Joint Executive Director of Corporate Affairs

Welcome

Thank you for your interest in the role of Executive Director of Corporate Affairs for Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (DCH) and Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust (DHC).

This is an exciting time to join our two Trusts as we build on our new joint leadership model to help improve the health and wellbeing of our local communities. We are ambitious in our aim to make a difference and to re-shape the provision of local health services in ways that improve outcomes for our population and break down barriers between mental and physical health services.

We have recently appointed a joint Chair and Chief Executive and are exploring the possibilities for other joint leadership roles. This new role will play an important part in our drive to help simplify decision-making, increase integration and improve the quality of care and outcomes for the people we serve.

The Executive Director of Corporate Affairs will work closely with myself, our joint Chair and our two Boards. This is an executive post that supports our two organisations in developing a clear common purpose and innovative solutions for our current challenges with a focus on:

• preventing ill-health
• tackling health inequalities
• integrating physical and mental health more effectively
• joining up workforce planning and development.

We have a long and strong history of partnership working, which was further strengthened during the pandemic. While we are not looking to merge, we believe that joint appointments like this are the natural next step, in line with the aspirations of Dorset’s integrated care system, Our Dorset.

This exciting and challenging role offers the opportunity to work across two organisations, providing expert and independent advice and guidance on all aspects of statutory regulation, compliance, corporate governance and effective business conduct.

Ensuring the highest levels of probity working to statutory and legislative requirements, you will support the two Boards and Councils of Governors to work effectively towards our strategic objectives within a framework of strong governance, assurance and risk management.

Your highly-developed relationship-building and communication skills will be a key strength, as will an excellent understanding of how to deal compassionately with potentially sensitive, contentious and complex issues at the most senior level.

Sound judgement, effective decision- making and excellent organisational abilities will be critical in managing the multiple demands of supporting two organisations. And your attention to detail and systematic approach will mean you are comfortable with complexity.

This is a pivotal new role for our two Trusts and I very much welcome applications from a diverse range of people who can support us to move into the next phase of our journey.

This site provides insight into the role and our two organisations. Please contact Melanie Shearer, Melanie West or Joanne Riley on 07807 624 332 for an informal chat about the role.