvanced clinical leadership skillsAbility to present complex and emotive information to public forums and handling high profile risk incidentsAbility to communicate issues clearly and openly with staff at all levels, from the senior leadership team to frontline staff. Knowledge EssentialComprehensive understanding of patient safety and clinical governance frameworks.Knowledge of health inequalities, equality legislation and inclusion frameworks.Disclosure and Barring Service CheckThis 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.Certificate of SponsorshipApplications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).UK Registration Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window). Additional information Disclosure and Barring Service CheckThis 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.Certificate of SponsorshipApplications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).UK Registration Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).Employer detailsEmployer nameNorfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS TrustAddressCounty HallMarinteau LaneNorwichNR1 2DHUnited KingdomEmployer's websiteEmployer detailsEmployer nameNorfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS TrustAddressCounty HallMarinteau LaneNorwichNR1 2DHUnited KingdomEmployer's website