Job Description

Job Title:

Service Development Lead

Reporting to:

Head of Neurodevelopment Service

Hours:

Full Time - Fixed term- 9 months

Start date-

January 2026

First stage interviews to be held on 3rd October. Second stage interviews will be held on 8th October 2025.

The Oakdale Group

Oakdale was established twenty-five years ago and is highly regarded as a professional therapy provider. We are a community-based organisation and our team is united by a commitment to provide flexible, bespoke, evidence-based and high quality clinical services. Our services are designed to meet the individual needs of our clients as well as the requirements of commissioners for a collaborative service provided by a multidisciplinary team of skilled and experienced clinicians.
Oakdale provides a number of services including Interventions for families where there is an adopted, fostered or SGO child, Neuro Developmental Assessments and support, ADHD medication service, Building Underdeveloped Sensorimotor Systems (BUSS) for children who have experienced developmental trauma, Psychotherapy in Schools, Independent Psychology and Psychotherapy Services, Improving Access to Psychological Therapy (IAPT) Services and Specialist Psychological Therapy and Trauma Services for NHS staff. Most of our services are commissioned by the NHS or Local Authorities.
Oakdale has Clinical Centres in Horsforth and Farsley in Leeds, in Harrogate and in Halifax and also delivers services from consulting rooms in York, Selby and Skipton. Most of Oakdale's services are currently delivered in the North of England, although some are now provided nationwide using online platforms.
Oakdale's outstanding multidisciplinary clinical team consistently receives excellent feedback from clients and commissioners. Oakdale values its clinical and administrative teams and strives to ensure that both our clients and our colleagues are at the heart of all that we do. Oakdale's approach is collaborative, reflective and transparent. We seek to work in partnership with clients and commissioners to achieve excellent clinical results and have in place a commitment to measuring outcomes, seeking feedback from all stakeholders, providing good value services and having in place processes for continuous improvement.

Oakdale's Neurodevelopment Service

This service was developed in response to a demand in North, South and West Yorkshire and the Humber, initially for private paying clients and subsequently contracted work from the NHS to help with waiting lists. The majority of Oakdale's assessment work is now commissioned by the NHS via ICB contracts or provided as part of the NHS Choice Agenda.
The service has grown significantly year on year and Oakdale now has a team of administrators and clinicians, some are employed and many work on a sessional basis. Oakdale has become a respected provider in this field and is well regarded for providing an ethical service in the best interest of both clients and commissioners.
We are aware that demand for neurodevelopmental assessments is high nationwide and that people seeking to access NHS diagnostic services face prohibitively long waits in many localities. The advent of the NHS Right to Choose Agenda (which entitles people to select any NHS Commissioned provider of their choice for Neurodevelopmental assessments, irrespective of whether or not they are their locally commissioned provider) has created a fresh opportunity for Oakdale to grow to help meet their needs. It is envisaged that the post holder will help design and implement Oakdale's strategy for expanding our Neurodevelopmental services into new localities in a planned, sustainable way.

ROLE

To lead and deliver a variety of service development projects within Oakdale, initially predominantly within the Neurodevelopmental Service. The role involves overseeing the full service development project lifecycle from initiation to completion, ensuring that service development projects are delivered on time, within scope, and to budget. You will work closely with clinical and non-clinical teams, as well as key stakeholders across Oakdale Group, to improve service delivery, efficiency, and client outcomes.
We are looking for someone who can successfully lead service development initiatives and projects, organise a number of workstreams across a distributed leadership team, ensuring key project milestones and deliverables are achieved on time and in budget. They will actively lead the coordination of project workstreams and produce reports for senior leaders to evidence progress. The Service Development Lead will have experience of service development, quality improvement and project management, preferably in a healthcare setting, ensuring that all relevant activities are carried out in a timely manner and to the standards required.


The opportunity would suit an organised professional with experience of project managing health service developments from conception to delivery. Management and clinical experience within healthcare services and an interest in developing and delivering clinical services within the neurodevelopmental field would be an advantage. Commitment to working flexibly within a mutually supportive team is essential.

SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES

The post holder will contribute towards the growth and positive reputation of Oakdale, its success and development, and most importantly the positive experience of our clients whilst ensuring that services are developed in line with national and local best practice to ensure positive outcomes.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Service DevelopmentLead the planning, execution, and closing of service development and transformation projects, ensuring alignment with the divisional strategy and Oakdale Group, beginning with a divisional portfolio. In line with divisional and organisational strategy, plan and action a strategic approach to service transformation, implementing relevant best practice into service development and transformation work streams. Lead on specific development projects, workstreams and organisational change initiatives to support the delivery of identified objectives, including project planning, identifying key stakeholders, resource implications, potential benefits and achievement of relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Hold day-to-day lead responsibility for the implementation, development and coordination of agreed service development and transformation workstreams. Work closely with clinical leadership, ensuring all elements of implementation of service developments are undertaken and delivered to ensure high standards of clinical care. Work closely with relevant internal stakeholders, including administrative and infrastructure departments to ensure reporting, finance, contracting, workforce and engagement plans are fully implemented. Represent Oakdale at core meetings relating to strategy, development and performance, both internally and externally. Use the Oakdale Case Management system and MI data to monitor and evaluate service quality and delivery against identified KPI's. Collaboratively contribute to the leadership of the Neurodevelopmental Service senior leadership team, collectively ensuring delivery of a high quality, effective and efficient value for money neurodevelopmental assessment and treatment services via appropriate organisational structures and resources. Support with drafting, collating and producing tender copy for such opportunities and coordinating Oakdale's bids Ensure that client experience remains key and central to any projects and developments. Develop detailed project plans, risk assessments, and stakeholder communication plans. Support project teams, which may include clinicians, administrators, IT specialists, and external contractors, ensuring effective collaboration and communication. Define and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and project milestones for service development initiatives. Track progress, manage risks and issues, and take corrective action when necessary. Prepare and present regular service development project reports for senior management and stakeholders. Ensure all service development activities comply with Oakdale policies, governance frameworks and quality standards. Facilitate workshops, meetings and training sessions as required. Support continuous improvement initiatives within the organisation, using project outcomes to drive operational enhancements.


Right to choose developmentLiaise with administrators to support them to manage queries and clarifications about Right to Choose referrals. Ensure cohesive information flow between Oakdale's Neurodevelopmental service and commissioners and clients, including by taking on responsibility for regularly updating Oakdale's web site, external online directories and social media accounts with appropriate information about service waiting times and access protocols. Ensure Oakdale's systems and processes are fit for purpose when it comes to receiving and processing Right to Choose referrals and monitoring and reporting on their process and outcomes. Collaborate on and quality check service reports (showing agreed service level and clinical quality metrics) and, coordinating with the Head of Service, to share these with NHS commissioners as appropriate. Establish and maintain good relationships with the relevant NHS, ICB commissioners and other finance and procurement officers as needed to discharge this function and keep Oakdale positioned as a provider of choice.


GeneralKeep up to date with developments in the field and best practice in order to contribute to continuous improvement processes. To contribute to the leadership of the Neurodevelopmental service; ensuring all operational processes are efficient and effective taking into account relevant legislation and clinical guidance, and that cases are well managed and receive appropriate care through a collaborative working model with other members of the Oakdale Senior Leadership Team. Provide leadership for the service and all team members by espousing Oakdale's values and building a service that everyone is proud to be a part of. Comply with Oakdale's policies and procedures, paying particular attention to risk and safeguarding.

First stage interviews to be held on 3rd October. Second stage interviews will be held on 8th October 2025.

Advert closing date: 24th September 2025.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Qualifications/Training

Educated to degree level

Knowledge

Understanding of the field of neurodevelopmental assessments and support Knowledge of NHS Commissioning structures, contracting conventions, and the NHS Right to Choose agenda in particular Knowledge of working in multidisciplinary teams Knowledge about management information including KPIs to measure service outputs and manage against agreed performance targets

Experience & Skills

Having a genuine passion for supporting people to improve their lives Senior level experience, and comfortable managing relationships with senior commissioners and key clients Leadership skills and experience including team management/ line management/ consultation/ quality assurance/ training/ strategic development and building external stakeholder relationships Ability and experience in positively influencing, developing and guiding clinicians and teams to achieve agreed outputs Ability to influence individuals and teams to achieve the best outcomes Experience in designing and developing teams to meet the requirements of the service Experience in defining operational processes / writing procedure documents, business cases and proposals A commitment to ethical practice and adherence to the highest standards of safeguarding for children, young people and adults Ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team Having a naturally collaborative style and being a team player in order to genuinely support the delivery of high quality clinical service that you and your team can be proud of Good communication skills, being able to communicate well at all levels and build effective relationships with all stakeholders Experience providing professional staff appraisals and annual performance reviews Computer literacy (e.g. Google Workspace and database applications) Organisational skills to deliver agreed outputs and meet deadlines Excellent written and verbal presentation skills Excellent time management skills and ability to prioritise * Wish to be part of the senior leadership team in a growing, dynamic and responsive service where you can influence development and strategy as well as contributing to the success of the area under your responsibility.