Acting Team Leader

Acting Team Leader, Band 7 - Chichester Neighbourhood Mental Health Team, Specialist Adults, 12 Month Acting-Up Opportunity. This post is open to Band 6 or Band 7 staff who can demonstrate relevant clinical experience, an interest in operational leadership, and the ability to support staff and service users during a period of service development and change. An opportunity has arisen for a suitable and experienced mental health professional (Mental Health Nurse, Social Worker, Occupational Therapist) to join the leadership team for our Neighbourhood Mental Health Team, Specialist Adults in Chichester. Community mental health services are currently undergoing a period of transformation and change, with investment in new roles and opportunities to work in innovative ways. You will be joining a supportive, friendly and enthusiastic team with a shared passion for delivering high-quality care. Working closely with the Service Manager, another Team Leader and Professional Leads, you will provide high-quality, visible leadership across the service. The role will involve setting and maintaining operational standards, supporting improved outcomes, prioritising the experience of service users, families and carers, and providing line management to staff. You will help ensure contractual requirements are met while promoting a learning, supportive and compassionate team culture., To provide effective clinical and operational leadership to a multidisciplinary team, ensuring the delivery of a safe, high-quality and person-centred service within available resources. The post holder will lead and coordinate team functions, oversee the management of referrals and service delivery, drive performance and quality improvement, provide line management and professional supervision to staff, and promote a culture of continuous learning, staff wellbeing, and compassionate care. The role will ensure the effective management of risk, support the achievement of service objectives and performance targets, and contribute to the ongoing development and transformation of mental health services. Key Areas of Responsibility

• Leadership and coordination of team operations.
• Management of referrals, caseloads and service performance.
• Line management, supervision and development of staff.
• Clinical oversight and support for complex case management.
• Governance, safeguarding, quality assurance and risk management.
• Service improvement, transformation and partnership working., Lead and coordinate the day-to-day functioning of the team.
• Provide visible leadership and support to staff.
• Line manage, supervise, appraise, and develop team members.
• Promote a positive, compassionate, learning culture.
• Deputise for the Service Manager.
2. Clinical Oversight
• Maintain a small clinical caseload, including management of complex cases.
• Support staff with risk management and clinical decision-making.
• Ensure assessments, care planning, interventions, and reviews meet professional and Trust standards.
• Promote safe, recovery-focused care.
3. Operational Performance
• Manage referrals and patient flow.
• Monitor caseloads, waiting lists, and service performance.
• Ensure contractual and Key Performance Indicator (KPI) requirements are met.
• Address operational challenges and service pressures.
4. Quality, Governance and Risk
• Promote a culture of effective risk management.
• Respond to incidents, complaints, safeguarding concerns, and serious incidents.
• Lead audits, service improvements, and implementation of learning from investigations.
• Ensure compliance with Trust policies and national standards.
5. Workforce and Recruitment
• Lead recruitment and selection processes.
• Support staff wellbeing, development, and retention.
• Oversee supervision, mandatory training, appraisals, and professional development.
• Support junior staff, students, and newly qualified practitioners.
6. Service Development and Transformation
• Contribute to service redesign and transformation programmes.
• Work collaboratively with professional leads, partner agencies, and senior managers.
• Identify opportunities for innovation and improved patient outcomes.
• Support implementation of new pathways and models of care., To apply, please submit a brief expression of interest outlining your relevant experience, leadership skills, and reasons for applying for the acting Team Leader post. Please include examples of how you have supported safe, effective practice and contributed to service improvement.
The successful candidate will start on Monday 2 November 2026 so please ensure you discuss this opportunity with your line manager before applying.


• Strong leadership and people-management skills.
• Excellent communication and influencing abilities.
• Experience working with complex mental health presentations.
• Ability to manage competing operational demands.
• Performance management and quality improvement experience.
• Partnership working across health, social care, and third-sector services., Successful candidates are normally appointed to the bottom of the pay scale unless previous NHS experience in a similar role can be evidenced., You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
  
  At SPFT we put people first. We'll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. You'll have opportunities to learn, grow and gain new experiences to support your career, with access to lifelong learning and professional development.
We actively promote flexible working and understand how important work life balance is, especially in healthcare. Whether it's part time hours, hybrid working or flexible start and finish times, we'll explore what works for you and the role. We recognise that tools like AI are becoming part of everyday life and you may choose to use them when preparing your application. We welcome this, as long as what you submit reflects your own experience, skills and voice. AI can be helpful for structuring or refining your answers, but it should not replace your own examples or create content that isn't based on your real experience. Our recruitment process is designed to get to know you, and we'll explore your examples further at interview, so it's important your application genuinely represents what you bring. You can read more about using AI in applications and interviews on our recruitment process page. We're shaping a workplace where ideas are encouraged, technology supports you and everyone has a voice in how we improve. If that sounds like the kind of organisation you want to be part of, we'd love to hear from you., Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest mental health trusts in the UK, providing specialist mental health and learning disability services for children, young people and adults across Sussex, and for children and young people in Hampshire. We are proud of our reputation for delivering high-quality, compassionate care and fostering a supportive, inclusive workplace where both patients and staff are valued.

At Sussex Partnership, the wellbeing of our staff is a key priority. We recognise the vital contribution our colleagues make every day and are committed to supporting their health, wellbeing, professional development and work-life balance. As part of our team, you will have access to a wide range of benefits and opportunities, including:
• Comprehensive wellbeing and psychological support services.
• High-quality supervision, training and career development opportunities.
• Flexible working arrangements to support work-life balance.
• Access to a range of employee discount schemes, including retail, leisure, travel and vehicle leasing.
• Membership of the NHS Pension Scheme.
• Generous annual leave entitlement, starting at 27 days plus bank holidays.
• The opportunity to work within an organisation rated 'Good' overall and 'Outstanding' for Caring by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
We are proud of the culture we have created, where compassionate care, teamwork and continuous improvement are at the heart of everything we do.