Job Description

ID 2725

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The Welsh Government operates name-free recruitment. The recruiting panel will not see personal information such as a candidate's name and address during the sifting process. This policy is in line with our commitment to end bias and promote equality and diversity.
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Vacancy details

Vacancy title
Chief Allied Health Professions Officer Wales


Closing date
20/06/2025, 16:00


Advertising basis
Loan, Permanent, Secondment
Actual starting salary
A starting salary between 73,978 and 84,882 will be offered to the successful candidate based on their skills, knowledge, experience and performance at interview. This range is not negotiable. Secondees will remain on the pay, terms and conditions of their home organisation.
Salary range or pay band
Grade 6 73,978 to 84,882
Allowances
No
Work pattern
Full time (applications are welcome from people who work part time, as part of a job share or who work full time)
Group
Health, Social Care and Early Years
Directorate
Primary Care, Mental Health and Early Years
Branch
Primary and Community Care
Location (s)
Cardiff, Pan Wales
Main office base
Cathays, Cardiff
Purpose of post
The role of the Chief Allied Health Professions Officer (CAHPO) is a key professional role within the Health, Social Care and Early Years Group (HSCEY) ensuring senior leaders and Welsh Ministers receive appropriate, timely, high quality and professional advice in respect of the Allied Health Professions (AHPs).


Accountable to the Director of Primary Care, Mental Health and Early Years, you will work alongside other professional advisors and with senior leaders including the Director General for Health, Social Care and Early Years and Chief Executive of NHS Wales and the Chief Social Care Officer for Wales to deliver improvements to health and care services in Wales.


As a HCPC registrant in one of the 13 professions identified as AHPs in the AHP Framework for Wales, you will have a demonstrable breadth of knowledge and experience, sufficient profile and experience to lead your peers and engage effectively with the wider AHP community in delivering Government ambitions.


As Head of Profession for AHPs in Wales you will work across the health system, and with local authorities, and others (e.g., housing and education) and oversee the strategic direction and leadership of the AHP professions that are regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) together with associated staff groups and support workers.


These professions are: art therapy, music therapy, dramatherapy, dietetics, podiatry, physiotherapy, prosthetics, orthotics, occupational therapy, orthoptics, paramedic, psychology or speech and language therapy.





Key tasks
Provide expert professional advice on strategic and policy direction and development, professional practice and operational issues to drive increased access to AHP expertise in the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation and recovery from conditions. Provide senior leaders and Welsh Ministers with appropriate, timely, high quality and professional advice in respect of the Allied Health Professions (AHPs). Promote continued cost-effective development and transformation of services within the complex, dynamic and changing health and care environment. Professional responsibility for 13 professions, and relevant National Clinical Leads. Act as the principal source of expert professional advice and leadership for all aspects of AHP policy, education, research and practice. Raise the profile of AHPs and provide high quality advice that supports policy development that maximises the contributions of the AHP workforce, working across boundaries with other groups to deliver Welsh Government's wider objectives - e.g., preventing ill-health, improving long-term health outcomes. Champion and represent the profession and service within, and beyond, Wales. Maintain an equitable and effective representation of each of the professions' value and impact in improving health outcomes for the population of Wales. Maintain strong leadership and support of Executive Directors of AHPs and Healthcare Sciences (DAHPHS). Drive prioritisation of service re-design and workforce to improve prevention, tackle inequalities, stigma and improve responsiveness and access to AHPs. Build and maintain effective networks and relationships UK Heads of Profession for AHPs and across the system and professions beyond CAHPOs own. Strong leadership across the 4 UK nations and working with counterparts in other nations to drive forward the ambitions and vision of AHP services. Develop and maintain strategic relationships with key stakeholders and delivery partners including Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW), Health Education Improvement Wales (HEIW), Social Care Wales, NHS Wales Executive and wider NHS in Wales, professional bodies, statutory regulators, academia, industry and wider government administrations. Strategic oversight, direction and leadership of delivering 'The AHP Framework for Wales: Looking Forward Together (2019)' framework. Work with workforce policy colleagues in Welsh Government, Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) and Social Care Wales to secure and grow sufficient and effective undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing education and training opportunities for the AHPs in Wales. Support policy officials to shape the AHP research agenda and stimulate the generation, translation and dissemination of this knowledge to the relevant stakeholders in Wales and across the rest of the UK. Advise on all statutory duties for those areas of health and social care policy relevant to the 13 separate AHPs to enable the optimal use of their skills and ensure high compliance with quality and patient safety standards. Work with the Welsh AHP Advisory Committee, AHP Network, AHP professional bodies, leaders and experts in each of the professions to secure quality assured sources of advice to underpin professional advice on innovative AHP practise and the potential impact on public health, the NHS and social care. Support the development of systems which maximise the potential benefits of new technologies and to promote evidence-based practice and high-quality research activity among allied health professionals for service quality improvement and innovation adoption for person centred care. Develop and support the effective use of resources and Value Based health and care principles within the allied health professions and facilitate the continuing professional development, research and evaluation to improve clinical effectiveness and outcome. Provide authoritative advice on human resources issues within the allied health professions in Wales in terms of workload, planning, training and continued professional development.

Development opportunities
The post offers the opportunity to work at the heart of government and be part of improving and transforming health and care services. In particular, the role offers the potential to lead the modernisation, transformation and improvement of AHP practice to deliver better outcomes for the population.
Other vacancy related information
A reserve list may be held for this opportunity. Any candidate who is successful in being offered a reserve status, will remain on the reserve list for 12 months. Candidates invited to interview will be required to participate in a Staff Engagement Exercise. This exercise gives you the opportunity to present your experience, ideas and views on effective leadership for this role. You will meet with a group of staff via Microsoft Teams who may be future team members, peers, colleagues or stakeholders. More information will be provided in the invitations to that stage. A presentation/ test on 'seeing the big picture'will be required at interview stage (Stage 2) More information will be provided in the invitations to that stage. Applicants for this post will be required to demonstrate, via their CV, and through evidence at onboarding stage, that they meet the following criteria: + Registration in one of the HCPC allied health professions recognised in the AHP Framework for Wales. (art therapy, music therapy, dramatherapy, dietetics, podiatry, physiotherapy, prosthetics, orthotics, occupational therapy, orthoptics, paramedic, psychology or speech and language therapy)
+ Relevant postgraduate education or equivalent experience
+ Demonstrable experience of contribution to the allied health professions at a strategic national or international level.

Pan Wales though regular attendance at a Welsh Government office, primarily in Cardiff, will be required.



Vetting level
Basic
Number of posts
1
Contact point for further information regarding the post
hss.primarycare.directorsoffice.corporate@gov.wales