Directorate Professional Lead – Allied Health Professions | NELFT NHS Foundation Trust
| Posting date: | 16 March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | £64,455 - £74,896 per annum (plus HCAS) |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 15 April 2026 |
| Location: | Basildon, Essex, SS14 3HG |
| Company: | North East London NHS Foundation Trust |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 7876536/395-PP188-25-A |
Summary
Professional Lead – Allied Health Professions (Band 8b)
Essex Children’s Directorate | Trust-wide AHP Leadership
We are seeking an experienced Allied Health Professional to provide senior professional leadership aligned to the Essex Children’s Directorate, while operating as a core member of the Trust-wide AHP leadership team.
The postholder will strengthen professional governance, workforce strategy and service quality across children’s services, working across clinical, operational and corporate interfaces. The role contributes both to local directorate delivery and to Trust-wide AHP leadership, strategy and assurance.
Speech and Language Therapy represents a significant and strategically important component of the children’s workforce within Essex, and is a notable gap in terms of clinical expertise in our Trustwide AHP leadership team. While open to all Allied Health Professionals, applicants from an SLT background are particularly encouraged to apply.
Key responsibilities
• Senior professional leadership for AHP services within Essex Children’s
• Trust-wide AHP leadership, strategy and governance contribution
• Assurance of quality, safety and professional standards
• Workforce planning, recruitment and development
• Contribute to NELFT wide Children’s Forums, meetings and policy from own clinical perspective
• Service transformation across community, neurodevelopmental, SEND and CAMHS pathways
• System partnership working across health, education and local authorities
Our Values 2025 - 2030
Working with our colleagues, patients and carers we have co-produced three new values that we aim to embed within our culture here at NELFT.
They are:
• We are kind.
• We are respectful.
• We work together with our communities.
These three values help us to strive to provide the best care by the best people.
Probationary Period
This post will be subject to a probationary period.
Starting with Us
NELFT places great importance on new starters being properly welcomed into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks, including mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process, new starters will also have the opportunity to meet the executive team, senior managers, and attend several drop-in sessions focusing on engagement, health and wellbeing, and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Goodmayes, Essex.
High Cost Area Supplement - Fringe
This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 5% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £1,192 to a maximum of £2,011 p.a. pro rata for part time).
For full details please see attached job description.
Essential
• HCPC-registered Allied Health Professional
• Strong clinical background in paediatrics
• Senior leadership experience in children’s services
• Professional governance and workforce transformation experience
Desirable
• Speech and Language Therapy background
• Experience of neurodevelopmental, SEND and/or CAMHS pathways
• Previous experience of co-production with young people and/or their families or carers.
We welcome applications from all AHP professions. Selection will be based on the person specification.
This advert closes on Monday 23 Mar 2026