Women's Aid Federation of England
20/07/2026
Full time
Workforce Development Lead Job Title: Workforce Development Lead Reporting to: Programme Manager Salary: £38,615 - £40,234 Service: Enhanced Mental Health Pathfinders Alliance Location: Hybrid - Home/various London sites Hours: 35 hrs/week Contract: Fixed-term 2 years This job description may change to reflect changing requirements of the role About the Enhanced Mental Health Pathfinders (EMHP) Alliance The Enhanced Mental Health Pathfinders Alliance is a five year, NHS England (London) funded partnership designed to improve care for adult victims and survivors of sexual assault and abuse who have multiple, complex trauma related mental health needs. The Alliance brings together six core partners; Ashiana, Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, Pan London Sexual Violence Alliance, Respond, Solace and The Survivors Trust. By combining diverse expertise and shared values, the Alliance will: Strengthen collaboration between statutory and voluntary sector services Improve identification of complex trauma needsDevelop sustainable, trauma informed pathways across London This role offers a unique opportunity to play a central role in implementing this pioneering work, contributing to a rare opportunity to shape a pan London, system wide model that centres survivor voice, equity and long term recovery The Role The Workforce Development Lead will lead the design, delivery and coordination of workforce development activity for the London Enhanced Mental Health Pathfinder (EMHP), ensuring a skilled, trauma informed and collaborative workforce across the alliance. The role is responsible for undertaking a training needs audit, designing and coordinating workforce training and development, and developing a monitoring framework to measure the effectiveness of the programme, in line with NHS contract and safeguarding requirements. Key Responsibilities Workforce Training Audit & Needs Analysis Lead a comprehensive workforce training audit across alliance partners and relevant stakeholders, including through EMHP stakeholder forums, to identify skills gaps, development needs and priority areas. Analyse workforce capability in relation to trauma informed practice, safeguarding, mental capacity and liberty protection comprehension, equality and access, intersectionality and specialist support for survivors of sexual violence with complex mental health needs. Produce clear findings and recommendations to inform training priorities and workforce development plans. Work alongside Women and Girls Network to embed lived experience expertise within the audit process, including co designing lines of enquiry, sense checking emerging findings, and ensuring survivor voice informs the identification of workforce training needs and service gaps. Training Design & Workforce Development Design a coordinated workforce development programme and competency framework, responding to audit findings and aligning with EMHP service aims and NHS standards, including a champions programme. Trauma informed practice Safeguarding adults and children Multi agency working and referral pathways Meeting the intersectional needs of survivors of sexual violence with complex mental health needs. Work with partner organisations to ensure training is accessible, inclusive and consistent across the alliance. Facilitate skills and training exchanges across alliance partners, statutory partners and VCSE partners. Embed continuous learning and improvement principles into workforce development activity. Monitoring framework development Develop and maintain a monitoring and evaluation framework for learning and development. Monitor participation and engagement: Track attendance, completion rates, learner feedback, and assessment results to measure uptake, learner satisfaction, and knowledge acquisition across all training modules. Evaluate impact and outcomes: Use pre- and post training assessments, competency reviews, supervision feedback, and service quality indicators to assess whether learning is translating into improved practice, increased confidence, and better outcomes for survivors and service users. Alliance & Partnership Working Work collaboratively with Alliance Members, the Programme Manager and Alliance Director to support system wide workforce development. Contribute to the development of Alliance protocols, learning standards and shared tools. Support effective coordination between mental health and specialist sexual violence services. Governance, Safeguarding & Compliance Ensure workforce development activity aligns with: NHS safeguarding requirements Trauma informed care principles Relevant legislative frameworks (including the Mental Capacity Act) Maintain awareness of contractual, regulatory and quality requirements relevant to workforce development. Escalate workforce related risks or concerns appropriately through agreed governance structures. Reporting & Assurance Provide regular progress updates and reports in line with contract management and reporting requirements. Contribute workforce related information to monthly and quarterly reports as required. Support preparation for audits, reviews and commissioner assurance processes. Skills, Knowledge & Experience Essential Significant experience in workforce development, learning and organisational development in health, social care or the voluntary sector. Demonstrable experience of conducting training needs analyses or workforce audits. Strong understanding of trauma informed practice and safeguarding frameworks. Experience of multi agency or partnership working. Excellent facilitation, communication and stakeholder engagement skills. Ability to manage complex projects and deliver to contractual deadlines. Desirable Experience working with or alongside NHS commissioned services. Knowledge of mental health services and/or support for survivors of sexual violence and abuse. Experience of Alliance or network based delivery models. Accountability & Working Relationships Accountable to: Programme Manager (and Alliance Leadership Team) Key relationships: Alliance partners, training providers, commissioners and sector stakeholders Values The post holder will work in line with organisational values, demonstrating commitment to trauma informed, survivor centred and inclusive practice, and to collaborative system leadership. Alliance Partnership Principles All EMHP Alliance Members commit to: Promoting equity of voice and influence between NHS and voluntary sector partners. Sharing responsibility for delivery, risk and outcomes. Fostering collaborative, non hierarchical approaches to service design and improvement. Ensuring transparent communication, open book decision making and joint planning. Embedding survivor voice and lived experience representation within governance structures.