About this role
Job summary
The Head of Clinical Practice provides senior, strategic clinical leadership across a national portfolio, shaping the clinical direction and assurance arrangements for Forensic Healthcare (custody healthcare and Sexual Assault Referral Centres), Primary Care and Community Services.
Main duties of the job
The post holder leads the design and standardisation of clinical models, pathways and professional practice standards, driving continuous improvement in quality, safety, workforce capability and outcomes across all services.
A strategic priority is to strengthen clinical quality, risk and workforce resilience within custody healthcare services, ensuring consistently delivered, evidence-based and legally compliant care in complex, high-risk environments.
Working within a robust clinical governance framework, the post holder supports the Group Medical Director by providing clear assurance on clinical quality and safety, influencing senior operational leaders and system partners to deliver sustainable services that meet contractual, regulatory and professional standards.
About us
Why Join Us?
PHL Group was founded in 2009 by a team of experienced General Practitioners and commercial partners, driven by a clear vision to deliver high-quality healthcare services that positively impact local communities. Led by an experienced team of clinicians and healthcare leaders with extensive expertise across urgent and primary care settings,
PHL Group operates a wide range of services across the UK and internationally, including Integrated Urgent Care, GP Practices, Custody Healthcare, ADHD services, Home Visiting, and Wait Time Support.
Supported by a well-established organisational infrastructure, robust clinical governance, and industry-leading professionals, PHL Group is committed to enabling people to remain well and receive the best possible health and social care through innovation, quality, and compassion.
At the heart of everything we do are our core values Truly Care, Team First, and Pioneering Innovationmaking PHL Group a forward-thinking organisation where people are empowered to make a real difference.
Applications
Due to the high volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If your application is successful, you can expect to hear from us within 2 weeks of submission.
Please note that this advert will remain open until the position is filled. Interviews will be held throughout the advertising period, so we encourage you to apply early to avoid disappointment.
Job description Job responsibilities
Key Responsibilities
Forensic Healthcare Clinical Leadership
Set the clinical vision and standards for forensic healthcare services, acting as the senior clinical authority across custody healthcare teams and SARCs. Provide clinical assurance that care in custodial environments is safe, lawful and aligned to equivalence principles, national expectations and contractual requirements. Define and maintain organisation-wide forensic clinical practice standards in line with Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine (FFLM) guidance and relevant medico-legal frameworks. Lead clinical preparedness for external scrutiny, ensuring services can evidence compliance with CQC, HMICFRS, IOPC and other oversight expectations. Champion high-quality clinical decision-making and professional standards in custody settings. Direct the clinical risk agenda for forensic services, using insight from incidents, claims and themes to reduce harm and improve custody safety. Embed trauma-informed and compassionate approaches across forensic pathways. Primary & Community Services Clinical Leadership
Set the clinical direction and standards for Primary Care services, assuring safe, accessible and high-quality care aligned to NHS expectations and contractual requirements. Develop clinical leadership capacity within Primary Care and ADHD directorates through professional leadership, coaching and a strong learning culture. Assure safe clinical systems across Primary Care, including prescribing governance, long-term condition pathways, continuity of care and effective escalation of clinical risk. Influence and support integrated care pathways across primary care, mental health, urgent care and neurodevelopmental services. Provide strategic clinical leadership for ADHD services, ensuring alignment with NICE guidance, national standards and best practice. Assure safe, effective ADHD pathways including assessment, diagnosis, treatment and shared care. Strengthen system interfaces between specialist ADHD services, primary care and wider partners. Provide clinical leadership on complex neurodevelopmental presentations and comorbidities. Workforce Leadership and Clinical Performance
Develop and deliver an integrated clinical workforce strategy across forensic healthcare, Primary Care and Community Services. Provide strategic clinical leadership across the multidisciplinary workforce. Lead a focused programme of clinical workforce resilience, addressing capability, competence, retention and clinical leadership capacity. Provide professional leadership and strategic direction for Allied Health Professionals across all service lines. Partner with the Group Medical Director to shape medical workforce strategy, clinical leadership structures and standards of practice. Set expectations and provide assurance for professional practice systems including induction, supervision, appraisal, revalidation and competency assurance. Provide oversight of clinical performance and professional standards. Sponsor and champion a culture that supports staff wellbeing, engagement and retention. Shape workforce models, skill mix and capacity plans. Clinical Governance, Quality and Patient Safety
Strengthen governance maturity and consistency across the portfolio, with particular emphasis on high-risk forensic environments. Assure compliance with relevant regulatory and statutory frameworks including: CQC standards FFLM guidance and forensic practice standards PACE-related custody healthcare requirements NHS and contractual governance requirements Assure effective systems for safeguarding, infection prevention and control, medicines optimisation, clinical audit and quality assurance. Work collaboratively with the Head of Compliance and Risk to provide senior clinical oversight of investigations into incidents, complaints and serious concerns. Ensure learning is translated into sustained change. Model and promote a culture of openness, accountability and patient safety. Strategy, Service Improvement and Innovation
Provide senior clinical input to business development, service design and bid activity. Translate strategic objectives into effective clinical models, pathways and workforce solutions. Drive clinical standardisation and assurance across the portfolio. Lead quality improvement initiatives focused on safety, risk reduction, access and patient experience. Use data, audit and patient feedback to identify variation and drive improvement. Promote innovation in digital systems, forensic healthcare pathways and multidisciplinary models of care. Lead proactive assurance and continuous readiness for inspection and review. Operational Integration and System Working
Partner with Directors of Operations and service leaders to align clinical strategy, quality priorities and delivery plans. Provide senior clinical leadership to inform portfolio planning, mobilisation and transformation activity. Build and sustain senior relationships with commissioners, ICBs, ICSs, police services, safeguarding partners and regulators. Provide clinical leadership to contract assurance and service development discussions. Ensure executive decisions and recommendations are informed by patient safety, clinical evidence, legal/regulatory requirements and patient experience impact. Represent the organisation as a senior clinical leader in external forums. On-Call and Escalation
Contribute to senior clinical escalation and on-call arrangements as required. Provide senior clinical leadership during major incidents and significant operational pressures.
Person Specification
Experience Essential
- Strong working knowledge of FFLM guidance and custody healthcare systems - Clinical governance, risk management and patient safety expertise - Ability to lead multidisciplinary clinical teams, including FMEs, HCPs and doctors - Ability to lead workforce stabilisation and service improvement in complex environments
Desirable
- Ability to work effectively with police, justice and forensic system partners
Qualifications Essential
- Registered healthcare professional (NMC, HCPC, or GMC) - Significant senior clinical leadership experience in forensic healthcare, custody medicine or similarly high-risk environments
Desirable
- Experience in SARCs, ADHD services or neurodevelopmental care - Experience working with police, justice or forensic system partners - Experience across NHS and independent healthcare sectors
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name Partnering Health Ltd
Address Onyx,
12 Little Park Farm Road
Fareham
Hampshire
PO15 5TD
Employer's website https://www.phlgroup.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)