Director of Services Development

About Us:

Tom's Trust is dedicated to providing crucial psychological support to children and young people diagnosed with brain and central nervous system tumours, along with their families. A brain tumour diagnosis can be devastating, profoundly affecting the lives of children and their families. Sadly, a third of these children do not survive, and 62% are left with life-altering disabilities. Timely psychological support has been shown to significantly improve their cognitive function and quality of life. We provide this intervention right from diagnosis and provide the best chance for children with brain tumours to get back to school, resume their lives and go on to achieve their full potential.

We are the only UK charity solely focused on providing this vital support to children with brain tumours and their families, addressing a significant gap in services. We're a growing charity with a dedicated and friendly team, offering hybrid and home-based options. Tom's Trust is an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to fostering an inclusive work environment for all our employees. For more information, visit our website: www.tomstrust.org.uk.

 

Director of Services Development role description

Job title:                           Director of Services Development

Reports to:                      Chief Executive

Accountable to:              Chief Executive and Board of Trustees

Hours:                             3 - 4 days a week, worked flexibly and with hybrid arrangements but ideally to include Tuesdays for staff meetings

Base:                              Ideally in the Cambridge area or able to travel to it up to one day a fortnight but other geographical bases will be considered                         

 

Purpose of the job

We have secured funding from the National Lottery Reaching Communities Fund to transform our service delivery. This role is for the strategic clinical lead person for Tom’s Trust, with a good knowledge of the field of children’s brain tumours, working closely with the CEO to develop the charity, its ambitions and innovative services in hospitals and the community to best effect to help families.

Key Duties

Service Development:

• Innovate, develop and cost new services in consultation with families and professionals to meet more needs across more of the UK To be aware / to keep up to date with developments in the work on Paediatric brain tumours and in the field of health psychology in the UK. 
• To link in with clinical/service leads in other relevant charities and institutions to facilitate joint advocacy and effective working partnerships and explore the possibility of collaborative working to broaden our offer.
• To be part of the Neuro-oncology Special Interest Group and represent Tom’s Trust in leading the Tom’s Trust Network which shares its membership; to liaise with and develop ideas from Clinical Psychologists in Primary Treatment Centres on how Tom’s Trust can support them to better support families. Encourage collaboration between Tom’s Trust services in Primary Treatment Centres and other treatment centres for sharing good practice, facilities, future research, and career development/mentoring of staff.
• To oversee the development of Transition work, Young Ambassador and Family groups in different areas/guises
• To be part of the link in with Tom’s Trust  families when clinical knowledge helps us do that well. Manage and give supervision to the Family Liaison Coordinator
• To set up and lead the panels that: review and decide on new projects and centre applications; Network grants and assessing/reviewing developing services; to be the TT lead on steering/management committees for all centres and ensure the agendas and programmes best develop individual centres

 

 

Communications and Reporting

• To be the spokesperson on clinical matters for the charity, including with the media
• Ensure the collection of service information and outcome measures to ensure effective feedback for service delivery development and for internal/external communications, information service and fundraising – present to the Trustees with the CEO on this
• To review Tom’s Trust’s Information Stream, working with the Communications Manager, and help with its strategy, oversight and new ideas to support families, in consultation with families and professionals To work with the fundraising and communications team to help staff understand and represent information accurately and well

 

Director of services development person specification

Qualifications and Experience

Essential:

• A good knowledge of the field of children’s brain tumours
• 8B Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical psychology (or its equivalent prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, including models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
• 8B Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), registration as a practitioner clinical psychologist
• 8B Trained in clinical supervision and the supervision of doctoral trainees (and potentially other staff)
• 8B Post-doctoral qualification, training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice
• 8B Training and/or qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology
• Ability to demonstrate strategic leadership and management skills

 

Desirable:

• 8B Pre/post-qualification training in research methodology, staff training/support and/or other relevant fields of applied psychology
• 8B Registration and chartership with BPS
• Innovate, develop and cost new services in consultation with families and professionals to meet more needs across more of the UK
• Understanding of paediatric health psychology and of hospital context
• An educational psychologist or counselling psychologist would be considered if they can meet all the requirements

 

Experience

• Relevant previous or current employment in a clinical leadership or management role
• Experience and excellence in communications with professionals and families

 

Other requirements

• Maintaining CPD and supervision requirements as set out by the BPS/HPC We will contribute to clinical supervision costs to ensure it is at levels set out by the BPS, but the postholder will be responsible for making their own supervision arrangements. Occasional independent travel to hospitals and other venues for meetings Driver’s licence

 

Salary

• Pay at the NHS equivalent rate appropriate to the qualifications/experience of the postholder.
• IT equipment and IT support provided.

 

Contact Rebecca Wood, rebecca@tomstrust.org.uk (07812 554491) for more information. Apply with a CV and covering letter, which should be emailed to Rebecca Wood.

 

Review

There will be a six-month probationary period, following which there will be a three-month notice period. This job description will be reviewed as necessary to meet the needs of the service on no less than an annual basis in consultation with the postholder.

 

Interview
Initial interviews for this role will be virtual. The closing date is 10am on Thursday 2nd November and interviews will be the following week, date to be confirmed for mutual convenience.

 

This post has been initially funded thanks to the National Lottery Reaching Communities Fund.