Associate Director of Patient Experience and Voice, Band 8c

Reporting to the Director of Quality Governance, the Associate Director of Patient Experience and Voice will ensure that the voices and lived experiences of patients, carers and communities shape Trust strategy, decisions, services and improvement. The post holder will provide corporate leadership and accountability for complaints, PALS, patient surveys and insight, involvement and co-design, carers, Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care, equity and inclusion, accessible information, translation and interpreting, volunteers, ward clerk services, the Arts Programme and patient-experience improvement.

The post holder will lead delivery of the Patient Experience and Voice strategic aim within the Trust's five-year strategy 2025-2030 and the experience and voice commitments of the national Quality Strategy for NHS-funded care in England. They will translate national and Trust strategy into measurable priorities, policy, standards and improvement programmes, creating systematic and inclusive routes for people to influence how care is planned, delivered and evaluated and ensuring that the Trust visibly responds to what it hears.

The post holder will operate with substantial autonomy within broad professional, organisational and national policies and delegated authority, interpreting these requirements and determining how agreed objectives are achieved.

Main duties of the job

- Provide strategic and corporate leadership for the Trust-wide Patient Experience and Voice portfolio, translating national and Trust priorities into clear policies, standards, improvement programmes and measurable outcomes.

- Ensure patient, carer and community voices influence strategy, governance, service design and evaluation through inclusive engagement, co-design, accessible routes for participation.

- Lead systems for capturing, analysing, acting on complaints, PALS contacts, surveys, patient stories, equality insight and community feedback to identify inequalities, risks and improvement priorities.

- Provide senior oversight of complex complaints and poor experiences, ensuring effective advocacy, restorative approaches, learning, corrective action and escalation of significant or unresolved risks.

- Hold corporate oversight of patient experience services, including complaints, PALS, surveys, involvement and co-design, carers, Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care, equality and inclusion, accessible information, translation and interpreting, volunteers, ward clerks and Arts Programme.

- Provide Executive and Board assurance, chair the Patient Experience and Voice Improvement Group and integrate patient experience with patient safety, clinical effectiveness and regulatory assurance.

- Lead and develop specialist and operational teams, setting workforce priorities and ensuring effective performance, capability, wellbeing, succession.

Working for Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust means joining one of the largest NHS hospital trusts in England and becoming part of a diverse, skilled and supportive workforce committed to delivering Best Care for Everyone.

We put people at the heart of everything we do, value every contribution and foster an inclusive culture where colleagues are respected, supported and encouraged to learn, develop and improve. In return, you will have opportunities to build a rewarding career, make a meaningful difference to patients, families and local communities, and benefit from flexible working opportunities, generous annual leave, the NHS Pension Scheme, health and wellbeing support, staff discounts and recognition initiatives.