Director of Clinical Insights and Development

JOB TITLE: DIRECTOR OF CLINICAL INSIGHTS AND DEVELOPMENT (Fixed term - initial 18 month contract)

("Securing tomorrow's income")

Grief Encounter was set up in December 2003 to ensure that bereaved children and their families receive the best possible support following the death of a parent, sibling and someone close. We deliver both local and national bereavement services. Please see our website for further information:

LOCATION: Mill Hill Broadway, London NW7 4ST

(Visits to our Bristol office will be required)

CONTRACTED HOURS: 40 hours a week (inclusive of one hour paid meal break daily), 5 days a week. (part time minimum 4 days pw considered)

RESPONSIBLE TO: Chief Executive

WORKING IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH: Director of Income Generation and Growth; Director of Clinical Operations

RESPONSIBLE FOR: Matrix management of a small team of staff with roles focussing on participation, clinical partnerships, innovation and impact

Our Vision: A world where no child grieves alone.

Our Mission: To help bereaved children, young people and their families find hope and healing.

Our Values: are very important to us and as a member of the Grief Encounter team, you will be expected to uphold these in your day to day work:

• Compassion We lead with empathy and kindness, putting people first
• Excellence We deliver the highest quality and make a meaningful difference Integrity We act honestly, ethically, and witj courage and dignity

PURPOSE OF ROLE:

• To grow, diversify, and future-proof income through innovation, partnerships and system influence in the bereavement sector and beyond.

• To lead the development of innovative, evidence-informed clinical services that expand the charity's reach and impact for bereaved children and families.

• To drive future income generation from clinical initiatives, ensuring all development work reflects the organisation's values of Compassion, Excellence and Integrity and is grounded in ethical, professional and bereavement care standards.

• To ensure that all funded clinical services are delivered to a high standard, achieving both impact and income objectives.

• To ensure children and young people's voices are reflected in the services we provide.

The Director will:

• Lead with Compassion: creating environments where children, families, and staff feel seen, heard, and respected.

• Act with Integrity: ensuring transparency, accountability and ethical decision-making in all aspects of service delivery.

• Strive for Excellence: embedding continuous improvement, evidence-informed practice, and high professional standards.

• Act as an ambassador for the Charity, influencing policy, lobbying and building external partnerships.

They will actively promote:

• A culture of dignity and respect at work, where all staff feel psychologically safe and valued.

• Adherence to relevant professional codes of conduct (e.g. clinical, therapeutic, safeguarding).

• Delivery in line with recognised bereavement care standards and best practice.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic and Values-based Leadership:

• Co-leads clinical services in a way that consistently reflects our organisational values.

• Ensures services are designed and delivered with compassion, equity, and inclusion at their core.

• Contributes to organisational strategy as a senior leader.

Service Delivery & Performance:

Working closely with the Director of Clinical Operations:

• Ensures all services are delivered safely, effectively, and in line with contractual and income expectations.

• Maintains a strong focus on access, timeliness, and quality of care.

• Ensures services respond sensitively to the needs of bereaved children and families.

• Develops processes and mechanisms to strengthen the participation of children and young people in the development of our services. Ensures the voices and stories of beneficiaries are heard and inform our practice at all levels.

Innovation & Influence:

• Leads new service design and promotes innovation.

• Creates pilot programmes and scalable models.

• Forms strategic partnerships (NHS, schools, local authorities).

• Demonstrates thought leadership by participation in sector debate, system influence, advocacy and lobbying.

• Drives the development of impactful partnerships that leverage resources and utilise expertise.

Workforce Leadership & Dignity at Work:

• Leads and supports clinical leaders to create inclusive, respectful team cultures.

• Embeds dignity at work principles, addressing behaviours that undermine respect or psychological safety.

• Ensure staff are supported to work within professional and ethical boundaries.

• Promotes reflective practice, supervision and continuous professional development.

Quality, Safeguarding & Professional Standards:

• Holds accountability, with the Director of Clinical Operations, for clinical governance and safeguarding.

• In the absence of the Director of Clinical Operations, deputises as Designated Safeguarding Lead for the charity. Ensuring more complex cases, or those of significant risk, are appropriately shared within the Safeguarding framework.

• Ensures compliance with all relevant professional, ethical, and regulatory standards.

• Maintains high-quality supervision and oversight of clinical practice.

• Ensures services align with recognised bereavement care frameworks and standards.

Income Delivery with Integrity:

• Ensures all funded clinical services are delivered fully and responsibly.

• Balances efficiency with quality and ethical care.

• Works in partnership with Income Generation teams to ensure transparency and accuracy in reporting.

Data, Insight & Continuous Improvement:

• Uses data, market intelligence and feedback (including lived experience) to improve services.

• Ensures outcomes reflect both impact and quality of experience.

• Promotes learning cultures grounded in reflection and evidence.

• Evaluates outcomes and evidences impact, ensuring data is shared across appropriate channels confidentially, ethically and compliant with UK Data Protection legislation.

• Conducts/commissions research and identifies trends and concerns.

Collaborative Working:

• Leads on stakeholder engagement, working closely with supporters and beneficiaries of our therapeutic and bereavement support services.

• Works closely with the Director of Clinical Operations to ensure learning from delivery informs future service design.

• Partners with colleagues in our Income Generation Department to align delivery, evidence, and funding.

• Contributes to bids, tenders and fundraising initiatives, ensuring the charity presents strong business cases for support and that bids underpin successful outcomes and innovations in priority areas.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Experience

• Senior leadership experience in service development, strategy, or commissioning.
• Experience of influencing systems or securing funding.
• Experience in children's services, mental health, or bereavement support.

Knowledge & Skills

• Strong understanding of bereavement care and therapeutic principles.
• Knowledge of ethical frameworks and professional standards.
• Advanced influencing, advocacy and partnership-building skills.
• Good knowledge of safeguarding and relevant legislation.
• Ability to translate evidence into compelling, ethical propositions.
• Ability to effectively translate theory and data into practical solutions and initiatives.

Personal Attributes

• Values-driven and purpose-led.
• Creative, strategic, and thoughtful.
• High integrity and credibility externally.
• Deep commitment to equity and dignity.
• Confident verbal and written communicator. Able to create compelling presentations and reports.
• Curious, actively seeks information, listens and questions to enable deeper understanding.
• Non-judgemental and empathetic.

Success Measures

This post will work to a series of specific targets which will reflect:

• Development of high-quality, values-aligned service models.
• Demonstrable growth in sustainable income opportunities.
• Strength and integrity of partnerships.
• Influence on systems, policy and practice.
• Evidence of impact grounded in ethical practice.

We are committed to creating a workplace where dignity, respect and inclusion are at the heart of everything we do. All staff are expected to uphold the highest standards of professional and ethical practice, particularly in the sensitive and privileged context of supporting bereaved children and families.

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