Medical School jobs in Manchester

External Partnerships & Leading Voice

Organisation: Blazing Stars Education

Job Title: Head of Therapy

Location: Working with our schools in Stockport, Lytham-St-Annes and Bolton.

Reporting To: Chief Executive Officer

Contract Type: Full-Time, Permanent

Salary: from £65,000 dependent on experience (competitive)

About Us

Blazing Stars Education is a specialist education provider dedicated to supporting children and young people with additional needs through nurturing, inclusive, and therapeutic learning environments. The organisation operates specialist schools focused on resilience, integrity, and self-belief, with a strong emphasis on safeguarding and holistic support for pupils.

Role Overview

A brand new role to the company, supporting the CEO, the Head of Therapy, is a senior leadership role responsible for shaping, scaling and ensuring excellence of therapy services across the organisation.

Main Purpose

The main purpose of this role is to provide senior support to the development and delivery of key strategic objectives and support a well-established team of dedicated professionals in the delivery of Blazing Stars schools’ therapeutic model.

You will provide strategic and operational direction to identify and implement an outcome-based therapeutic model across BSE and oversee delivery of a first-class training programme, ensuring our schools deliver expertism in ASC.

You will also provide expert leadership and governance to the therapy teams in conjunction with advising the Board of Directors on the impact of the service delivery and execution of the therapeutic provision.

You will oversee and further embed the existing therapy model, as well as taking overall responsibility for the delivery of the therapy strategy. You will have gained significant experience of operating at a senior level in a similar therapy role with a demonstrable track record of success and commercial acumen.

Key Responsibilities

Therapy Leadership & Governance

• Provide strategic oversight of therapy services, ensuring safe, effective, and evidence-based support.
• Maintain robust therapy governance frameworks, policies, and procedures.
• Ensure EHCP section F needs are consistently met.
• Ensure all therapy and therapeutic approaches are appropriate and underpinned by sound evidence-based approaches compliant with appropriate guidelines and regulatory requirements.
• Therapy risk management and quality assurance.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement and reflective practice through regular clinical supervision, appraisal and regulatory checks.

Service Development & Growth

• Develop innovative, market-responsive service offerings for children and young people.
• Develop and support the delivery of therapy strategies to grow and further develop the range of therapy and therapeutic services available within our organisation.
• Develop and oversee pilot programmes and evaluate effectiveness for wider rollout.
• Identify opportunities to champion the development/delivery of our therapeutic school provision.

Commercial & Operational Leadership

• Support a culture of innovation and development of high-quality therapeutic implementation, training, and development within our schools.
• Develop and manage budgets and cost efficiencies.
• Analyse service performance data to inform decision making.
• Optimise clinician productivity, case load management, and service delivery models.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, mentor, and grow a multidisciplinary therapy team in liaison with Headteachers.
• Support an environment of opportunities for our therapy team, encouraging personal and professional growth.
• Develop resource plans to support scaling and service demand.
• Oversee recruitment, retention, and performance management of clinicians.
• Identify opportunities to participate in fostering the development of trainee clinicians for future growth e.g. working collaboratively with Universities, Colleges etc.
• Promote a high- performance, values driven culture.

Quality, Outcomes & Impact

• Define and develop methods of measuring therapy outcomes and impact.
• Develop methodologies to provide demonstratable and evidence-led measures of improvements in
• 1) children’s mental health and wellbeing2) physical and sensory needs3) language and communication needs
• and the progress of the care and support of the team and family around the child.
• Oversee audits, therapy governance reviews and improvement plans.

External Partnerships & Leading Voice

• Build strategic relationships with key stakeholders and sector leading professionals across Government bodies, local authorities, private and third sector.
• Represent the organisation externally as a therapy and sector leader.
• Pursuing opportunities to improve awareness of our organisation and expertise through publication and speaking engagement opportunities.
• Enhance the organisation’s reputation as a provider of high-quality therapeutic day schools.

Qualifications
Essential:

• Doctorate in Therapy, Counselling or Educational Psychology or equivalent as accredited by the BPS or Post Graduate Training to master’s Level in evidence-based interventions including systemic psychotherapy; or recognised qualifications in Speech & Language Therapy / Occupational Therapy; or counsellor
• MBBS or equivalent medical qualification, MRCpscy or MRCPsych equivalent approved by the Royal College of Psychiatrist

Desirable

• Professional registration with the British Psychology Society (BPS) or relevant body.

Experience
Essential

• Ability to provide strategic oversight and leadership of a multidisciplinary therapy and therapeutic team supporting children and young people.
• Previous experience of developing therapeutic models and delivery
• Experience of providing strategic leadership and management
• Experience of providing therapy, leadership and direction
• Work in SEN education

Desirable

• Previous CAMHS experience
• Experience designing and implementing research projects, service development and audit

Knowledge
Essential

• Demonstrable experience of working as a qualified senior clinician in a leadership role
• Experience of working in MDT
• Experience of representing a service in local national policy forums/ conferences
• Awareness of the impact of trauma and childhood adversity on life trajectories
• Awareness of safeguarding issues and procedures
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing
• Ability to take own initiative
• Ability to take direction and work as part of a team
• Ability to work in partnership with other professionals
• Understanding equal opportunities, anti-discrimination practice, and ethical issues
• Awareness of child quality standards
• Knowledge of education legislation (Ofsted and ISS)
• Knowledge of psychological theories and approaches of working with children and young people in distress and/or Therapy risks and needs
• Knowledge of psychological tools and assessments for working with children

Desirable

• Publications
• Proven Research portfolio

Safeguarding Statement

Blazing Stars Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All appointments will be subject to enhanced DBS checks, reference checks, and safer recruitment procedures in line with statutory guidance.

Pay: From £65,000.00 per hour

Willingness to travel:

• 75% (preferred)

Work Location: On the road