Medical Head of Service - Chailey Clinical Services | Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust
| Posting date: | 23 April 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | £61,542 - £145,478 Basic salary plus £4,000 Additional Responsibility Payment |
| Hours: | Part time |
| Closing date: | 23 May 2026 |
| Location: | Chailey, BN8 4JN |
| Company: | Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 7938912/150-CP2621-PC |
Summary
Are you passionate about improving the quality of care, access, experience and outcomes for patients? Chailey Clinical Services offer a range of highly specialist multidisciplinary services supporting children, and young people with complex neurodisability and complex or fluctuating health needs.
We are seeking a medical Head of Service to provide clinical leadership, alongside the operational, healthcare science and AHP Heads of Service, to shape and develop our Chailey service’s offer. Alongside the leadership responsibilities which are 2 PAs / sessions, this role includes a further 3 PAs / sessions to deliver direct clinical care with caseload responsibility within SCFT's Child Development Centres. Child Development Services provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary child development and disability services, largely focused on children and young people with neurodisability and neurodevelopmental disorders.
This is an exciting opportunity to further transform our pathways of care for patients working closely with our clinical and operational leaders to address unwarranted clinical variation, use a data driven approach to identifying and tackling health inequity, strengthen evidence-based care and enhance personalised care.
This 5 PA / session post comprises:
• 2 PAs / sessions - Medical Head of Service
• 3 PAs / sessions - clinical care and caseload responsibility
You will provide operational direction and leadership to Chailey clinical service delivering improvement programmes, developing the medical workforce and ensuring robust clinical governance, job planning and an open learning culture. The successful applicant will work closely with other medical Heads of Service across the division.
Applications will be welcomed from doctors with a background in General Practice or Paediatrics. A clinical interest in paediatrics, rehabilitation and/or neurodisability is highly desirable, as well as leadership experience.
Informal discussion or visit prior to application is welcomed.
We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. We deliver essential care to adults and children, helping them manage their health, avoid hospital admissions, and reduce hospital stays.
Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community. We offer opportunities across medical, clinical, support, and corporate services.
Why work for us?
• Positive 2024 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeing
• Varied environments: community hospitals, patients’ homes, and bases across Sussex
• Flexible working options: part-time, flexi-time, annualised hours, and flexi-retirement
• Excellent training, development, and research opportunities
• Accredited Living Wage Employer, we ensure fair pay for all our staff
• Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brighton
• Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networks
• Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust
Our values—Compassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellence—guide everything we do.
We embrace diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from ethnically diverse, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. We aim to create an inclusive environment and support reasonable adjustments during recruitment.
This post may close early if sufficient applications are received.
a) Provide professional and medical leadership to the Planned Care Division, ensuring frameworks are in place and all medical staff are professionally line managed and are clinically/professionally developed in delivering quality focused care. As a senior leader ensure quality governance objectives are embedded within the division that demonstrate safe, effective care delivery.
b) In partnership with the relevant medical executive director (CMO/DCMO) and the clinical Divisional leadership team and other clinical Heads of Services, develop, lead and implement the Trust’s clinical priorities and strategies ensuring medical staff are engaged and connected to the objectives and plans.
c) In conjunction with the Planned Care Divisional medical director, use a data-based approach to identify and tackle health inequities by driving forward equitable access, excellent experience and optimal outcomes for all.
d) The post holder may deputise for the Planned Care Divisional Medical Director at strategic meetings, when appropriate.
Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification.
This advert closes on Monday 4 May 2026