Trac proudly powers the recruitment for
NELFT NHS Foundation Trust
About
NELFT NHS Foundation Trust provides mental health and community services for over 4.9 million people living in the London Boroughs of Waltham Forest, Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham, Havering, and across Essex.
We work to ensure our patients, their friends and family, feel confident that their health needs are well met. With an excellent reputation for research and development, our skilled health professionals are at the cutting edge of evidence-based innovation, opening up the possibilities for better ways of working and delivery of care.
Contact
- Address
- Goodmayes Hospital
- Barley Lane
- Ilford
- Essex
- IG3 8XJ
- Contact Number
- 0300 300 1530
Operational Lead, Enhanced Mental Health Liaison
Accepting applications until: 16-Feb-2026 23:59
Vacancy status: Open
Accepting applications until: 16-Feb-2026 23:59
Key details
Location
- Gwefan
- Pine Lodge, NELFT; Whipps Cross Hosp,
- Tref
- Leytonstone, London
- Cod post
- E11 1NR
- Major / Minor Region
- London
Contract type & working pattern
- Contract
- Permanent
- Oriau
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Salary
- Cyflog
- £55,690 - £62,682 Per Annum. Annual rate inclusive of HCAS (Outer)
- Cyfnod cyflog
- Yearly
- Gradd
- (NHS AfC: Band 8a)
Specialty
- Prif leoliad
- Mental Health
Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London, and Essex. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.
The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for five consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.
Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video
Trosolwg o'r swydd
We have an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated and compassionate Operational Lead/ Manager to join and lead our Psychiatric Liaison Service (PLS). This leadership post plays a pivotal role in ensuring the delivery of a safe, effective, and innovative service for adults presenting to acute hospitals with mental health needs.
Working collaboratively with acute hospital partners, community mental health services, and wider system stakeholders, you will provide both operational and clinical leadership to ensure excellent patient experience, robust governance, and strong multidisciplinary working.
We welcome applications from individuals who are passionate about mental health, committed to collaborative working, and able to lead teams through change. We particularly encourage applicants that meet our essential criterion and feel they would thrive in this role.
Advert
As the Operational Lead/ Manager for the Psychiatric Liaison Service, you will:
- Provide day‑to‑day operational leadership, clinical oversight, and workforce management for the service.
- Lead on service performance, governance, quality improvement, and achievement of key clinical and operational targets.
- Work collaboratively with acute hospital staff to support safe and effective mental health assessments and pathways.
- Ensure the service delivers evidence‑based, patient‑centred care in line with Trust values and national guidance.
- Develop and maintain strong partnerships with local acute Trust, community teams, GPs, social care, and voluntary sector organisations.
- Support staff development, training, supervision, and retention within the PLS workforce.
- Lead service development initiatives and contribute to transformation programmes across the acute mental health pathway.
Gweithio i'n sefydliad
Our Values 2025 - 2030
Working with our colleagues, patients and carers we have co-produced three new values that we aim to embed within our culture here at NELFT.
They are:
- We are kind.
- We are respectful.
- We work together with our communities.
These three values help us to strive to provide the best care by the best people.
Probationary Period
This post will be subject to a probationary period.
Starting with Us
NELFT places great importance on new starters being properly welcomed into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks, including mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process, new starters will also have the opportunity to meet the executive team, senior managers, and attend several drop-in sessions focusing on engagement, health and wellbeing, and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Goodmayes, Essex.
High Cost Area Supplement - Outer London
This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £4,313 to a maximum of £5,436 p.a. pro rata for part time).
High Cost Area Supplement - Fringe
This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 5% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £1,192 to a maximum of £2,011 p.a. pro rata for part time).
Swydd-ddisgrifiad a phrif gyfrifoldebau manwl
The Psychiatric Liaison Service provides high‑quality mental health assessment and intervention for adults (18+) presenting to emergency and acute hospital setting. As the Operational Lead, you will ensure the effective delivery of this vital interface between mental and physical health.
Key elements of the role include:
Clinical & Professional Leadership
- Act as a senior autonomous practitioner and clinical role model.
- Maintain clinical expertise through engagement in practice.
- Provide specialist advice and support to the team, acute hospital professionals, and partner agencies.
- Ensure care delivered is underpinned by research, evidence-based practice, and national best practice standards.
Operational Management
- Ensure the service is safely, efficiently, and effectively operationalised.
- Lead on workforce planning, recruitment, sickness/absence management, and rostering.
- Manage budgets and ensure financial performance is aligned with Trust expectations.
- Work closely with commissioning and transformation partners to meet service requirements.
Governance, Quality & Performance
- Implement and monitor clinical governance frameworks, including audit, incident reporting, and risk management.
- Oversee compliance with statutory and mandatory training.
- Produce and analyse monthly performance data, taking corrective action where required.
- Ensure delivery of agreed KPIs and high standards of care.
Partnership Working
- Build effective relationships with the acute hospital, community providers, primary care, local authorities, ambulance services, and voluntary organisations.
- Promote integrated working to support seamless patient care and reduced length of stay.
- Ensure the service contributes effectively to system‑wide mental health priorities.
Training & Workforce Development
- Support staff through supervision, mentorship, coaching, and professional development.
- Contribute to the development of service-wide training programmes for acute hospital colleagues.
- Promote a positive, supportive, and inclusive team culture.
Main Responsibilities
- Deliver visible and proactive leadership to the Psychiatric Liaison Service.
- Ensure high‑quality, patient‑centred, and evidence‑based mental health care is consistently provided.
- Maintain strong governance processes and lead on service audits and improvements.
- Manage the service budget and resources efficiently.
- Foster a culture of collaboration with acute trust partners and system stakeholders.
- Lead the service through change, development, and continuous improvement.
- Ensure effective communication across teams and with all partners.
- Uphold NELFT values, regulatory standards, and professional codes of conduct.
- Promote equality, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of service delivery and leadership.
Benefits
We believe in bringing your authentic and best self to work, in order to deliver the best care to our patients. We are committed to supporting our employees holistically. Here is a snapshot of what is on offer at NELFT:
- A long-standing and award-winning approach to equality and diversity with supportive networks for ethnic minority staff, staff with disabilities or long term/chronic conditions and LGBT staff.
- A commitment to supporting colleagues to achieve a work life balance, through flexible working opportunities and our efforts to support our working parents and carers. This has resulted in us being recognised as a ‘Top 10 Family Friendly Employer’ from the Working Families Charity.
- Proactive health and wellbeing support, including access to our employee assistance programme, staff psychological support, individual wellbeing conversations and a network of health and wellbeing ambassadors.
- Detailed information about our wellbeing and benefits offer can be found in this link.
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s a job share, part time hours or another flexible pattern.
Supporting our Armed Forces
We recognise the valuable contribution that the Armed Forces community make to our organisation. We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant and achieved Gold Award under the Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme. We have supportive policies, guaranteed interview schemes for veterans. reservists and military spouses and give additional leave to our Reservists so that they can attend their annual camp.
Equal opportunities employer
We are committed to equal opportunities and diversity and positively encourage applications from all sections of the community regardless of any protected characteristic.
We are a Disability Confident employer and have made the pledge to commit to employing more people with disabilities. If you require this application in another format i.e. Braille or audio tape please contact the recruitment team on 0300 300 1530 or email [email protected].
Correspondence with us
You are advised to regularly check your emails (including any junk mail/spam folders) for correspondence related to this post.
As part of our recruitment process, we may be required to share information you provide on the application form with NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA) and/or other organisations for the purpose of the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of fraud or any other unlawful activity affecting the NHS. We also use third party providers to check and verify your qualifications who may be contacting you on our behalf to verify the same.
Applicant requirements
Person specification
Qualifications
Meini prawf hanfodol
- Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMN)
- Relevant diploma/degree or equivalent professional qualification
- Qualified student mentor / practice assessor
Meini prawf dymunol
- Additional training in leadership, management, or clinical specialism
Experience
Meini prawf hanfodol
- Significant experience managing healthcare staff and/or services
- Extensive mental health nursing experience, including care of older adults
- Substantial experience in clinical team management
- Experience in budget management or delegated financial responsibility
- Experience leading or supporting service change or transformation
- Experience contributing to clinical governance (e.g., audits, quality reviews)
- Experience developing partnerships with external agencies and stakeholders
Meini prawf dymunol
- Experience working in liaison psychiatry or acute hospital settings
Knowledge
Meini prawf hanfodol
- Awareness of NHS priorities and national policy drivers
- Strong understanding of mental health liaison models and acute care pathways
- Understanding of clinical governance, quality improvement and risk management
Meini prawf dymunol
- Knowledge of QI methodology and its applications
Skills and Abilities
Meini prawf hanfodol
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Advanced IT literacy and ability to use electronic record systems
- Strong organisational, prioritisation, and time‑management skills
- Leadership skills, including ability to motivate and influence multidisciplinary teams
- Ability to manage conflict constructively and promote a positive team culture
- Ability to analyse and interpret performance data
- Strong clinical assessment, decision‑making, and problem‑solving skills
- Commitment to ongoing professional development
Other Requirements
Meini prawf hanfodol
- Ability to travel across Trust sites efficiently
- Commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusive practice
- Flexibility to support service need, including occasional extended hours
Further details / informal visits contact
- Enw
- Michael Chigango
- Teitl y swydd
- Service Manager
- Cyfeiriad ebost
- [email protected]
- Rhif ffôn
- 07958079757
- Gwybodaeth i gefnogi eich cais
Robin Sookhan
03005551200
Start your application
Sign in
Create an account
Create your account and apply for your new job!






