Description
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) provides mental healthcare for around 1.3 million people across South London, alongside specialist services nationally and internationally. Its more than 240 services span inpatient, community and specialist settings, with close partnerships with King's College London, King's Health Partners and local communities connecting care with research and education. The quality of that care depends on its people: colleagues working across different professions and settings, supporting people with complex and often profound needs. SLaM is committed to delivering consistently excellent, equitable and person-centred care, and to becoming an anti-racist organisation in both its services and its workplaces.
The Trust is seeking a Chief People Officer to join its Executive Team and Trust Board. Reporting to the Chief Executive, the appointee will strengthen the reliability and responsiveness of People & Organisational Development (OD) services, build confidence in the function and support the organisation to deliver change. This means developing a capable, trusted People & OD team, with clear priorities and the authority to deliver, while translating the Trust's strategy into practical workforce plans.
Working with clinical, operational and academic colleagues, the Chief People Officer will help develop new roles and ways of working, strengthen leadership and organisational effectiveness, and ensure sound employment practice and Board assurance. They will bring a clear focus on what staff need to provide safe, effective and compassionate care.
The successful candidate will bring substantial experience of leading a broad People & OD function in a large complex organisation, with evidence of improving services and delivering sustained change. They will combine professional HR expertise with organisational development capability and the confidence to advise and challenge Boards and executive colleagues. Credible with the different professional groups that make up SLaM's diverse and skilled workforce, they will build constructive relationships with trade unions and staff networks, and show how their leadership has addressed inequality. SLaM needs an approachable, consistent leader who listens, delegates well and supports colleagues through difficult decisions. They must be able to maintain trust through disagreement, work effectively across shared responsibilities and turn plans into delivery. Above all, they will be motivated by the contribution they can make to staff, patients and the communities SLaM serves.
Responsibilities:
- Working with clinical, operational and academic colleagues to develop new roles and ways of working
- Strengthening leadership and organisational effectiveness
- Ensuring sound employment practice and Board assurance
- Developing a capable, trusted People & OD team
- Translating the Trust's strategy into practical workforce plans
Requirements:
- Substantial record of leading a broad People & OD function in a large, complex organisation
- Significant experience of working at Board level
- Evidence of improving the reliability and responsiveness of People & OD services
- Experience of developing and supporting leadership teams
- Strong professional HR knowledge
- Experience of developing workforce plans
- Evidence of using organisational development approaches
- Experience of building effective relationships with trade unions
- Evidence of personally leading action to address racism or other inequalities
- Experience of managing budgets and supplier performance
- Experience of using workforce information and digital improvement
- Understanding of the accountability and workforce challenges in publicly funded healthcare
- Chartered membership of the CIPD, or equivalent professional standing