Chief People Officer
Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust
We are the Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust. We offer a range of ongoing benefits to our valued workforce. From an active health and wellbeing programme to regular recognition events, we work hard to provide varied benefits that make a difference to your work-life balance.
Would you like to work flexibly? In the NHS, we are reminded every day of how important life is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us, for our patients and for you.
Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement.
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Job overview
Thank you for your interest in joining Kent and Medway Mental Health Trust. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. As Chief
Executive, I am proud of the incredible commitment and compassion shown by our teams across Kent and Medway. This is an exciting time for us, as we continue to evolve our culture to meet the opportunities presented by the NHS 10-year plan and continue our journey in becoming a leading mental health trust in the country.
The Chief People Officer will play a vital role in shaping the future of our organisation leading our people strategy, championing inclusion, and
ensuring every colleague feels they belong.
We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone can thrive and contribute to the best possible care for our communities. Your leadership will help us make that ambition real.
Sheila Stenson,
Chief Executive
Advert
This is a pivotal time to join Kent and Medway Mental Health Trust. We are growing and changing, taking on children’s and young people’s services, embedding our new identity and values, and strengthening our culture of care and inclusion. The Chief People Officer will lead our workforce transformation at a time when the NHS is evolving. You’ll shape the future of how we attract, develop, and support our people, ensuring every colleague feels valued and every leader is empowered to make a difference.
As Chief People Officer, you will lead the delivery of our People Strategy and play a key role in delivering our vision. You will be responsible for developing our workforce, building an inclusive culture, and embedding compassionate leadership across the organisation. Key responsibilities include:
• Leading our workforce strategy and planning for the future.
• Championing equality, diversity and inclusion at every level.
• Strengthening leadership capability and talent pipelines.
• Enhancing staff wellbeing, engagement and belonging.
• Driving improvement through data, insight and partnership.
• Ensuring compliance with employment law, NHS policy, and CQC workforce standards.
• Supporting system-wide collaboration through the Kent and Medway Integrated Care System
Please refer to the full recruitment pack and job description attached.
Working for our organisation
We are the Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust. We care for the mental health and wellbeing of people across Kent and Medway. Our teams support adults with a wide range of mental health needs. Because we cover the whole county and both hospital and community settings, we can make care more joined up and easier to access for the 1.8 million people of Kent and Medway. Rated ‘Good’ by the CQC, we care for over 2,000 people in our hospitals and 54,000 in the community each year.
Our vision is simple: We are here to help communities not just live with mental illness, but live well. It’s why we’re passionate about working with communities to make mental health care better for everyone. And everything we do is guided by our values caring, inclusive, curious and confident.
Join us - if you share our passion for better mental health care and want to be part of a team that's doing well together.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please find attached the full recruitment pack and job description.
If you wish to be considered for this role, please provide:
- A CV that includes your address and contact details, highlighting and explaining any gaps in your employment history
- A supporting statement that highlights your motivation for applying and your understanding of the NHS and the role. You
should outline your personal responsibility and achievement within previous roles and how your experience matches the
person specification - The names, positions, organisations and contact details for three referees. Your referees should be individuals in a line
management capacity, and cover your most recent employer, any regulated health or social care activity or where roles
involved children or vulnerable adults. Your references may be taken prior to the interview and may be shared with the selection
panel
Please email this information, along with your application to [email protected]
Online applications will not be accepted; all applicants must follow the guidelines above.
Interviews
Virtual Focus Group 12 February 2026
- Executive Management Team
- People Leadership Team
In-person interview 13 February 2026 held at Farm Villa, Maidstone,
Important Information:
In cases where we receive a high volume of applications for a post, it may be necessary to bring the closing date forward. Please submit your completed application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
Due to the high volume of applications received, it is not possible to respond individually to your application. Should you not hear from us within six weeks of the vacancy closing, please assume that your application has not been successful.
Probation Period. New employees external to the trust are subject to a six-month probationary period.
To deliver an effective service it is essential in some of our roles that you are able to travel between work bases in a timely manner.
Production of false or forged documents/qualifications in order to obtain employment is a criminal offence and will be reported to the Police.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check.
Certain roles are subject to criminal record checks called Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. Therefore, you will be required to submit a completed Disclosure form to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust are signed up to NHS England's Sexual Safety in Health Care Organisational Charter
The trust takes a systematic zero-tolerance approach to tackle any unwanted, inappropriate and/or harmful sexual behaviours within the workplace and in our care provision. We are committed to sexual safety which encompasses prevention, support and decisive action against perpetrators. We are committed to keeping you and our patients safe.
Use of AI when writing job applications
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AI cannot truly understand the specific job you're applying for or what makes you a good fit. Therefore, it's crucial to personalise any AI-generated content to accurately reflect your skills, experiences, and aspirations.
Relying solely on AI to write your application may result in generic, impersonal, and potentially inaccurate content. Always review and refine any AI-generated text to ensure it effectively communicates your experience, skills, accomplishments, and aspirations, and demonstrates your suitability for the position.