Head of Northern Services
Salary £ 45,000
Inverness - 3 Days Office Based
Vacancy listed 17/03/2025
Application deadline 07/04/2025
Details
Location: Inverness, Hybrid Working
Salary: £45,000- £50,000
Salary Band: 3.1-3.3
Hours: 35 hours per week/ Full-time/ Permanent
Contract: Permanent
Directorate: Services
Reports To: Director of Services

Change Mental Health is a leading national mental health charity providing unique support to people with severe and enduring mental ill health. With over 50 years’ experience across Scotland, we believe people affected by poor mental health and illness deserve the highest quality of support in the community and that every person has the right to be valued and to share in the opportunities, challenges, and joys of everyday life.

About the Project / Service
Change Mental Health is determined to deliver excellent services and support across Northern Scotland and we need a Head of Services to help us to achieve this. This role will ensure that our services are delivered to a high standard, and that they are developed both operationally and strategically. This role will have oversight and responsibility for developing our services within the Highlands and the North which include outreach support, work within resource centres and community settings, carers support and Community Link Worker projects.

The role of the Head of Northern Services is instrumental in ensuring that we provide innovative support to people affected by poor mental health and mental illness. It will be responsible for working closely with our Policy and Communications Team and Fundraising Teams and will play a key role in the National Management Team of Change Mental Health. The role will work closely with the Director of Services to develop and work in partnership with a range of different stakeholders to increase the impact of our work and generate new opportunities for the organisation.

This is an exciting role for the organisation and would suit someone who enjoys working in a fast-paced environment, is committed to continuous service improvement and who excels in managing both operational and strategic relationships.

Key Responsibilities
  • Oversee the safe and efficient operational delivery practice and development of services across the Highlands and the North of Scotland
  • Lead, support and motivate your team to ensure high-quality and person-centred service delivery
  • Provide strategic leadership for the services in your area and contribute to the strategic development of services nationally as a member of the National Management Team
  • Be an active member of the National Management Team and contribute to the implementation of Change Mental Health’s vision, mission, values and strategy

 Strategic Planning and Oversight
  • Provide strategic leadership for the services in your area and contribute to the strategic development of services nationally as a member of the National Management Team
  • Represent Change Mental Health appropriately at external meetings, including Programme Boards, round table events and Government meetings
  • Work closely with the Director of Services to implement and develop Change Mental Health’s services strategic vision
  • Scope and explore funding opportunities and support and develop funding applications and tender bids, as required, in partnership with the Fundraising Team and Tender Team
  • Plan, manage and implement organisational change successfully
  • Work with the Fundraising Team and Tender Team to develop an annual plan around fundraising, contracts and development of services
  • Regularly source and organise opportunities to meet in person with key partners and stakeholders who can support and influence our work positively
  • Represent the organisation professionally when communicating with external stakeholders and protect and enhance the organisations reputation
  • Develop an annual strategic plan for your area which clearly demonstrates how the operational work being delivered aligns with the organisation’s strategy
  • Communicate strategic messages and decisions with your team and manage and respond to questions and queries around these appropriately, as a leader within the organisation
  • Lead on all monitoring and reporting for your area of work, including setting and monitoring KPIs across all of your teams and projects 

Operational Service Delivery and Development
  • Ensure services in your area are delivered to the highest standard with high levels of satisfaction from the people we support, in line with our Quality Assurance framework, the SSSC Codes of Practice and all other relevant quality standards
  • Responsible for overseeing the safe operational delivery of services in your area of work and managing quality assurance around these
  • Responsible for developing and maintaining safe working processes, procedures and practices in your area of work, including overseeing some services which may be registered with the Care Inspectorate or other regulatory bodies • Oversee safe and inclusive recruitment practices in your area for both staff and volunteers
  • Responsible for overseeing the implementation of appropriate tools and systems within your team to assess, measure and monitor outcomes and impact of services 
  •  Oversee and manage all contracts and service delivery to ensure the team delivers high quality and safe services, in line with our partners expected outcomes and expectations
  • Provide visible onsite leadership to our staff by being based at and regularly visiting Change Mental Health’s services/ offices
  • Support the operational delivery of services, including providing guidance and support for frontline staff, where required
  • Proactively seek opportunities to develop services in your area through networking and taking advantage of the local/ national landscape, to expand the scope and reach of Change Mental Health
  • Encourage and promote the voice of lived experience in the development of services and support in your area and across the organisation
  • Lead on supporting staff with safeguarding and adult protection concerns/ referrals in your area and give guidance, support and direction to colleagues as needed
  • Responsible for ensuring appropriate health and safety processes are in place and adhered to in your area, including risk assessments, lone working procedures, safeguarding, including adult support and protection and child protection concerns
  • Lead your team to establish person-centred development plans for those accessing Change Mental Health support which focuses on recovery and include various assessment models, including a robust approach to risk assessment
  • Produce reports and information as required by the Senior Leadership Team, funders or other stakeholders, as required 

Leadership 
  • Lead on key specific themes of work/ projects/ communities of practice as a member of the National Management Team
  • Lead and support HR processes as a member of the National Management Team, including chairing and supporting disciplinaries, grievances and appeal hearings
  • Role model positive behaviours and demonstrate effective communication skills to communicate clearly key organisational messages to the wider team
  • Make decisions and give direction to your team which align with the interests of the organisation
  • Communicate effectively with other members of the National Management Team and foster idea sharing and collective problem solving through constructive debate
  • Contribute to the development of best practice, quality and improvement within services based on evidence-based research, external body recommendations and knowledge of organisational fit of the approaches
  • Lead on specific projects/ working groups as required
  • Carry out any other duties that may reasonably be required in the light of the main purpose of the job

Line management
  • Line manage staff, as required, to ensure the successful delivery of services across your service area
  • Coach, support and provide constructive feedback to your team to ensure they are clear about what the organisation needs and expects from them in their role
  • Manage and oversee HR issues as they arise in the team, and seek advice from the HR Team as appropriate to mitigate organisational risk and ensure supportive working practices and an inclusive culture are in place
  • Communicate regularly with your team, in person, and be a visible member of NMT who listens to staff, provides clarity on decision-making and delivers key organisational messages
  • Build a positive and supportive culture within your teams which represents the values of Change Mental Health
  • Ensure that your team are keeping up-to-date records in the appropriate systems and ensure they are adhering to GDPR and other organisational processes and policies
  • Provide regular, in person, support and supervision sessions to those you line manage
  • Encourage, promote and facilitate reflective practice throughout your area of work
  • Plan and set objectives for your team members and monitor the progress of the wider team’s objectives in your area to ensure staff are supported to achieve these
  • Build a positive, inclusive and high performing team culture and team dynamics by ensuring regular in person meetings and social events take place to support and encourage this

Financial responsibilities
  • Set, manage and oversee local budgets in consultation with the Director of Services and Head of Finance
  • Ensure local value for money in delivering high-quality services and effective use of financial resources for greatest impact
  • Build relationships with stake holders to successfully facilitate budget conversations

Other
  • Includes some evening and weekend working where required, time off in lieu will be given in accordance with Change Mental Health’s TOIL policy
  • A satisfactory PVG will be required
  • Being part of an on-call rota to support staff, as and when required
  • Regular travel to National Office and throughout Scotland required 

Our Approach to Hybrid Working
This post is expected to be based within the Highlands with the postholder required to be based at one of our premises 3 days per week to provide visible leadership, collaboration, and stay connected to our mission and the people we support.

General Duties
  • Act in accordance with Data Protection legislation. 
  • Ensure all records, personal, staff and client data are managed in line with Data Management and Information Governance policies
  • Comply with legal and regulatory requirements such as provisions set out in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
  • As with all employees, workers and volunteers; to encourage people to join Change Mental Health as a member, donor or activist
  • To act in accordance with the charity’s Health & Safety and Safeguarding policies and to notify your line manager promptly if there are any concerns
  • To participate in regular supervision and appraisal and undertake any relevant training as appropriate to the role
  • To work in accordance with the charity’s national policies and local operating procedures and those of external regulators or professional bodies 

Essential Criteria
  1. Educated to a degree level or equivalent or have relevant experience of working in health and social care at a senior level Hold the appropriate qualifications to be a Registered Manager with the Care Inspectorate, or a willingness to work towards obtaining the appropriate qualifications 
  2. Passionate about improving the outcomes for people affected by their mental health 
  3. Demonstratable experience of operationally leading, managing and developing services and line managing staff 
  4. Demonstrate being able to use own initiative and make justified decisions using sound evidence- based knowledge and judgement 
  5. Evidence of problem solving effectively and supporting others to work through complex and difficult situations 
  6. Experience of successfully leading, managing and supporting a team, keeping them engaged and motivated 
  7. Ability to innovate, looking to constantly improve what we do and how we can clearly evidence our impact 
  8. Evidence of being a flexible and strong communicator who builds positive relationships, both internally and externally, and has advanced networking skills 
  9. Ability to work comfortably with the detail of strong operational service delivery and balancing this with working strategically 
  10. Evidence of being a reflective practitioner; being comfortable and open to receiving and acting on feedback to improve practice
  11. Knowledge and experience of following safeguarding processes and procedures and guiding and supporting others with safeguarding and adult protection concerns 
  12. IT literate, able to maintain and develop effective administration and information management systems 
  13. Excellent organisational skills, including the ability to manage a high-volume workload with deadlines and manage conflicting priorities 
  14. Willingness to travel throughout different parts of Scotland, including National Office 
  15. Commitment to Change Mental Health’s purpose and values, including equality and inclusion 

Successful applicants for this post will require a PVG Membership (this will be arranged by Change Mental Health during before you start your role and subject to re-checks as per the policies). Please be aware that it is classed as an offence if you apply for this role and are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children or vulnerable adults.

Should there become a requirement for the role to be responsible for a Care Inspectorate registered service, the post holder will be required to hold a SSSC membership. In this instance, the post holder must register within 3 months of the start of the employment. It is your responsibility to uphold the membership throughout the duration of employment, including obtaining and demonstrating the required qualifications to maintain the membership: SCQF Level 10 or equivalent in leadership, and practice level SCQF Level 9 or equivalent.

This job profile and list of duties is not exhaustive and serves only to highlight the main requirements. The line manager may stipulate other reasonable requirements and projects commensurate with the general profile and grade of the post. 
Benefits

24/7 access to an award-winning Employee Assistance Programme providing free legal, financial, and medical advice as well as support with life’s challenges.

A 35-hour working week, enhanced sick pay & season ticket loan.

A great work life balance with flexible and blended working environment.

Access to purchase a Blue Light Discount Card

Cycle to Work Scheme

Enhanced sick pay and leave entitlements.

Generous 37 days’ holiday.

Paid Mental Wellbeing days.

Professional development including funded opportunities

Attached documents
Title File
Job Description Head_of_Northern_Services_140325.pdf
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