Job summary
As our Service Manager for the Wellbeing and Recovery College your be an experienced and compassionate leader, who is responsible for the strategic leadership, operational management and ongoing development of the service. You will ensure it delivers high-quality, accessible and impactful wellbeing and recovery education across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
The post holder will lead the future development of the service, its vision, courses, partnerships and reach to meet communities and system priorities. As the manager for the service, you will be responsible for quality assurance, governance, service improvement, workforce leadership, financial management and evaluation of the College. You will champion co-production, recovery-focused practice and continuous improvement, to enable the College to be a central provider of wellbeing and recovery education.
This role is ideal for an experienced leader with expertise in adult education, learning and development, operational management, service development and partnership working, who is passionate about empowering people through learning and improving their mental health and wellbeing.
Main duties of the job
Provide strategic, coordinated and operational leadership for the Wellbeing and Recovery College across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Lead the development and delivery of a high-quality, inclusive and recovery-focused education programme.
Ensure learning opportunities are co-designed, co-delivered and evaluated alongside people with lived experience.
Develop and implement service strategies, objectives and improvement plans aligned to service, Trust and system priorities.
Lead curriculum quality, governance, evaluation and continuous improvement processes.
Manage and develop College and associated staff through compassionate leadership, supervision, appraisal and professional development.
Build and maintain strong partnerships with clinical services, voluntary and community organisations, education providers and system partners.
Analyse and interpret complex data relating to outcomes, participation, inequalities, demand and service impact.
Provide expert guidance to senior leaders regarding operational needs, education and adult learning.
Promote accessibility, inclusion, safeguarding and positive learner experiences across all aspects of delivery.
Represent the College internally and externally, promoting the value and impact of recovery-focused education.
Lead service improvement initiatives.
Support the Trust's wider ambitions around recovery, wellbeing, social inclusion and population health
Details
- Date posted: 02 November 2026
- Closing date: 15 November 2026
- Pay scheme: Agenda for change
- Band: Band 8a
- Salary: £57,528 to £64,750 a year Please note for part time hours the salary will be pro rata
- Contract: Permanent
- Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working
- Reference number: 348-COR-12964
- Job locations: Cromwell House, 15 Andover Road, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 7BT, United Kingdom
Job description
Job responsibilities
Further information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached. It is important to us that we ensure our recruitment processes are accessible and inclusive to everyone - if as a potential candidate you are concerned a person specification may prevent or restrict your application for employment as a result of unintentional barriers on the grounds of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, religion/belief or disability please initially contact the Trust's Recruitment team - detailed in the advert. The Trust will seek to resolve this issue wherever possible.
We are happy to talk Flexible Working - all requests for flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to degree level or equivalent experience in education, learning and development, health, social care, or related field.
- Evidence of ongoing CPD; Specialist post graduate qualification or equivalent experience in healthcare, education or leadership
- Teaching/facilitation qualification (e.g., CertEd/PGCert, or equivalent to demonstrable training/education delivery expertise.
Desirable
- Mental Health First Aider or equivalent experience
- Training in recovery focused practice or co production.
- Masters level qualification
Experience
Essential
- Senior leadership experience managing a service or curriculum.
- Leadership in service or education development, quality assurance and evaluation.
- Experience of leading co-production or meaningful involvement with people with lived experience in the design and delivery of service
- Experience managing teams, budgets and complex operational delivery across multiple sites or workstreams.
- Demonstrable experience improving services using data, feedback and quality improvement methods
- Significant experience designing, delivering and scheduling education or training programmes.
- Knowledge/experience of neurodiversity.
- Experience in developing positive working relationships internally and externally
- Ability to travel across the region.
- Ability to use IT and digital systems including Office 365 skills and Zoom
Desirable
- Experience in mental health recovery, peer workforce development, or community wellbeing education.
- Experience contributing to system-wide education strategies and/or external funding or income generation.
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Acts and leads with professionalism, compassion and person-centredness.
- Authentic commitment to co production and leadership
- Demonstrates a positive attitude in all interactions.
- Provides a supportive, inclusive and respectful environment that feels meaningful, hopeful, and practical
- Visible alignment with Trust values
Desirable
- Offers high quality educational and learning expertise.
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.
About us
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides joined-up mental and physical healthcare for around two million people across our communities. With over 13,000 staff working in the community and local hospitals, we deliver care at every stage of life, helping people live their best and healthiest lives.
Our mental health services include community-based support and early intervention in psychosis (EIP) for both adults and young people, alongside a network of specialist inpatient wards covering forensic, learning disability, eating disorder and older person's care.
We deliver extensive physical health services too, from urgent community response teams helping frail and older patients remain safely at home, to hospitals at home teams providing acute-level care in familiar surroundings. Our neurological services offer rehabilitation and treatment for conditions including Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Motor Neurone Disease, Head Injury, Cerebral Palsy and Stroke. Across Hampshire, our community hospitals provide inpatient rehabilitation as a step down from acute care, and our dedicated teams also staff Treetops Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Portsmouth, offering expert, compassionate support.
Everything we do is underpinned by our CARE values of compassion, accountability, respect and excellence
Employer details
- Employer name: Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Address: Cromwell House, 15 Andover Road, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 7BT, United Kingdom
- Employer's website: https://hiowhealthcare.nhs.uk/