Acting Team Leader

Job overview

Acting Team Leader, Band 7 - Chichester Neighbourhood Mental Health Team, Specialist Adults, 12 Month Acting-Up Opportunity.

This post is open to Band 6 or Band 7 staff who can demonstrate relevant clinical experience, an interest in operational leadership, and the ability to support staff and service users during a period of service development and change.

An opportunity has arisen for a suitable and experienced mental health professional (Mental Health Nurse, Social Worker, Occupational Therapist) to join the leadership team for our Neighbourhood Mental Health Team, Specialist Adults in Chichester.

Community mental health services are currently undergoing a period of transformation and change, with investment in new roles and opportunities to work in innovative ways. You will be joining a supportive, friendly and enthusiastic team with a shared passion for delivering high-quality care.

Working closely with the Service Manager, another Team Leader and Professional Leads, you will provide high-quality, visible leadership across the service. The role will involve setting and maintaining operational standards, supporting improved outcomes, prioritising the experience of service users, families and carers, and providing line management to staff. You will help ensure contractual requirements are met while promoting a learning, supportive and compassionate team culture.

This is an excellent opportunity to develop your leadership and management skills.

Main duties of the job

To provide effective clinical and operational leadership to a multidisciplinary team, ensuring the delivery of a safe, high-quality and person-centred service within available resources. The post holder will lead and coordinate team functions, oversee the management of referrals and service delivery, drive performance and quality improvement, provide line management and professional supervision to staff, and promote a culture of continuous learning, staff wellbeing, and compassionate care. The role will ensure the effective management of risk, support the achievement of service objectives and performance targets, and contribute to the ongoing development and transformation of mental health services.

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Leadership and coordination of team operations.
• Management of referrals, caseloads and service performance.
• Line management, supervision and development of staff.
• Clinical oversight and support for complex case management.
• Governance, safeguarding, quality assurance and risk management.
• Service improvement, transformation and partnership working.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate the day-to-day functioning of the team.
• Provide visible leadership and support to staff.
• Line manage, supervise, appraise, and develop team members.
• Promote a positive, compassionate, learning culture.
• Deputise for the Service Manager.
• Maintain a small clinical caseload, including management of complex cases.
• Support staff with risk management and clinical decision-making.
• Ensure assessments, care planning, interventions, and reviews meet professional and Trust standards.
• Promote safe, recovery-focused care.
• Manage referrals and patient flow.
• Monitor caseloads, waiting lists, and service performance.
• Ensure contractual and Key Performance Indicator (KPI) requirements are met.
• Address operational challenges and service pressures.
• Promote a culture of effective risk management.
• Respond to incidents, complaints, safeguarding concerns, and serious incidents.
• Lead audits, service improvements, and implementation of learning from investigations.
• Ensure compliance with Trust policies and national standards.
• Lead recruitment and selection processes.
• Support staff wellbeing, development, and retention.
• Oversee supervision, mandatory training, appraisals, and professional development.
• Support junior staff, students, and newly qualified practitioners.
• Contribute to service redesign and transformation programmes.
• Work collaboratively with professional leads, partner agencies, and senior managers.
• Identify opportunities for innovation and improved patient outcomes.
• Support implementation of new pathways and models of care.
• Leadership and Team Management
• Clinical Oversight
• Operational Performance
• Quality, Governance and Risk
• Workforce and Recruitment
• Service Development and Transformation

Key Skills Required

• Strong leadership and people-management skills.
• Excellent communication and influencing abilities.
• Experience working with complex mental health presentations.
• Ability to manage competing operational demands.
• Performance management and quality improvement experience.
• Partnership working across health, social care, and third-sector services.

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.