Job overview
This is a rewarding opportunity to take on a senior clinical leadership role within Community Dental Services in Hywel Dda University Health Board. You will help lead a service that provides care for children and adults who may not be able to access routine dental care because of additional, complex or specialist needs. Working across a range of clinical settings, you will support safe, compassionate and effective care, while helping shape how the service develops for the future.
We are looking for someone with strong clinical credibility, sound judgement and a genuine interest in leading people and improving services. You will need to be comfortable working with complexity, supporting colleagues, making balanced decisions and building good relationships across teams and organisations. This role would suit an experienced dental professional who wants to combine direct clinical care with wider leadership, service improvement, governance and workforce development.
Main duties of the job
This is an exciting opportunity to provide senior clinical leadership for Community Dental Services across Hywel Dda University Health Board. The post holder will support the delivery and development of safe, high-quality dental care for children and adults with additional and complex needs, while maintaining an active clinical role. Working closely with clinical, professional and managerial colleagues, they will help shape service plans, lead improvement, support referral management and pathway development, and promote better access, quality and outcomes for patients.
The role involves leading and supporting a skilled multidisciplinary dental workforce across community clinics, hospital-based pathways, domiciliary care and other care settings. The successful candidate will contribute to clinical governance, quality improvement, audit, safeguarding, workforce development and oral health programmes. They will also work with partners across primary, community and secondary care, as well as wider professional and public health networks, to support joined-up, prevention-focused care.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
As a senior leader within the Health Board, the post holder will lead the delivery and development of evidence-based, prevention-focused dental services that are responsive to clinical need and aligned with Health Board priorities. The role includes leading Community Dental Services and All-Wales Oral Health Programmes, supporting service planning and modernisation, and working closely with clinical, dental professional and managerial colleagues to improve quality, access and patient outcomes. The post holder will also contribute directly to clinical delivery through dedicated clinical sessions each week across Hywel Dda sites as agreed.
The Clinical Lead will provide effective and innovative leadership to support service improvement, workforce development, clinical governance, quality improvement, audit, research and teaching. The role requires close partnership working across the Health Board and with external stakeholders including Welsh Government, Public Health Wales and relevant professional networks. The post holder will promote high standards of professional practice, foster multidisciplinary and cross-site working, and support the development of seamless clinical pathways for patients with complex needs.
This is a senior role requiring a credible and experienced dental professional with strong leadership, communication and organisational skills, and a clear commitment to National Health Service values and the Health Board’s quality and improvement agenda. The post is mainly based in Carmarthen, with travel required across the three counties. The successful candidate will be expected to inspire and motivate others, lead change constructively, and balance strategic leadership with hands-on clinical practice and operational oversight.
We welcome applications from candidates who can demonstrate strong clinical credibility and leadership potential, including those ready to step into a broader leadership role with appropriate support and development.
In return, you will join a supportive dental service with a commitment to quality, prevention, prudent healthcare and better outcomes for patients. Hywel Dda offers the chance to work across diverse communities in west Wales, with opportunities to influence service design, strengthen clinical pathways and contribute to meaningful improvement. We welcome applications from candidates who are ready to bring their experience, values and ideas to a role where they can make a real difference for patients, staff and local communities.
We are looking for a credible and experienced dental professional who can combine strong clinical judgement with visible, compassionate and practical leadership. The successful candidate will communicate clearly, build positive working relationships, support staff through change and use evidence, service information and patient feedback to improve care. They will bring resilience, sound judgement, good organisational skills and a clear commitment to National Health Service values, prudent healthcare and continuous improvement.
For full details of the role requirements please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for this vacancy.
Discussions around working pattern will take place during initial job planning, where preferences, requirements and options can be discussed and explored in full.
Hywel Dda University Health Board is committed to providing healthcare services that are patient-centric, ensuring that our community receives the best possible care. We value inclusivity and foster a workplace culture that embraces diversity and supports every individual’s contribution towards a welcoming healthcare environment.
We welcome applications from all sections of society and are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace.
Hywel Dda 3 Counties - https://youtu.be/RUMDpjtu1sY
Lifestyle in Wales - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vgt03XPT6RQ
Medical Leadership in Hywel Dda - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLioZyqIpwk&t=33s
Person specification
Other
Essential
- Welsh Speaker (Level 1)
Safeguarding
Essential
- • Knowledge of safeguarding principles and responsibilities relating to children and adults at risk.
- • Ability to recognise safeguarding concerns and take appropriate action in line with Health Board policies and procedures.
- • Understanding of the importance of appropriate escalation, documentation and information sharing in safeguarding practice.
- • Evidence of applying equality, diversity and inclusion principles in practice.
Clinical Experience
Essential
- • Significant post-registration experience as a registered dental practitioner.
- • Substantial experience in Community Dental Services, salaried primary dental care, or a comparable service for patients with additional and complex needs.
- • Experience of clinical leadership and service improvement.
- • Experience of referral management, clinical prioritisation and pathway working.
- • Experience of working within clinical governance arrangements, including appraisal, job planning, audit or quality improvement.
- • Experience of working effectively with senior clinicians, managers and partner organisations.
Desirable
- • Experience across more than one site or care setting.
- • Experience of domiciliary, hospital-based or sedation pathways.
- • Experience of service redesign, workforce change or modernisation.
Clinical Governance
Essential
- • Experience of clinical audit, quality improvement or service evaluation.
- • Understanding of clinical governance principles and their role in improving dental practice.
- • Ability to use audit or quality improvement findings to inform changes in practice or service delivery.
- • Experience of multidisciplinary governance or audit activity.
Desirable
- • Knowledge of risk management.
- • Knowledge of appraisal and job planning processes.
Skills and Attributes
Essential
- • Alignment with the Health Board’s core values and behaviours.
- • Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with patients, carers, colleagues and partner organisations.
- • Strong interpersonal and team-working skills, with the ability to build effective working relationships across professional and organisational boundaries.
- • Ability to lead, influence and support others, including through change and service development.
- • Ability to remain calm and effective under pressure, with resilience and sound judgement in complex situations.
- • Ability to organise and manage competing priorities, with strong planning, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
- • Commitment to continuous improvement and the ability to use information and experience to improve services and patient care.
- • Well-developed digital and information technology skills.
- • Understanding of and commitment to Good Dental Practice as set out by the General Dental Council.
- • Ability to drive and travel to venues as required.
Research and Scholarship
Essential
- • Evidence of maintaining current knowledge of research, evidence and best practice relevant to the role.
- • Ability to interpret and apply evidence to clinical practice and service development.
- • Experience of teaching, supervision or supporting learning in a clinical setting.
- • Experience of research, audit, service evaluation or related scholarly activity.
Desirable
- • Qualification in dental education or teaching.
- • Experience of undergraduate or postgraduate teaching.
- • Research presented or published in a professional or peer-reviewed setting.
Qualifications and Knowledge
Essential
- • Educated to degree level or equivalent.
- • Full registration with GDC.
- • Evidence of further development – education and /or training.
Desirable
- • Masters level qualification or evidence of training and experience to that level.
- • Health service management / leadership qualification.
- • Membership of the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management (FMLM)
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Clinical Lead Community Dental Service with Hywel Dda University Health Board in Haverfordwest, West Wales, Wales. It is listed as a Manager and corporate role. The advertised salary is £101,993 - £117,211 per annum pro rata. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 26 Jul 2026.
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