Job overview

Welcome to this opportunity to lead the transformation of our specialist Deaf Mental Health Service.

Deaf people experience some of the greatest inequalities in access to mental health care. Communication barriers, limited culturally competent services and fragmented pathways often mean that Deaf individuals do not receive the support they need at the right time.

We are committed to addressing this.

This senior leadership role will play a critical part in shaping a service that is:

• Accessible and culturally competent
• Designed in partnership with Deaf people
• Focused on care closer to home
• Integrated with local and regional services
• Grounded in evidence-based practice

We are seeking a leader who shares our commitment to equity, quality and innovation and who will work with service users, staff and partners to develop a modern Deaf service that delivers excellent outcomes.

Main duties of the job

The Deaf Service provides specialist assessment, treatment and support for Deaf adults experiencing mental health difficulties. The successful candidate will lead the continued transformation of the service, ensuring care is evidence-based, accessible, and designed in partnership with Deaf people and their communities.

This role will play a key part in ensuring our service aligns with the ambitions of the NHS Long Term Plan, including:

• Delivering care closer to home
• Improving access and integration across systems
• Reducing health inequalities for underserved populations

You will work closely with clinicians, operational managers, commissioners, regional collaboratives and community partners to ensure services are responsive to need and grounded in the lived experience of Deaf service users.

The successful candidate will champion co-production, inclusion and cultural competence, ensuring the Deaf community’s voice is central to service development and delivery.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced clinical or operational leader with a passion for improving services for Deaf people and tackling inequalities in mental health care.

We particularly welcome applications from Deaf professionals and individuals with lived experience of Deaf culture.

Working for our organisation

Welcome to Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.  Our 4000 clinical and support staff help us to improve mental health wellbeing and meet the needs of the 70,000 people we serve each year.  We provide a range of mental healthcare services across Birmingham and Solihull, as well as specialised services nationally. We also offer medical, nursing and psychology training and are proud of our international reputation for both research and innovation.

Our population is culturally diverse, characterised in places by high levels of deprivation which create an increasing demand for our services and a necessity for us to make sure everyone can access the help they need. We are a team of compassionate, inclusive and committed people working together to provide excellent care to support our community.  If you are looking for a place to belong, where you can make a real difference to people’s lives, join our team where our warm welcome is waiting for you.