Job Description

Join a system-transforming leadership role driving better care for our communities.
We are seeking an ambitious, values-driven leader to take on a critical role in transforming integrated discharge planning across the London Boroughs of Bexley and Greenwich.
As Transformation Lead for the Bexley and Greenwich System Transfer of Care Hub, you will provide strategic and operational leadership in building and embedding a fully integrated, multi-agency discharge function. Working across NHS, Local Authority, and voluntary sectors, you will ensure people return home promptly, safely, and with the right support - in line with Home First and Discharge to Assess principles.
Main duties of the job
This is a high-profile system leadership role. You'll:

• Lead the transformation and daily operations of the integrated Transfer of Care Hub (ToCH) for Bexley and Greenwich
• Drive collaborative working between health, social care, community and VCSE partners
• Improve patient outcomes by reducing discharge delays and ensuring pathway equity
• Develop workforce capabilities, operational resilience, and performance accountability
• Use live data and system metrics to drive change and service improvement
• Represent the system at escalation meetings, incident responses, and strategic forums

About us
Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes.We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.
Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

• We're Kind
• We're Fair
• We Listen
• We Care

Details
Date posted
15 August 2025
Pay scheme
Agenda for change
Band
Band 8c
Salary
82,906 to 94,632 a year pa inc
Contract
Fixed term
Duration
12 months
Working pattern
Full-time
Reference number
277-739407-CPH
Job locations
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Stadium Road
Woolwich
SE18 4QH
Job description
Job responsibilities
Were seeking a strong and emotionally intelligent leader with:

• Senior experience in integrated discharge and flow across NHS and/or social care
• Deep knowledge of national discharge guidance, pathways (P1-P3), and performance metrics
• Ability to influence at all levels and work across organisational boundaries
• Skills in stakeholder engagement, complex case management, and team development
• Operational experience managing system flow, surge response and risk governance

You may be a registered professional (e.g. RN, OT, SW), or bring extensive senior operational experience within discharge or transformation programmes. Job description
Job responsibilities
Were seeking a strong and emotionally intelligent leader with:

• Senior experience in integrated discharge and flow across NHS and/or social care
• Deep knowledge of national discharge guidance, pathways (P1-P3), and performance metrics
• Ability to influence at all levels and work across organisational boundaries
• Skills in stakeholder engagement, complex case management, and team development
• Operational experience managing system flow, surge response and risk governance

You may be a registered professional (e.g. RN, OT, SW), or bring extensive senior operational experience within discharge or transformation programmes.
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential

• Master's degree in health, social care, or management (or working towards with substantial equivalent experience)
• Registered professional in health or social care (e.g. RN, OT, PT, SW) OR extensive operational leadership experience in discharge/flow

Experience
Essential

• Senior leadership experience within an integrated health/social care discharge setting
• Leading multidisciplinary teams and influencing matrixed staff across organisations
• Delivering performance improvement through use of live data dashboards and daily metrics
• Experience in managing budgets or influencing discharge-related commissioning decisions

Desirable

• Proven experience of service transformation or implementation of a Transfer of Care Hub or equivalent
• Experience managing system flow, operational escalation, and discharge surge responses
• Working with political, clinical, and commissioning partners across systems
• Experience in complex case resolution, safeguarding, and Choice Policy implementation

Skills/Abilities/Knowledge
Essential

• Deep understanding of NHS discharge pathways, Home First, Discharge to Assess (D2A), and Criteria to Reside
• Familiarity with borough-based commissioning and place-based working
• Knowledge of system dashboards (e.g. UEC), NHSE SITREP reporting, and discharge performance metrics
• Awareness of challenges in community capacity, dementia pathways, and reablement variation
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including ability to convey complex information to varied audiences
• Strong interpersonal skills to lead, influence and negotiate with senior stakeholders across organisational boundaries
• Demonstrated ability to manage high-pressure, politically sensitive and emotionally challenging situations
• Ability to analyse and interpret quantitative and qualitative data to drive performance and service improvement
• Skilled in chairing high-level, multi-agency meetings and managing strategic decision-making forums
• Capable of leading change in large, cross-sector programmes while engaging frontline staff and executive stakeholders
• High level of political astuteness, strategic vision and system leadership
• Competent in the use of discharge planning tools, data dashboards, electronic patient records, and MS Office tools (Excel, PowerPoint, Teams)
• Project planning, risk management, and escalation pathway development

Desirable

• Strong knowledge of statutory duties under the Care Act, Mental Capacity Act, and NHS Discharge Guidance

Effort and Environment
Essential

• Commitment to patient-centred care and delivery of 'Home First' principles
• Emotionally resilient, calm under pressure, and able to navigate organisational complexity
• Collaborative and inclusive leadership style; values-driven
• Commitment to health equity and ensuring discharge models are accessible, culturally competent, and fair
• Able to maintain professionalism and diplomacy when managing inter-agency conflict or disagreement
• Confidence to make autonomous decisions on behalf of the system with delegated authority

Other Requirements
Essential

• Willingness to work flexibly across sites, including occasional weekends or bank holidays during periods of operational pressure
• Ability to travel across multiple sites within the South East London system if required

Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential

• Master's degree in health, social care, or management (or working towards with substantial equivalent experience)
• Registered professional in health or social care (e.g. RN, OT, PT, SW) OR extensive operational leadership experience in discharge/flow

Experience
Essential

• Senior leadership experience within an integrated health/social care discharge setting
• Leading multidisciplinary teams and influencing matrixed staff across organisations
• Delivering performance improvement through use of live data dashboards and daily metrics
• Experience in managing budgets or influencing discharge-related commissioning decisions

Desirable

• Proven experience of service transformation or implementation of a Transfer of Care Hub or equivalent
• Experience managing system flow, operational escalation, and discharge surge responses
• Working with political, clinical, and commissioning partners across systems
• Experience in complex case resolution, safeguarding, and Choice Policy implementation

Skills/Abilities/Knowledge
Essential

• Deep understanding of NHS discharge pathways, Home First, Discharge to Assess (D2A), and Criteria to Reside
• Familiarity with borough-based commissioning and place-based working
• Knowledge of system dashboards (e.g. UEC), NHSE SITREP reporting, and discharge performance metrics
• Awareness of challenges in community capacity, dementia pathways, and reablement variation
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including ability to convey complex information to varied audiences
• Strong interpersonal skills to lead, influence and negotiate with senior stakeholders across organisational boundaries
• Demonstrated ability to manage high-pressure, politically sensitive and emotionally challenging situations
• Ability to analyse and interpret quantitative and qualitative data to drive performance and service improvement
• Skilled in chairing high-level, multi-agency meetings and managing strategic decision-making forums
• Capable of leading change in large, cross-sector programmes while engaging frontline staff and executive stakeholders
• High level of political astuteness, strategic vision and system leadership
• Competent in the use of discharge planning tools, data dashboards, electronic patient records, and MS Office tools (Excel, PowerPoint, Teams)
• Project planning, risk management, and escalation pathway development

Desirable

• Strong knowledge of statutory duties under the Care Act, Mental Capacity Act, and NHS Discharge Guidance

Effort and Environment
Essential

• Commitment to patient-centred care and delivery of 'Home First' principles
• Emotionally resilient, calm under pressure, and able to navigate organisational complexity
• Collaborative and inclusive leadership style; values-driven
• Commitment to health equity and ensuring discharge models are accessible, culturally competent, and fair
• Able to maintain professionalism and diplomacy when managing inter-agency conflict or disagreement
• Confidence to make autonomous decisions on behalf of the system with delegated authority

Other Requirements
Essential

• Willingness to work flexibly across sites, including occasional weekends or bank holidays during periods of operational pressure
• Ability to travel across multiple sites within the South East London system if required