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Job summary

Main area
Trust HQ
Grade
VSM
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
222-CORP-956
Employer
West London NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Trust HQ
Town
Ealing
Salary
Salary dependent on experience
Closing
31/08/2025 17:00
Interview date
17/09/2025

Employer heading

West London NHS Trust logo

Chief People Officer

VSM

West London NHS Trust  provides a full range of mental health, community  and physical healthcare services for children, adults and older people living in the London boroughs of Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham and Hounslow.

We also provide some specialist services that are commissioned regionally, such as our medium secure services; and nationally, such as the Cassel Hospital for people with complex and severe personality disorder and our high secure services at Broadmoor Hospital.

Job overview

The Chief People Officer provides professional advise to the board both strategically and in relation to the Board’s responsibilities as an employer.

The successful candidate will be an active member of the Trust Board and must have the ability to cultivate positive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, combined with the practical delivery skills to translate our Trust ambition into reality for the benefit of our workforce and our patients.

As an Executive Director, the postholder will share all the corporate responsibilities of the Board. As a member of the Executive Team, the Chief People Officer will make an important contribution in supporting the Chief Executive in leading and managing the organisation. This includes working with the Chief Executive in setting the Trust’s strategic direction, ensuring effective stewardship and highest standards of corporate governance.

Main duties of the job

The post-holder will ensure that the Trust has an appropriate, well-motivated, highly skilled and high-performing workforce. The new NHS Plan sets out a bold ambition for the future. I am looking for a candidate who can lead the workforce response to meet and exceed the new workforce standards, further improve productivity, support the development of more digitally enabled service models – particularly in corporate services – and support the transition into neighbourhood-based services.

 

The successful candidate will be a strategic, credible and visible workforce leader who is working at Board or sub-Board level with a proven track record of achievement within the NHS. I am looking for a candidate who has experience of developing and successfully implementing workforce strategies, is politically astute, can evidence improvements in equality and inclusion standards and has the drive and energy to make a real difference.

Working for our organisation

West London is one of the most diverse providers of NHS mental and physical care in the UK. We are a Trust with genuine ambition and a clear vision – to be the best organisation of our kind in the country – an outstanding healthcare provider, committed to improving quality and caring with compassion.

We are proud of our journey of improvement and growth over the last four years, which has included the expansion of our service portfolio to encompass the leadership of community services in the Boroughs of Ealing, Hounslow and beyond. Navigation of this journey and realisation of change has only been made possible through the dedication, commitment and engagement of our 6,000 staff, more of whom than ever would recommend us as a place of work. Our values underpin all that we do and shape our approach to driving transformation through greater co-production and a commitment to working in an increasingly collaborative manner with North West London partners and wider system partners.

We are part of a Collaborative with Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust (CLCH) and Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) and share a single Chair. This provides an exciting opportunity to develop a more consistent employee experience across partner organisations and enhance our employee offer.

 

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached

The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.

Application is by CV with a covering letter stating your interest and submitted to [email protected].

 

Person specification

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience of operating at Board or Sub-Board level within a large or complex NHS provider
  • Experience of developing and delivering a workforce strategy and a record of success in achieving key workforce performance indicators
  • Track record of achievement through building effective relationships with key stakeholders
  • Evidence of developing and implementing interventions that have improved WRES and WDES scores
  • Experience of leading or contributing to the annual planning processes
  • Evidence of a collaborative style at a strategic level
  • Experience of advising Boards on senior employee relations issues

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Educated to Masters level or equivalent level experience
  • Evidence of continued learning/development
  • Full membership of CIPD or equivalent.
Desirable criteria
  • FCIPD

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Extensive knowledge and understanding of the NHS policy agenda
  • Up to date knowledge of current employment legislation and good employment practice
  • Knowledge of mediation and evidence of applying in practice

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Excellent communication, influencing and negotiating skills
  • A proactive energetic leader with the proven ability to drive a workforce agenda and embed within the business with a solid background in HR generalist activities who can operate on a strategic and operational level
  • Visible leadership, connecting with staff across all levels with the ability to engage well at all levels
  • Ability to operate confidently within complex and ambiguous environments
  • Outcome focused
  • Ability to think strategically and develop innovative and practical responses
  • Able to develop successful relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, internally and externally
  • Inner resolve, integrity and capability to navigate across complex employment issues with the desire to make a genuine difference to the employee experience
  • Political astuteness
  • Ability to establish rapport/credibility at all levels
  • Ability to make timely judgements and decisions involving complex and contentious options
  • High levels of emotional resilience to be able to deal with contentious issues with self-belief and positivity
  • Ability to manage financial and other resources and encourage the utilisation of data and evidence-based decision-making.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Fair Train work experience quality standard - gold standardNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleJob share policyInvestors in PeopleDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - BronzeArmed Forces Covenant

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Anna Stanczyk
Job title
Personal Assistant
Email address
[email protected]
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