Head of Psychological Care Services – Fire Fighters Charity

Head of Psychological Care Services – Fire Fighters Charity

Head of Psychological Care Services – Fire Fighters Charity

One of charity workbases or homebased with occasional travel

N/A

September 7, 2026

FFC-HOPC-0826

We are searching for an exceptional leader to join us as Head of Psychological Care Services. This is a pivotal role leading the delivery and ongoing development of high-quality, compassionate psychological care services within a national charity.

This is a unique opportunity to lead and develop psychological care services within an organisation supporting those who serve, or have served, in the UK’s fire and rescue services, and their families. Our work sits at the intersection of personal wellness, mental health, trauma and suicide prevention, including the delivery of a 24/7 crisis support service.

As Head of Psychological Care Services, you will provide clinical and operational leadership across our psychological care provision, leading therapeutic services, multidisciplinary practitioner teams and crisis support services – ensuring services are safe, effective, evidence-based and person-centred.

Working closely with the Director of Services and colleagues across the organisation, you will play a key role in service development, quality improvement and workforce leadership, helping to ensure our services continue to meet the needs of our beneficiaries across the UK.

This is a senior leadership role operating within a complex service environment, supporting individuals experiencing psychological distress, trauma and crisis. Your leadership will directly influence service quality, staff development and the experience and outcomes of those accessing our support.

This is more than a leadership role – it is an opportunity to help shape and develop services within a supportive, ambitious and growing charity that makes a meaningful difference to people who dedicate their lives to keeping our communities safe.
We are committed to compassionate, person-centred service delivery and you’ll be working alongside passionate professionals to improve psychological health and wellbeing across the UK.

Generally, you will:

• Lead high-quality, safe and person-centred psychological care services, providing clinical and operational leadership
• Lead service-level clinical governance, safeguarding and risk management arrangements, ensuring quality, safety and continuous learning
• Drive service-level innovation and improvement, using evidence, outcomes and feedback to enhance impact and experience
• Provide professional leadership, supervision, consultation and development to psychological care teams, promoting excellence in practice
• Oversee delivery of a 24/7 crisis support service, ensuring effective assessment, intervention and escalation pathways
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with NHS, emergency service, statutory and voluntary sector organisations to improve access, integration and outcomes
• Champion psychologically- and trauma-informed approaches across services supporting the fire services community
• Use performance, quality and outcomes data to drive improvement, assurance and decision-making
• Support workforce planning, staff wellbeing and the development of an inclusive, compassionate and high-performing culture

To be successful in this role, you will bring:

• Senior experience in psychological or mental health services
• A track record of service improvement and operational development
• Strong understanding of clinical governance, safeguarding, and risk management in complex environments
• Experience of working within multi-agency systems and partnerships
• A commitment to trauma-informed, inclusive, and person-centred care
• The ability to support, lead, and develop a diverse clinical workforce
• Confidence operating across operational and service priorities

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