Service Director – Children & Specialist Services

About youService Director who will not simply inherit these strengths but actively advance them working with Clinical Directors to deepen co-production practice, embed QI as the way Specialist Services solves problems, and protect and grow a working culture where staff feel genuinely cared for, so that they can extend that same care to the people we serve. You'll bring senior leadership experience in a large, complex, multi-disciplinary organisation, with a track record of delivering major service change and managing substantial budgets. You'll understand the statutory landscape around mental health, children's services, and drug and alcohol treatment, and you'll know how to build the kind of partnerships that make integrated care a reality rather than an aspiration. Just as importantly, you'll lead with integrity and relational skill. You'll be someone who can hold a room in a system partnership meeting and also sit with a Directorate team going through a difficult change with the same authenticity in both. You'll have a genuine, demonstrable commitment to equity, particularly for communities who have historically been underserved or over-represented in these services, and you'll understand that inclusive leadership is something you practise daily, not something you announce. If you're looking for a substantive Service Director role that will stretch and prepare you for further senior leadership, I would love to hear from you. Why ELFT ELFT is one of the country's leading mental health and community trusts, known for our quality improvement culture, our commitment to equity, and our belief that leadership is best done in genuine partnership with the people who use our services. We invest in our leaders through coaching, structured development programmes, and a culture that values honest reflection over performative confidence. For an informal discussion about the role, please contactEdwinNdlovuChief Operating Officer and Deputy CEO. Closing date: 5 August 2026, Interview date: 27 August 2026 Job description Job responsibilities About youService Director who will not simply inherit these strengths but actively advance them working with Clinical Directors to deepen co-production practice, embed QI as the way Specialist Services solves problems, and protect and grow a working culture where staff feel genuinely cared for, so that they can extend that same care to the people we serve. You'll bring senior leadership experience in a large, complex, multi-disciplinary organisation, with a track record of delivering major service change and managing substantial budgets. You'll understand the statutory landscape around mental health, children's services, and drug and alcohol treatment, and you'll know how to build the kind of partnerships that make integrated care a reality rather than an aspiration. Just as importantly, you'll lead with integrity and relational skill. You'll be someone who can hold a room in a system partnership meeting and also sit with a Directorate team going through a difficult change with the same authenticity in both. You'll have a genuine, demonstrable commitment to equity, particularly for communities who have historically been underserved or over-represented in these services, and you'll understand that inclusive leadership is something you practise daily, not something you announce. If you're looking for a substantive Service Director role that will stretch and prepare you for further senior leadership, I would love to hear from you. Why ELFT ELFT is one of the country's leading mental health and community trusts, known for our quality improvement culture, our commitment to equity, and our belief that leadership is best done in genuine partnership with the people who use our services. We invest in our leaders through coaching, structured development programmes, and a culture that values honest reflection over performative confidence. For an informal discussion about the role, please contactEdwinNdlovuChief Operating Officer and Deputy CEO. Closing date: 5 August 2026, Interview date: 27 August 2026