Head of Operations Acute, Urgent & Emergency Mental Health Services
| Posting date: | 15 January 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | £76,965 - £88,682 per annum |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 14 February 2026 |
| Location: | Chester, CH2 1BQ |
| Company: | Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 7730386/373-SMH2589 |
Summary
A Vacancy at Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS FoundationTrust.
Head of Operations – Acute, Urgent & Emergency Care Mental Health ServicesCheshire & Wirral
An exciting career opportunity has arisen for aHead of Operationsto lead Acute (inpatient) and Urgent & Emergency Care Mental Health services across Cheshire and Wirral. This is a pivotal leadership role at the heart of our organisation’s ambition to deliver safe, effective and compassionate care.
About the Role
As Head of Operations, you will work closely with the Head of Operations for Community Mental Health Services, Clinical Directors, system partners and Trust colleagues to ensure the delivery of high-quality, safe, and efficient care across a diverse and high‑impact portfolio.
You will provide outstanding operational leadership, driving service delivery in partnership with clinical and operational leaders. Your responsibilities will include:
• Operational management of the portfolio
• Delivery of key performance targets and national standards
• Quality, governance and regulatory compliance
• Human resource leadership and workforce development
• Budgetary control and resource optimisation
Shortlisting for this vacancy is due to commence on 26th January and the proposed interview date is 3rd February
Our Commitment to Continuous Improvement
Aligned with our Trust’sContinuous Improvement (CWPi)strategy, you will champion continuous quality improvement across clinical pathways and service design. Your work will directly enhance the experience of patients, service users, carers and staff.
Shaping the Future of Mental Health Care
The successful candidate will play a central role in the development and transformation of services in line with:
• The NHS Long Term Plan
• The 2025/26 Urgent & Emergency Care Plan for Mental Health
• Neighbourhood models of care
• Inpatient Quality Transformation Programme
Co‑production will be fundamental to your approach — ensuring that patients, people with lived experience and colleagues are active partners in shaping services.
About You
We are seeking an individual who is:
• Passionate about meeting population needs
• Committed to reducing health inequalities
• Driven to improve staff and patient experience
• Skilled in working collaboratively with clinicians and senior leaders to drive improvement and transformation
• Experienced in senior operational leadership within healthcare
• Committed to inclusive leadership, workforce development and continuous improvement, fostering a positive culture that supports staff wellbeing and high-quality care
If you are motivated by the opportunity to influence system-wide transformation and lead services that make a profound difference to people’s lives, we would love to hear from you.
Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP) provides health and care services for a population of over one million people, including mental health, learning disability, community physical health and all-age disability care, as well as the provision of three GP surgeries in Cheshire.
We employ around 4,500 staff across 73 sites and have services across Wirral and Cheshire, as well as Trafford, Warrington, Bolton, Halton, Liverpool and Stockport.
Our aim is to help improve the lives of everyone in our communities, adopting a compassionate, person-centred approach to everything we do. We are rated as Outstanding for Caring by the Care Quality Commission, with a Good rating overall.
As a Disability Confident Employer, Rainbow Badge Scheme member, Veteran Aware organisation and proud holder of the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award, CWP is committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible and developing a culture that values differences, and welcome applications from people who have direct experience of accessing our services.
All new starters will commence in post on one fixed start date each month, in line with our Prepare to Care (P2C) induction programme date. P2C offers up to 3 weeks training to support you to meet the induction / initial training requirements of the role.
Whether you are just starting out in your career or looking to use your existing skills and experience in a new role, you’ll find something to suit you at CWP.
Please download a copy of the job description (see ‘documents to download’ section below) for full details of the main responsibilities for this role.
At CWP, our recruitment selection processes are based on both competence (see person specification for details) and values.
CWP recruits people that can demonstrate the Trust’s Values in their everyday life and we use a values-based approach in our interviews, which explores not only what you do but how and why you do it.
Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trust’s Values and think about how these align with your own personal values. The supporting information section in your application should reflect your understanding of the Trust’s Values and associated behaviours and you should provide examples from your work experience and/or personal life which demonstrate these values through your behaviours.
An applicant guide to help and support you through your recruitment journey can be accessed at the bottom of this page. Further help and support for completing your application can be accessed via our website. If you need any further guidance to help you complete your application, contact our recruitment team via email at: cwp.recruitment@nhs.net or by calling 01244 393100.
If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the ‘essential’ criteria described in the person specification for an available position, please answer ‘YES’ to the question: ‘Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?’
Please inform the team if you have any special support needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection processes.
The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post and encourages applications from armed forces reservists or cadet force adult volunteers.
Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £16 per year applies.
New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.
Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.
Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome you to Team CWP very soon!
This advert closes on Monday 26 Jan 2026
Head of Operations – Acute, Urgent & Emergency Care Mental Health ServicesCheshire & Wirral
An exciting career opportunity has arisen for aHead of Operationsto lead Acute (inpatient) and Urgent & Emergency Care Mental Health services across Cheshire and Wirral. This is a pivotal leadership role at the heart of our organisation’s ambition to deliver safe, effective and compassionate care.
About the Role
As Head of Operations, you will work closely with the Head of Operations for Community Mental Health Services, Clinical Directors, system partners and Trust colleagues to ensure the delivery of high-quality, safe, and efficient care across a diverse and high‑impact portfolio.
You will provide outstanding operational leadership, driving service delivery in partnership with clinical and operational leaders. Your responsibilities will include:
• Operational management of the portfolio
• Delivery of key performance targets and national standards
• Quality, governance and regulatory compliance
• Human resource leadership and workforce development
• Budgetary control and resource optimisation
Shortlisting for this vacancy is due to commence on 26th January and the proposed interview date is 3rd February
Our Commitment to Continuous Improvement
Aligned with our Trust’sContinuous Improvement (CWPi)strategy, you will champion continuous quality improvement across clinical pathways and service design. Your work will directly enhance the experience of patients, service users, carers and staff.
Shaping the Future of Mental Health Care
The successful candidate will play a central role in the development and transformation of services in line with:
• The NHS Long Term Plan
• The 2025/26 Urgent & Emergency Care Plan for Mental Health
• Neighbourhood models of care
• Inpatient Quality Transformation Programme
Co‑production will be fundamental to your approach — ensuring that patients, people with lived experience and colleagues are active partners in shaping services.
About You
We are seeking an individual who is:
• Passionate about meeting population needs
• Committed to reducing health inequalities
• Driven to improve staff and patient experience
• Skilled in working collaboratively with clinicians and senior leaders to drive improvement and transformation
• Experienced in senior operational leadership within healthcare
• Committed to inclusive leadership, workforce development and continuous improvement, fostering a positive culture that supports staff wellbeing and high-quality care
If you are motivated by the opportunity to influence system-wide transformation and lead services that make a profound difference to people’s lives, we would love to hear from you.
Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP) provides health and care services for a population of over one million people, including mental health, learning disability, community physical health and all-age disability care, as well as the provision of three GP surgeries in Cheshire.
We employ around 4,500 staff across 73 sites and have services across Wirral and Cheshire, as well as Trafford, Warrington, Bolton, Halton, Liverpool and Stockport.
Our aim is to help improve the lives of everyone in our communities, adopting a compassionate, person-centred approach to everything we do. We are rated as Outstanding for Caring by the Care Quality Commission, with a Good rating overall.
As a Disability Confident Employer, Rainbow Badge Scheme member, Veteran Aware organisation and proud holder of the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award, CWP is committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible and developing a culture that values differences, and welcome applications from people who have direct experience of accessing our services.
All new starters will commence in post on one fixed start date each month, in line with our Prepare to Care (P2C) induction programme date. P2C offers up to 3 weeks training to support you to meet the induction / initial training requirements of the role.
Whether you are just starting out in your career or looking to use your existing skills and experience in a new role, you’ll find something to suit you at CWP.
Please download a copy of the job description (see ‘documents to download’ section below) for full details of the main responsibilities for this role.
At CWP, our recruitment selection processes are based on both competence (see person specification for details) and values.
CWP recruits people that can demonstrate the Trust’s Values in their everyday life and we use a values-based approach in our interviews, which explores not only what you do but how and why you do it.
Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trust’s Values and think about how these align with your own personal values. The supporting information section in your application should reflect your understanding of the Trust’s Values and associated behaviours and you should provide examples from your work experience and/or personal life which demonstrate these values through your behaviours.
An applicant guide to help and support you through your recruitment journey can be accessed at the bottom of this page. Further help and support for completing your application can be accessed via our website. If you need any further guidance to help you complete your application, contact our recruitment team via email at: cwp.recruitment@nhs.net or by calling 01244 393100.
If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the ‘essential’ criteria described in the person specification for an available position, please answer ‘YES’ to the question: ‘Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?’
Please inform the team if you have any special support needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection processes.
The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post and encourages applications from armed forces reservists or cadet force adult volunteers.
Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £16 per year applies.
New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.
Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.
Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome you to Team CWP very soon!
This advert closes on Monday 26 Jan 2026
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.