Head of Suicide Prevention
London (with agile working options)

We’re Rethink Mental Illness, a leading charity provider of mental health services in England. We support thousands of people through our groups, services, policy, campaigns and advice and information. Our work supports us in delivering on our mission: “A better life for everyone severely affected by mental illness.”

We are recruiting for someone to join us as Head of Suicide Prevention, on a permanent basis, based within London with agile working.

We welcome applications from everyone, applicants with lived experience, those who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning+ (LGBTQ+), people with a disability, and/or those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds are actively encouraged to apply. We are proud to have also been awarded Disability Confident employer status.

Rethink Mental Illness’ new Community Mental Health Unit was set up in January 2021. It has received grant funding for three years to setup new place-based alliances in England, to connect to the transformation monies released by the NHS plan. This follows policy work, including our report Building Communities that Care and our continuing delivery of the pilot for the Community Mental Health Framework in Somerset. Both our policy work and our delivery has been enormously influential with the NHS.

The entrepreneurial unit has been successful in being awarded a contract to take forward an exciting major programme on suicide prevention in Northwest London. This is a project that has co-production at its heart and will involve collaboration across NHS, local authorities, VCS, grassroots organisations and wider to reach the most vulnerable in society as well as providing bereavement support to those affected by suicide.

What will you be doing?

This role will support joint working with system partners across the CCG, Local Authorities and NHS Trusts to develop a strategic multi-agency plan and align development, co-ordination and oversight of suicide prevention initiatives across NW London. The Programme Lead shall:

- Establish programme governance, including a NW London Suicide Prevention Network to bring together commissioners, service leads, clinicians, and people with lived experience – with representation for healthcare, local authorities, public health, voluntary sector organisations, and community groups – to support strategic planning and delivery of suicide prevention initiatives
- Co-ordinate and develop co-production opportunities with identified service users in high-risk groups, mental health providers, and other local voluntary sector and independent sector organisations
- Lead and co-ordinate strategic planning work with system partners to map current and emerging needs and provision, to identify gaps and inform future priorities for targeted resources.
- I will develop a comprehensive and cohesive plan for the transition period which is consistent with the overall project timetable and identifies risks, issues and dependencies
- Responsible for the planning and organisation of numerous events/meetings
- Budget holder for project, budget setting with the AD of programme innovation
- I can set up evaluation programmes that measure outcomes and processes such as alliance building
- I pay particular attention to building and maintaining smaller organisations and non-mental health charities
- I work out ways to engage other sectors in the local area in alliance working including community groups and employers

Do you have what we are looking for?

- I have knowledge and experience in suicide prevention, including an understanding of risk and protective factors and social determinants and I am familiar with the National Suicide Prevention Strategy and National Suicide Prevention Alliance/PHE suite of guidance
- I have a deep understanding of inequalities and understand the need to reach out to underserved communities, including people with protected characteristics and vulnerable or ‘inclusion health’ groups
- I put co-production at the heart of what I do, working closely with the co-production team at Rethink Mental Illness and with experts by experience
- I have experience in starting new projects at pace, including setting up governance and sustainability arrangements, procurement, project management processes and comms and engagements plans
- I can show an understanding of the background to and aims of current healthcare policy in London and appreciate the implications of this on engagement
- I have the intellectual rigor and professional background to set up strategic multi agency partnerships and deliver projects to reduce suicide, I can demonstrate my capability to plan and to deliver
- Previously responsible for a budget, involved in budget setting and working knowledge of financial processes
- Above all, I am ambitious to seize the moment to take my own expertise as well as that of Rethink to work across North West London to improve people’s lives and wellbeing and reduce suicide.

What will you receive?

You will have plenty of opportunities to enhance your skills with the chance to make a real difference every day. In addition, you will have excellent development opportunities including funded training, career development and a range e-learning courses. You will also receive:

- Salary of £48,638.51 to £53,794.00 (inc. London Weighting)
- Contributory pension scheme
- Life assurance and employee assistance programme
- 25 days annual leave rising to 30 days plus bank holidays
- Your "Rethink Day" - one day’s additional leave (pro rata) on your birthday
- Eyecare vouchers
- Flexible working

So, if you’re seeking your next challenge as a Head of Suicide Prevention, please apply via the button shown. This vacancy is being advertised by Webrecruit. The services advertised by Webrecruit are those of an Employment Agency.