Job summary
This is a unique and exciting opportunity to shape the future of nursing and allied health professional practice across a diverse and ambitious Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Service Group.

As Director of Nursing and Allied Health Professionals, you will provide visible and inspiring leadership, championing excellence in patient care, professional practice and workforce development. Working at a strategic level, you will drive innovation, influence service transformation and help ensure the highest standards of quality, safety and inclusion for patients, families and communities.

As a key member of the triumvirate leadership team, alongside the Service Group Director and Associate Medical Director, you will provide professional leadership, strategic direction and assurance for nursing and allied health professional practice. You'll lead on professional standards across the Service Group, support clinical teams to achieve outstanding patient outcomes, and ensure services align with organisational priorities, regulatory requirements and national healthcare agendas.

Working closely with the Chief Nurse, you'll provide assurance on quality, safety, governance, workforce and professional practice, while driving continuous improvement and innovation across nursing and AHP services.

Main duties of the job
As a highly visible leader, work collaboratively with the Service Group Director and Associate Medical Director to ensure the Service Group operates in line with Trust values, culture, policies, and procedures.

• Provide professional leadership and act as a senior nursing and AHP representative across internal and external forums.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with the Chief Nurse and Midwife, Deputy Chief Nurses, Director of AHPs, Director of Safeguarding, Director of patient experience and engagement and wider leadership colleagues.
• Represent the Trust and Chief Nurse/Midwife within multiagency, external, and national forums as required.
• Promote a just, open culture and strengthen patient and carer involvement, working with stakeholders including third sector partners.
• Ensure clarity of roles, responsibilities, and accountability for nursing and AHP leaders within the service group.
• Lead and support the management of complex, emotive and sensitive situations, demonstrating sound judgement and effective decision-making.
• Communicate effectively with a range of professional groups, including in challenging, hostile, or highly emotive situations where there are barriers to acceptance and or understanding.

About us
At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:

• Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
• NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
• Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
• A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential

We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.

Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.

The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.

Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.

Details
Date posted: 14 October 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 8d
Salary: £94,356 to £108,814 a year
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 184-OL-GR-5942
Job locations: Wellsprings Hospital, Cheddon Road, Taunton, Somerset, TA2 7AU, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
As Director of Nursing and Allied Health Professionals, you'll be a key member of the Service Group leadership team, working in partnership with the Service Group Director and Associate Medical Director as part of the triumvirate leadership team. Together, you'll be responsible for delivering high-quality, safe and effective services, making the best use of resources and ensuring patients receive outstanding care.

You'll provide professional leadership for nursing and allied health professionals across the Service Group, setting high standards and creating the conditions for teams to thrive. With professional accountability to the Chief Nurse, you'll play a vital role in ensuring nursing and AHP practice, governance, quality and safety meet organisational, regulatory and national standards. You'll also provide expert advice on professional matters, support the delivery of strategic priorities, and ensure risks are identified and addressed appropriately.

This is a highly visible leadership role where you'll lead with compassion, integrity and authenticity, role modelling our values and fostering a positive and inclusive culture. Working closely with clinical and operational leaders, you'll help shape services that meet the needs of patients today and in the future, supporting the Trust's devolved leadership model and long-term ambitions for health and care.

You'll use data, insight and evidence to drive improvements in quality, safety and patient experience, while leading key areas including clinical governance, workforce planning, patient safety and quality improvement. You'll also play a central role in developing a sustainable nursing and AHP workforce, supporting innovation, leading service improvements, and ensuring the highest standards of professional practice are maintained across the Service Group.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Registered Mental Health Nurse with current registration with NMC or Registered AHP with current registration with HCPC
• Evidence of ongoing professional and managerial development, which meets NMC/HCPC requirements
• Master's Degree or equivalent experience in a relevant health-related subject and evidence of further advanced study, doctoral level learning, or equivalent level of professional development.
• Management or leadership qualification (e.g. NHS Leadership Academy, MBA) or equivalent

Desirable

• Coaching qualification or willingness to

Experience
Essential

• Extensive experience at a senior level in a relevant acute, community or Mental Health environment
• Significant senior experience of managing teams, including professional development and conduct issues
• Experience of leading a range of nursing and or AHP colleagues
• Experience of leading professionals outside own professional group
• Experience of effective financial management, including budget management and cost improvement of service wide budgets
• Experience of managing robust governance and performance management systems
• Experience in working with patients and their families/carers to improve patient experience

Additional Criteria
Essential

• Demonstrable impactful clinical, operational and strategic leadership skills
• Flexible and adaptable in a high pressure environment
• Focuses on achieving results of high quality in a timely and cost effective way
• Ability to develop colleagues through mentoring / clinical supervision
• Evidence of personal insight and sound judgement
• Professional credibility
• Committed to continuous service development and quality improvement
• Ability to build and develop teams and maintain constructive working relationships across multiple disciplines
• Ability to translate operational challenges into the wider strategic context for the benefit of colleagues
• Ability to visibly lead a team and quickly build integrity and credibility

Employer details
Employer name: Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
Employer's website: https://www.somersetft.nhs.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Hiring Manager, Mark Arruda-Bunker, mark.arruda-bunker@somersetft.nhs.uk, 07867141428

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.