Job summary
We are seeking two experienced and credible Senior Clinical Leads for Section 117 Aftercare (Band 8b) to provide expert clinical leadership across the commissioning, delivery and quality assurance of Section 117 services. The postholder will work collaboratively with mental health providers, local authorities and wider system partners to ensure statutory responsibilities are met and that individuals leaving hospital receive high-quality, person-centred and recovery-focused support. The successful candidate will have substantial experience in mental health services, a strong understanding of the Mental Health Act and Section 117 duties, and a proven track record of leading service improvement, complex case management and partnership working.

If you have any questions about the role or wish to organise an initial chat with the team prior to applying, please link in with Rachel O Connor who can set this up for you - rachel.oconnor12@nhs.net

Main duties of the job
You will be responsible for leading the co-ordination of assessments and decision making and quality assurance for people who are entitled to Section 117 aftercare funding. They will bring a collaborative and partnership approach to this work as we develop our relationships with our partners to ensure that S117 is applied correctly, that people receiving this funding source are regularly reviewed and that our whole approach is based around the principles of hope and recovery.

The post holder will need to demonstrate sound clinical judgement, a good understanding of the regulations in relation to the mental health act, will be a team player, have excellent networking skills and thrives on developing a partnership approach

About us
We value and promote diversity and are committed to equality of opportunity for all. We believe that the best employers are those that reflect the communities they serve. We want to increase the diversity of our NHS leadership and particularly encourage applications from women, people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, LGBT communities, younger candidates and from people with lived experience of disability, who we know are all under-represented in these important roles. We are committed to delivering a trustworthy, flexible and responsible staff culture.

At our Organisation, our selection process ensures we recruit candidates with the right skills and values. We monitor AI use in applications and remain alert to misuse that misrepresents abilities. You must declare any AI use when submitting your application.

Details
Date posted: 01 September 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 8b
Salary: £66,582 to £77,368 a year per annum
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 482-ICB-5836KB
Job locations: Unipart House, Oxford, OX4 2PG, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
Ensure coordinated and proactive arrangements are delivered to prevent adults and children with mental illness and learning disabilities from being admitted to hospital unnecessarily. Work closely with partners to mobilise this preventative support.

Work across agencies to chair and co-ordinate, manage, monitor, and review the implementation of Section 117, Individual Funding Requests (IFR) and Non Contracted Activity (NCA) for people with mental health and learning disabilities who are at risk of admission to inpatient facilities.

To lead the development and implementation of an integrated s117 policy in collaboration with partners, and develop a more local standard operating policy to sit within that.

Work with the Head of Service to assure indepently contracted placement reviews and application processes are delivered in line wiiht legislation and locally agreed policy (once developed).

work closely with the Head of service, finance team and contract team to assure budget management of S117, IFR and NCA placements. That all provision is accrued for and all packages are accurate and accounted for.

Please see full Job Description for more details.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Qualifications within Mental health Nursing (RNMH). Current registration with the NMC Qualified RNMH.
• Six or more years of qualified professional experience in mental health in including two or more years of assessing adults with specialist mental health/learning disability needs
• At least 2 years' management or commissioning experience in Health

Knowledge and experience
Essential

• Demonstrable specialist knowledge in section 117 of the Mental Health Act.
• Experience of conducting section 117 reviews and moving people on when they are no longer eligible. o Experience of managing a team
• Significant experience of successfully operating in a politically sensitive environment.
• Evidence of continued professional development.
• Demonstrated experience of co-ordinating projects in complex and challenging environments
• Experience of managing risks and reporting.
• Experience of drafting briefing papers and correspondence at senior management team level.
• Experience of monitoring budgets and business planning processes
• Understanding of the public sector Health and Social Care
• Demonstrated experience in a Healthcare environment.
• Experience of setting up and implementing internal processes and procedures.
• Knowledge of Financial Systems e.g. monitoring budget management, processing invoices and procurement.
• Working knowledge of quality assurance, clinical governance and care pathways and their design
• Should have an appreciation of the relationship between the individual provider and commissioning organisations

Skills Capabilities & Attributes
Essential

• Clear communicator with excellent written and presentation skills; capable of constructing and delivering clear ideas and concepts concisely and accurately to a diverse and varied range of audiences consisting of internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to communicate effectively with patients and relatives, sensitive to their mental health needs. public.
• Must be able to provide and receive highly complex, sensitive or contentious information, negotiate with senior stakeholders on difficult and controversial issues, and present complex and sensitive information to large and influential groups.
• Negotiate on difficult and controversial issues including performance and change
• Experienced in managing work in high-risk environments, frequently in potentially threatening situations.
• Experienced in managing highly distressing emotional circumstances arising from service user and carer issues
• Ability to prepare and produce concise yet insightful communications for dissemination to senior stakeholders and a broad range of stakeholders as required.
• Ability to analyse very complex issues where material is conflicting and drawn from multiple sources.
• Demonstrated capability to act upon incomplete information, using experience to make inferences and decision making.
• Numerate and able to understand complex financial issues combined with deep analytical skills.
• Demonstrated capabilities to manage own workload and make informed decisions in the absence of required information, working to tight and often changing timescales.

Values and behaviours
Essential

• Commitment to and focused on quality, promotes high standards in all they do.
• Able to make a connection between their work and the benefit to patients and the public.
• Consistently thinks about how their work can help and support clinicians and frontline staff deliver better outcomes for patients.
• Values diversity and difference operates with integrity and openness.
• Works well with others, is positive and helpful, listens, involves, respects and learns from the contribution of others.
• Consistently looks to improve what they do, look for successful tried and tested ways of working, and also seeks out innovation.
• Actively develops themselves and supports others to do the same.
• Understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships.
• An ability to maintain confidentiality and trust.
• Adaptability, flexibility and ability to cope with uncertainty and change

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.

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

We value and promote diversity and are committed to equality of opportunity for all. We believe that the best employers are those that reflect the communities they serve. We want to increase the diversity of our NHS leadership and particularly encourage applications from women, people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, LGBT communities, younger candidates and from people with lived experience of disability, who we know are all under-represented in these important roles. We are committed to delivering a trustworthy, flexible and responsible staff culture.