Job summary
This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship. If it is identified that you require sponsorship to undertake this role your application may be withdrawn.

Lead change, strengthen partnerships and improve recovery outcomes across Southampton.

Take a visible leadership role in Southampton's drug and alcohol service, working with Inclusion and the Society of St James to improve support for people affected by substance use.

You will provide operational leadership, develop services and strengthen partnerships across the local system. You will oversee alcohol pathways, hospital liaison, health and wellbeing, and harm reduction, supporting safe, responsive and evidence-based care.

Key responsibilities:

• Shape Southampton's drug and alcohol services.
• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary workforce.
• Build partnerships across health, social care, criminal justice, housing and the voluntary sector.
• Drive quality improvement and better outcomes.
• Develop accessible, integrated pathways.
• Support local training and workforce development.
• Provide expert advice on treatment and recovery.

We are seeking an experienced, compassionate leader with strong operational management skills who can work across organisations, translate strategy into frontline improvements and challenge stigma.

Main duties of the job

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for Southampton's integrated drug and alcohol service and act as Inclusion's principal partnership lead with the Society of St James.
• Oversee key service areas, integrated pathways and partnership working across health, social care, criminal justice, housing and the voluntary sector.
• Lead and develop staff, including recruitment, supervision, training, workforce planning and cover.
• Work with clinical and operational leads to ensure safe, coordinated and evidence-based service delivery.
• Lead governance, audit, quality improvement, safeguarding, risk management, serious incident and mortality review processes.
• Monitor performance, contractual targets, clinical standards, case-record quality and the locality budget.
• Promote service-user and carer involvement and provide specialist substance-use advice or interventions where required.
• Prepare and present performance information, implement policy and promote an inclusive, values-based culture.
• Deputise for the Service Manager as required.

About us
Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust Inclusion service offers psychological and drug & alcohol services, in the community, and in prisons, and has contracts across the country.

As an organisation we serve a population of 1.5 million and currently employ around 9000 members of staff.

We have a wide range of exciting opportunities for people looking to work in a truly integrated NHS organisation. By joining MPFT you will become part of a team who are empowered and supported to deliver care in a way which is consistent with our values:

• Putting people at the heart of what we do
• Empowering people to improve care and wellbeing
• Delivering better health, better care in partnership

Please be aware that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in completing application forms will be monitored to ensure fairness and transparency. If you have used AI you must state this in your application.

Please note, we may be required to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications

Job responsibilities
The Southampton System Lead provides strategic and operational leadership for the citys integrated drug and alcohol service, acting as Inclusions principal lead within the partnership with the Society of St James. The role oversees key service areas and pathways, including alcohol treatment, hospital liaison, health and wellbeing, and harm reduction, ensuring services are safe, coordinated, accessible and evidence based. Responsibilities include leading and developing staff; managing recruitment, supervision, training and workforce cover; and working with clinical and operational leads to maintain effective service delivery. The postholder will strengthen relationships across health, social care, criminal justice, housing, commissioners and the voluntary sector, developing integrated pathways that improve access and recovery outcomes. They will lead clinical governance, audit, quality improvement, safeguarding, risk, serious incident and mortality review processes, while monitoring contractual performance, clinical standards, case-record quality and the locality budget. The role also promotes meaningful service-user and carer involvement, provides specialist substance-use advice or interventions where required, prepares and presents complex performance information, implements relevant policy, promotes an inclusive and anti-discriminatory culture, and deputises for the Service Manager when required.

Person Specification
Qualification & Training
Essential

• Foundation Degree in a related field or a professional Qualification in Social Work, Nursing, Psychology or probation or equivalent work experience
• Management Qualification or willingness to study to undertake one
• Qualification in therapeutic skills.

Experience
Essential

• Sound management experience
• A sound knowledge of drugs & alcohol and their effects and treatment options.
• Evidence of delivering effective practice which is evidenced based.

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities
Essential

• Ability to work effectively as a member of a team.
• A through understanding of the influence of stigma on drug and alcohol users in a range of settings.

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.

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.