Job summary
- Main area
- Psychiatry
- Grade
- Head of School (HoS)
- Contract
- Secondment: 12 months (Until 31 October 2027)
- Hours
- Part time
- Job share
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 990-SW-EC5607-E
- Employer
- NHS England
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- NHSE Office in South West Region
- Town
- Flexible across the South West Region
- Salary
- In line with HoS sessional payments
- Closing
- 15/10/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Specialty Head of School for Psychiatry
Head of School (HoS)
Our Organisation
We share the core values set out in the NHS Constitution, which all colleagues are expected to demonstrate.
We support you to work in a way that is best for the NHS, our patients and you and your colleagues. Talk to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement, whether that’s a job share, part time, hybrid working or another flexible pattern.
As part of our commitment to improving patient safety and maintaining safe and trusted services, all successful candidates will be subject to Baseline Personnel Security Screening (BPSS), which includes a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. By submitting your application, you are confirming your agreement to these checks being undertaken as part of the recruitment process.
Anyone who has received a voluntary or compulsory redundancy payment from NHS England since the start of the 2026/27 financial year is not eligible to apply.
Job overview
An outstanding individual is sought to fulfil the role of Head of School in Psychiatry working across the South West.
The post will be available on the basis of a secondment arrangement from their host institution to NHS England – 1.5 sessions per week (6 hours), worked flexibly. The contract is until the 31 October 2027 in the first instance.
All work undertaken should be incorporated into the Consultant Job Plan. The role of Head of School is to work with and support the Postgraduate Dean in leading the delivery of a wide range of functions, aligned to the NHS England mandate.
The Head of School is professionally and managerially accountable to the Postgraduate Dean. The Head of School will focus upon improvement of learner supervision, assessment and experience, engagement of faculty and ensuring effective educational outcomes, both now and in the future.
Main duties of the job
The ideal candidate will be an experienced clinician with a thorough understanding of education and training across the region. They will also have strong leadership and communication skills and be able to work effectively as a member of a multi-professional team.
Working for our organisation
NHS England has a wide range of statutory functions, responsibilities and regulatory powers. These are focused on supporting the wider NHS to deliver high quality care, as well as doing those things that are best done once for the whole NHS.
Our staff bring expertise across clinical, operational, commissioning, technology, data science, cyber security, software engineering, education, and commercial specialisms — enabling us to design and deliver high-quality NHS services.
In March 2025, the Government announced that NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care will increasingly merge functions, ultimately leading to NHS England being fully integrated into the department.
If you currently work within the NHS and if successful at interview, we will initiate an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). This retrieves key data from your current or previous NHS employer to support onboarding, including competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement. You may opt out at any stage of the process.
Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in our offices.
We cannot offer visa sponsorship for any vacancies.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
You can find further details about the job, organisational structure, recruitment profile, expected outcomes and benefits information in the Job Description and other supporting documents.
Secondments
Applicants from within the NHS will be offered on a secondment basis only, agreement should be obtained from their employer prior to submitting the application.
Person specification
Qualifications and Training
Essential criteria
- Primary clinical healthcare qualification
- Employed as a Consultant with a NHS (or equivalent) provider in the South West
- Attendance at courses aimed to support educational development (example: educator courses, Train the trainer, etc)
Experience and Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Considerable experience of working with learners or doctors in training in an educational context
- Demonstrable track record of delivery in service and education
Skills and Abilities
Essential criteria
- Demonstrable leadership skills and an ability to influence and motivate others
- Strong interpersonal, communication, written and presentation skills
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Dr Helen Waters
- Job title
- Deputy Postgraduate Dean
- Email address
- [email protected]
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