Job summary
*** THIS POST IS OPEN TO INTERNAL APPLICANTS ONLY ***

This role is offered on a fixed term/secondment basis for 7 months. The hours are Full-Time.

*Internal applicants who wish to be considered for a secondment opportunity should discuss with their line manager the suitability of a possible secondment*

The Operational Manager is responsible for ensuring the high quality and effective delivery of the Adult Autism & ADHD Assessment and ARRS Services. They will be managing financial, physical and human resources to comply with the requirements of robust operational governance and delivery against commissioned specifications.

Adult Autism & ADHD Assessment Services

ARRS Services

Main duties of the job
To be responsible for the delivery of mental health services including the Adult ASC/ADHD Assessment services and ARRS services and potentially wider services in line with Community Mental Health transformation.

To regularly report, to senior managers and commissioners, on the performance of services, providing expert advice on professional practice and operational issues within the team.

To hold overall accountability for service budgets, with support from Operational Finance Manager and oversight from Deputy Service Director.

To work collaboratively with commissioners and other providers to identify needs, evaluate priorities and where necessary implement the appropriate changes in service delivery.

To ensure seamless episodes of care to service users, ensuring they are seen in the most appropriate place in a timely manner acting on feedback as appropriate.

To support the Service Director and Deputy Service Director of Community Physical health, mental health and learning disability Services, on relevant projects/developments across Adult Community Mental Health Teams including policies, performance, service developments and multi-disciplinary team working.

To lead on the development of, and manage the implementation of, service improvements, in conjunction with the Deputy Director of Community Mental Health Services, led by national and local service priorities such as community mental health transformation.

About us
We have a skilled and dedicated workforce of over 5000 colleagues working in a diverse range of services over 55 sites and within people's homes. We strive to enable a welcoming workplace culture that builds and celebrates civility, inclusivity and diversity, while providing a sense of belonging and trust.

Annual staff surveys, regular Pulse surveys and other engagement opportunities provide our people with lots of opportunity to tell us about their experiences of working with us. In the latest staff survey, 61% of colleagues gave us their views. It was great to hear that:

• 72% of colleagues would recommend the Trust as a place to work, ranking us 1st for Provider Trusts in the South West region on this question.
• 76% would recommend the standard of care provided in our services if a friend or relative needed treatment, also ranking us 1st in the South West region.
• 81% said that care of patients and service users is the Trust's priority, compared with an average in comparable NHS Trusts in England of 64%.

This high-level overview shows we are in a healthy position, with higher scores than average for comparable organisations, alongside a great response rate, indicating good staff engagement. However, we also know we have plenty of room for improvement in many areas. To that end, we continue to prioritise and invest in our commitment to genuinely becoming a Great Place to Work with consistent top-quartile performance in the annual staff survey and Pulse surveys.

Details
Date posted: 11 August 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 8a
Salary: £57,528 to £64,750 a year per annum
Contract: Secondment
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 327-26-657
Job locations: The Pavilion, Copt Elm Road, Cheltenham, GL53 8AG, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
Communication
To establish and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders (including Commissioners, private providers, primary care colleagues, Gloucestershire County Council, the private and voluntary sector) with the aim of promoting the services.

To represent the service at, and contribute to GHC, ICB, GCC and ICS strategic and governance meetings where required.

To ensure that all team colleagues are aware of, and can contribute, both to key local/national strategies and to policies and service developments linked to an annual business plan and cycles of continuous improvement.

Using advanced communication skills ensure that colleagues from different partner organisations and service users are engaged with service developments and enabled to make a full contribution to the services programme of work.

Managing Quality Standards
Ensure that performance management arrangements are in place within accountability areas to measure the impact of service delivery and developments on service user groups including suitable outcome measures.

To lead in the development of and the conformance with a proactive performance management culture within teams

Ensure appropriate processes are in place in order to measure the quality of service delivery, identify areas for improvement and monitor progress against expected outcomes, including analysis of complex service data.

To improve the quality and responsiveness of all team pathways.

To be innovative in delivering, monitoring and evaluating pathway and pan-service strategies to improve service quality, taking account of locally agreed business planning mechanisms.

To lead in the investigation of complaints received and ensure that any learning points are actioned/shared along with taking a lead on wider policy implications.

Maintain the high level of confidentiality that is required in relation to information and data, ensuring security of information in carrying out the duties of the post.

Managing Resources
To hold overall accountability for the team budgets, pay and non-pay, across several complex pathways.

To manage services effectively; operational planning, establishing clear structures, reporting processes, operating procedures and relevant information.

To report monthly, via Performance and Finance meetings, budget and performance trends, requiring significant ability to interpret and analyse data.

Service Development
To manage development and strategic work areas and policy preparation/review as agreed with senior managers and to deliver within specified timescales. This includes implementing management of change resulting in improved outcomes for all appropriate colleagues/ service users.

To lead, manage and implement the development of a risk management approach to service delivery that includes safeguarding adults and children.

Customer Service
Ensure services are responsive to service user, carer and community need, ensuring that there are assurance measures in place.

To facilitate service user choice and empowerment through promoting independence and the personalisation agenda to enable adults and older people to maintain independence for as long as possible.

To ensure a positive service image to clients, individuals and other organisations.

The qualification, training & experience requirements for the role are underlined in the Job Description/Person Specification.

The Trust is required to work in line with the Governments UK Visa and Immigration Rules and Regulations. For more information about sponsorship for certain roles, please visit - https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas

Person Specification
Essential

• Educated to degree level or equivalent in a relevant profession e.g. Nursing or allied health professional.
• A recognised management qualification e.g. MBA or equivalent management experience and training.
• Current registration with a nationally recognised professional body relevant to the professional qualification held e.g. NMC/HCPC
• Evidence of on-going professional and managerial development
• Extensive knowledge, understanding and experience of the delivery of healthcare services in Mental Health services
• Substantial post-qualification experience of working in a Healthcare setting demonstrating increasing levels of responsibility
• Experience of achieving positive outcomes for service users and the community through multi-disciplinary and partnership working
• Experience of managing a team and supervising staff

Desirable

• Demonstrable skills in user and carer empowerment
• Professional/ Specialist Knowledge e.g. Later Life and Dementia, knowledge of Private Providers and local and national drivers in this area.

Essential

• Experience of budget management.
• Experience of change management and service development.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details
Employer name: Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust
Address: The Pavilion, Copt Elm Road, Cheltenham, GL53 8AG, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.ghc.nhs.uk/who-we-are/jobs/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact:
Deputy Service Director
Tim Buhagiar
Tim.Buhagiar@ghc.nhs.uk
01242634370

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications.
Applicants must have current UK professional registration.