Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing and evolving Urgent Care Pathway at a time of significant transformation across Children and Young People's Community Health Services in Devon.
The Urgent Care Pathway comprises our Learning Disability and Autism Pathway (LDAP), Crisis Team and Assertive Outreach Teams. Together, these services provide a countywide seven-day response for children and young people with complex, high-risk and often acute presentations, delivering assessment, intervention and intensive support when it is needed most.We are seeking an experienced, compassionate and dynamic Operational Manager to help lead our countywide Urgent Care Pathway, alongside the joint operational lead, clinical and medical leadership. The pathway operates seven days a week, providing support to children, young people and families from 9am until 10pm. Whilst this leadership role is primarily worked during standard office hours (Monday to Friday, 9am5pm), the post holder will also contribute to senior management on-call arrangements.
This is a countywide role supporting services across Devon and Torbay. Whilst there is flexibility to be based from one of our locality offices, regular travel across the county will be expected. We are committed to visible and accessible leadership and believe in maintaining a strong presence with our teams, partners and stakeholders.
Interviews will take place on 3rd August
Main duties of the job
The successful candidate will provide operational leadership to multidisciplinary teams, ensuring services respond in a timely and effective way to meet the needs of children and young people experiencing complex social, emotional, mental health and neurodevelopmental difficulties. You will have experience of leading teams through change, supporting service development and building strong relationships across organisational boundaries. Working closely with colleagues across health, social care, education and the voluntary sector, you will help ensure that children, young people and families receive coordinated support and achieve the best possible outcomes.Working alongside the existing Operational Lead and Clinical Lead, you will play a key role in supporting the ongoing development of the Urgent Care Pathway during an exciting period of service transformation.
We would love to hear from experienced and compassionate leaders who are passionate about improving outcomes for children, young people and families. We are especially interested in hearing from social workers, however finding the right person for the role is more important to us. You will work closely with operational managers, clinical and medical leads, and partner agencies across our integrated pathways, helping to drive service improvement, support staff wellbeing and ensure the delivery of high-quality, safe and responsive services.
About us
About Devon Partnership Trust
We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.
We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do
Our values
We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.
We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.
Details
- Date posted: 23 July 2026
- Pay scheme: Agenda for change
- Band: Band 8a
- Salary: £57,528 to £64,750 a year
- Contract: Permanent
- Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working
- Reference number: C9369-26-0099
- Job locations: Children& Family Health Devon, 1a Capital Court, Bittern Road, Sowton, Exeter, Devon, EX2 7FW, United Kingdom
Job responsibilities
This post has been introduced to increase operational leadership capacity and strengthen partnership working across health, social care and wider children's services. ensuring that children and young people with the most complex, vulnerable and high-risk presentations receive coordinated, effective and joined-up care.
Person specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working collaboratively with service users and their families/carers, clinicians, managers and leaders including using goal-based care and routine outcome measures in practice.
- Experience of Inter-agency working at a management level with successful track record of influencing and maintaining good working relationships
- Experience of delivering specialist clinical services for children with complex health conditions
- Experience of operational leadership
Qualifications
Essential
- Professional clinical knowledge acquired through degree supplemented by post graduate diploma specialist training, management qualification or equivalent and experience
- A professional qualification relevant to childrens healthcare (such as Social Work, Nursing, Clinical Psychology, Occupational Therapy, Psychological Therapy Qualification, Speech and Language Therapy, Physiotherapy.)
- Professional registration/accreditation with a recognised body, e.g. NMC, HCPC, Social Work England, UKCP, BABCP
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Operations Manager with Devon Partnership NHS Trust in Exeter, South West, England. It is listed as a Band 8 Manager and corporate role. The advertised salary is £57,528 to £64,750 a year. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 02 Aug 2026.
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