Job Opportunities in United Kingdom

Job summary

Quality Transformation Lead - Mental Health, Learning Disability & Autism (MHLDA)
Band 8C | NHS England | South West Region
Salary: 65,664 - 75,874 per annum
Location: Flexible (Travel throughout England required)
Contract: Fixed Term until October 2026
Are you passionate about improving mental health, learning disability, and autism services across the NHS? Do you have clinical leadership experience and a drive for transforming care pathways? We are seeking an innovative Quality Transformation Lead to drive large-scale transformation as part of the MHLDA Inpatient Quality Transformation Programme in the South West region.
In this senior leadership position, you will play a key role in leading and delivering strategic changes to improve the quality of inpatient services for Mental Health, Learning Disabilities, and Autism across the region. Working closely with the Programme Director and a multidisciplinary team, you will shape the future of care models, eliminating out-of-area placements and ensuring high-quality care that meets national standards.
Your ability to engage with key stakeholders-including clinicians, senior leaders, commissioners, and experts by experience-will be pivotal as you drive forward rapid and systematic improvements. This is a clinical leadership post that requires experience in delivering and managing mental health, learning disability, and autism services, with a focus on both adults and older adults.

Main duties, tasks & skills required

• Lead large-scale transformation across the MHLDA inpatient care services, driving improvements in quality, safety, and patient outcomes.
• Collaborate with national, regional, and local stakeholders to co-create solutions, including developing new models of care and national standards.
• Oversee programme strategy by supporting clinical, commissioning, and policy development within a matrix structure to deliver sustainable change.
• Ensure patient involvement is central to all decision-making, championing co-production and incorporating the voice of people with lived experience into service redesign.
• Manage key deliverables including eliminating inappropriate admissions, enhancing the resilience of NHS services, and reducing reliance on independent providers.
• Provide leadership to support workforce education, quality improvement, and cross-system alignment.

About us

Why Join Us?
This is a unique opportunity to be part of a high-performing and motivated team dedicated to transforming mental health and learning disability services. By joining NHS England, you will be at the forefront of improving care for some of the most vulnerable individuals, ensuring that their needs are met locally and at the highest quality standards.
Ready to lead the future of mental health and learning disability services? Apply today to make a meaningful impact.

Job description

Please see attached full job description for more information. If you'd like an informal discussion about the role, please contact: Justine Faulkner. Justine.faulkner@nhs.net
What We're Looking For:

• Clinical leadership experience in Mental Health, Learning Disability, or Autism services (operational or practitioner level).
• A track record of leading transformation and service redesign across complex systems.
• Strategic thinking with the ability to develop and deliver quality improvement initiatives and champion evidence-based practice.
• Experience working with diverse stakeholders, including the voluntary and community sector, people with lived experience, and health system partners.
• A commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of programme delivery and workforce development.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to Post-graduate degree level in relevant subject or equivalent level qualification or significant experience of working at a similar level in specialist area.
• Relevant Clinical qualification
• Further training or significant experience in project management, financial management or supporting change management processes.

Experience

Essential

• Operational and clincial experience in mental health, learning disabilities and autism services for adults and older adults
• Knowledge of current health policy context.
• Demonstrated experience in mental health sector (commissioner/ Provider/ regional/ national).
• Evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development.
• Significant experience of successfully operating in a politically sensitive environment.
• Experience in working with people with lived experience and family carers to improve services.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

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.

UK Professional Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

For help with your application, contact:

Justine Faulkner
Justine Faulkner@nhs.net
07901857310