About this role
Job summary
Reporting to the Executive Director of Public Health and Wellbeing, and accountable to a joint partnership board overseeing Sunderlands Neighbourhood Health approach, you will lead the strategic development and delivery of Sunderlands Neighbourhood Health Plan.You will bring together partners across the NHS, local government, primary care, VCSE organisations, community groups and wider public services to design and deliver integrated, neighbourhood-based models of care that improve health outcomes and reduce inequalities.You will oversee the development of Integrated Neighbourhood Teams, support the evolution of primary care networks into neighbourhood health providers, and help prepare Sunderland for future integrated provider arrangements.
Main duties of the job
As Director for Neighbourhood Health, you will:
Lead Sunderlands transition towards proactive, preventative and population-based care models Develop and implement the Sunderland Strategic and Operational Neighbourhood Health Plan Drive integrated working across health, care, public health and community services Shape governance, financial and commissioning models to support neighbourhood delivery Embed population health analytics and data-driven decision making Lead system-wide transformation focused on frailty, long-term conditions, mental health, children and young people, and end-of-life care Influence regional and national policy and represent Sunderland as an ambassador for neighbourhood health innovation Champion co-production, ensuring residents and communities shape local services
About us
Sunderland is a fantastic, forward-looking, ambitious city undergoing significant transformation and economic regeneration. From the seafront and the city centre, to building locations of national strategic significance, we are creating the very best conditions for our 280,000 residents who live here and those who come to the city to work.
We provide a huge variety of services across the city, currently employing approximately 2,500 people in many roles ranging from gardeners to building maintenance technicians, ICT experts to social workers and many more. At all levels we work together to achieve real change across the city.Sunderland is one of the few cities in the UK to be situated on the coast, whilst benefitting from easy access to the countryside, a short drive from two international airports, direct rail access to London and less than a twenty-minute drive from Durham and Newcastle.We have a growing cultural scene. Sunderland Empire theatre attracts high-profile West End productions, and the Fire Station is Sunderlands premier live music and performance venue. The National Glass Centre, Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens and Northern Gallery of Contemporary Art are all close to the city centre.Sunderland is a great place to work. Wherever youre coming from, youll discover a place and people that will make you feel at home.
Job description Job responsibilities
Responsible to
Executive Director of Public Health and Wellbeing.
As a system role, the post-holder will additionally be accountable to a joint board with responsibility for overseeing Sunderlands Neighbourhood Health approach (TBC)
Responsible for staff/equipment
The post-holder will be responsible for the following joint funded posts that sit within Sunderlands Place Partnership-
Clinical Lead for Neighbourhood Health - ext appointment
Managerial Lead for Neighbourhood - ext appointment
Senior Programme Manager - ext appointment
Integrated commissioning posts employed by SCC.
In addition, the post-holder will be expected to matrix manage, as required, to support local implementation and oversight of neighbourhood health teams and resources
Main purpose of job
Aligned to the national Neighbourhood Health Framework, the postholder will ensure Sunderland delivers the minimum expectations for neighbourhood health, including improving access, embedding proactive and preventative care, establishing Integrated Neighbourhood Teams - INTs, and achieving the nationally defined goals for high priority cohorts such as frailty, long term conditions, CYP and end of life care
The post holder will lead Sunderland's transition toward population based delivery, proactive and preventative care, and neighbourhood level integrated services, ensuring outcomes, resources and delivery models are shaped around defined populations.
They post-holder will act as the strategic integrator for Sunderland, forging alignment between NHS, local authority, VCSE, primary care and community partners and ensuring Sunderland becomes an early adopter of future models including Single Neighbourhood Providers - SNPs, Multi Neighbourhood Providers - MNPs and readiness for Integrated Health Organisation - IHO arrangements.
Key responsibilities
Lead the development and implementation of the Sunderland Neighbourhood Health Plan; providing strategic leadership and expert advice to the Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) in ensuring the plan aligns with national goals and ambitions, Sunderland's Healthy City Plan, the JSNA, and local outcomes frameworks.
Support the HWB to transition into a proactive, decision driving partnership body. Ensure the HWB holds a clear line of sight between national goals, Sunderlands system priorities, and neighbourhoodlevel delivery.
Work with the HWB to undertake aligned financial planning, including pooled-aligned budgets, prevention investment strategies, and use of the Better Care Fund - BCF in line with national policy expectations.
Lead the establishment of a host-partner integrator model, testing the administrative and legal frameworks required to receive delegated funds.
Oversee the establishment and development of Integrated Neighbourhood Teams - INTs, serving priority cohorts including: frailty, long-term conditions - CVD, diabetes, COPD, dementia, mental health, CYP, end-of-life and high risk populations.
Lead the identification of system-wide needs and assets to optimise collaboration across health, care, and public health. Developing tactical plans and strategies to configure resource in a way that aligns to left shift and productivity ambitions.
Lead the evolution of primary care networks into neighbourhood health providers - SNPs, ensuring strong clinical leadership and seamless connections between general practice, community services, council commissioned services, and wider community-based provision.
Shape Sunderland's approach to Multi-Neighbourhood Provider functions across localities, enabling consistent service delivery at scale and effective coordination.
Design governance, outcomes frameworks and financial architectures that prepare Sunderland for future IHO arrangements where appropriate.
Develop the governance for population based contracts, including use of pooled budgets, risk share approaches, delegated authority mechanisms, and oversight of subcontracting chains.
Lead Sunderland's shift to data driven planning, embedding population health analytics, real time intelligence and risk stratification across all programmes.
Ensure neighbourhood health delivery meets or exceeds national metrics, whilst shaping local outcomes that reflect Sunderland's priorities around inequalities, community wellbeing and prevention.
Build a culture of collaborative system leadership, strengthening relationships with clinical leaders, local authority directors, VCSE organisations, community groups and residents.
Work with the HWB to develop a robust VCSE partnership infrastructure, recognising the sector as a critical enabler of prevention, community engagement and neighbourhood working.
Ensure public and community voices shape neighbourhood plans, and support neighbourhood boards, community assets, and local public service reform agendas, e.g., Pride in Place, Best Start in Life, SEND reforms.
Lead system-wide workforce development and culture change in line with the 10-Year Workforce Plan, ensuring Sunderland becomes a leading place to work in community and neighbourhood services.
Act as Sunderland's ambassador regionally and nationally, influencing policy, sharing learning and securing investment.
Key tasks
Lead the development of the Sunderland Strategic and Operational Neighbourhood Health Plan, ensuring it is a live document that synthesises health, care, public health and wider public reform priorities.
Develop and lead the roadmap toward a formal Joint (Integrator) Committee - s75/s65Z5 - to oversee Sunderland's Neighbourhood Health delivery.
Lead the roadmap to formal population based contracting models - SNP/MNP/IHO, working with key partners on payment flows, outcomes and delegated authority.
Embed the national minimum expectations for neighbourhood health, ensuring Sunderland meets the required baseline in GP access, INT development, elective pathway redesign, community waiting times and data-sharing standards.
Design and oversee the implementation of local single points of access, neighbourhood based outpatient redesign, and modern service frameworks.
Oversee and be responsible for budgets delegated by the ICB.
Co-ordinate Sunderland's neighbourhood health budget, ensuring resources shift from acute to community settings and deliver measurable improvements in outcomes.
Ensure Sunderland is compliant with new national expectations for data sharing, digital infrastructure and multidisciplinary neighbourhood working.
Lead development of risk based approaches for identifying high priority cohorts and implement plans to reduce nonelective admissions and bed days in line with national goals
Build system-wide capacity to manage operational and tactical clinical commissioning at place-level.
Embed population health management techniques into all transformation programmes to ensure services are designed around actual community needs
Lead high impact engagement with elected members, community leaders, the VCSE sector and local residents.
Champion coproduction approaches, ensuring neighbourhoods shape the services delivered to them.
Represent the partnership as a senior ambassador in external forums, effectively communicating the Sunderland Integrator vision to regional and national stakeholders
Identify and secure local, regional, and national funding bids to support prioritised system-wide transformation
Other duties, specific policies e.g. DBS
The post holder must carry out their duties with full regard to the Councils Equal Opportunities Policy, Code of Conduct and all other Council Policies.
The post holder must comply with the Councils Health and safety rules and regulations and with Health and safety legislation.
The post holder must comply with the principles of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in relation to the management of Council records and information.
To comply with the principles and requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR in relation to the management of Council records and information, and respect the privacy of personal information held by the Council.
Person Specification
Work Related Circumstances/ Values of the Council Essential
Commitment to Equal Opportunities. Compliance with health and safety rules, regulations, and legislation. Ability to comply with the Councils values of We innovate. We enable. We respect.
Qualifications Essential
Masters degree or equivalent executive leadership experience in a health, social care environment Evidence of continuing professional development and advanced leadership training
Experience Essential
Significant experience of working at a very senior leadership level in a multi-professional, multi-agency environment. Substantial experience in driving large-scale transformation and complex change programmes across organisational boundaries Experience in establishing and managing virtual or integrated teams and building a positive performance culture. Experience in managing pooled budgets or formal joint-funding arrangements (e.g., Section 75) Expertise in population health management, outcomes-based commissioning or integrated care. Successful experience in multi-agency partnership working, specifically building productive relationships between the NHS and Local Authorities and wider system partners such as housing and social care providers
Skills, Knowledge, Ability (including ability to develop knowledge, skill or experience) Essential
Knowledge of Sunderlands local health and care economy and the specific challenges outlined in the Healthy City Plan Ability to manage extreme complexity and work with limited direction in new-frontier environments Highly developed interpersonal, influencing and facilitation skills, with the ability to deliver outcomes through influence and negotiation rather than direct line management. Exceptional ability to present well-reasoned arguments and complex information to Boards, staff, and the public. Ability to synthesise complex data into clear, forward-looking strategies Highly skilled in writing high-quality reports and business cases, triangulating financial, workforce, and activity data. Expert knowledge of corporate governance and assurance processes within highly regulated environments. Advanced knowledge of Population Health Management and its application in reducing health inequalities Comprehensive understanding of current and emerging national health and care policy and legislation Understanding of public service reform and local government contexts Ability to work at sub-regional and regional footprint as appropriate Familiarity with the legal frameworks for delegated commissioning
Employer details Employer name Sunderland City Council
Address City Hall
Plater Way
Sunderland
SR1 3AA
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.sunderland.gov.uk (Opens in a new tab)