About this role
Job summary
Are you passionate about improving support for children and young people with complex needs? This is an opportunity to provide strategic leadership for the Children and Young People's (CYP) Keyworker Service, bringing partners together to strengthen coordinated, person-centered support across West Yorkshire.
Established in response to the NHS Long Term Plan, the service provides dedicated support for autistic children and young people, and those with a learning disability, who have the most complex needs and are at risk of mental health admission, family breakdown or placement instability. Delivered by Barnardo's across West Yorkshire, it offers non-clinical support to children and young people up to the age of 25 who are on the Dynamic Support Register (DSR), alongside their families and carers.
The service helps families navigate health, education, social care and voluntary sector systems, access the right support at the right time, and reduce the risk of avoidable crises and admissions. Central to its approach is ensuring that children, young people and families have a voice in the decisions that affect their lives.
Closing Date: 29th November 2026Shortlisting Date: 7th December 2026Interview Date: 14th December 2026
Main duties of the job
Hosted by Bradford District Care Trust, working in the West Yorkshire Mental Health, Learning Dsiability and Austism collaborativeyou will work strategically with NHS organisations, local authorities, education providers, Barnardo's and voluntary sector partners to embed the Keyworker model within local pathways and align delivery with national policy and best practice. Working across organisational boundaries, you will champion partnership working, challenge barriers to access and lead service development, quality improvement and system transformation.
You will provide leadership and oversight of delivery against the NHS England Keyworker Standards, agreed outcomes and the effective use of resources within the contractual and financial framework. By supporting partners to work collectively, you will help create a more integrated and responsive approach, keeping children, young people and families at the centre of planning and decision-making.
About us
Everything we do is underpinned by our core values: -
We Care- We act with respect and empathy, and always value difference
We Listen- We understand people's views and respond to their individual needs
We Deliver- We develop and provide excellent services and support our partners
We will consider a variety of flexible working arrangements to enable staff to balance their work and home lives and support staff by offering a fantastic range of benefits including :
Increase mileage rates for > 4500
A wide range of health and wellbeing support packages
A range of internal and external development and learning opportunities
Plus many more.
We are also proud to pledge our support to the Armed Forces and hold a Bronze Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.
BDCFT is dedicated to environmental and social sustainability by delivering on the commitments within our Green Plan. All staff are actively encouraged and supported to participate in training and to identify and implement sustainable quality improvement across all service areas and activities.
Please note that the Trust reserves the right to close the vacancy before the closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received. It is in the candidate's best interest to apply as soon as possible
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please read the attached Job description and person specification for further details about this role.
Right to Work in the UK
Applicants should be aware that for any individual who requires a visa to work in the UK, the Trust provides sponsorship for registered healthcare practitioner roles only. This is an essential requirement of the role, and the Trust is unable to offer you a role if you are unable to meet Trust requirements for sponsorship and Home Office requirements for a visa.
Prior to your appointment you will be asked to provide confirmation of your right to work and reside in the UK. During your continued employment with the Trust, you have a personal responsibility to notify your manager as soon as possible should there be any changes to your right to work status.
Regrettably, if the role is not eligible for sponsorship under the Trusts eligibility criteria, the Trust are unable to extend your employment beyond the expiration of your current visa. The Trust is not responsible or liable for ensuring that your employment continues after this period.
As a condition of continuous employment, it essential you maintain the legal right to work in the United Kingdom throughout the duration of your employment with Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust (BDCFT). Any change in your right-to-work status, including but not limited to visa expiration, revocation, or denial of renewal, may impact your eligibility for employment with the Trust. It is your responsibility to promptly inform your Line Manager of any changes in your right-to-work status immediately and to provide necessary documentation for verification purposes. Failure to obtain or renew your visa in a timely manner is a breach of employment conditions and will result in termination of your employment. We appreciate your attention to this matter and your commitment to fulfilling this requirement promptly.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Master's degree in a relevant subject, or equivalent specialist knowledge acquired through a combination of relevant education, specialist training and substantial experience.
- Current registration with a relevant professional body - nursing, social work, occupational therapy, psychological therapy, etc.
Desirable
- Project Management.
Experience
Essential
- Proven experience of working in complex systems and across organisational boundaries, working with collaborative decision-making groups or environments.
- Experience of developing evidence-based service or pathway improvements and securing agreement through system-based governance routes.
- Experience of working within clinical services at a senior level within a local authority and/or the NHS.
- Experience of working closely with service users and families, being their voice and advocate.
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of CYP Keywork service models, the NHS England Keyworker Standards and the role of Dynamic Support registers in coordinated pathways.
- Relevant health, education, social care and voluntary sector interfaces, including how organisational responsibilities affect access and continuity of support.
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details
Employer name
Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust
Address
New Mill
Victoria Road
Saltaire
BD183LD
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.bdct.nhs.uk/current-vacancies/ (Opens in a new tab)