Head of Operations Acute Emergency Mental Health Services

Head of Operations – Acute, Urgent & Emergency Care Mental Health Services

Cheshire & Wirral

An exciting career opportunity has arisen for a Head of Operations to 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.

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.

Aligned with our Trust’s Continuous 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.

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.

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.

For further details / informal visits contact:
Name:
Jo Nevin

Job title:

Associate Director SMH, Acute and First Response Email address:  Telephone number:

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