Director of Mental Health and Learning Disabilities University Health Board

Director of Mental Health and Learning Disabilities – Swansea Bay University Health Board

Director of Mental Health and Learning Disabilities – Swansea Bay University Health Board

Health Board Headquarters, Baglan Port Talbot (Pan-Health Board remit across all SBUHB sites and localities)

VSM Band 12

September 21, 2026

SBUHB-DMHLD-0826

We are looking for an exceptional leader with significant senior experience in mental health, learning disability or a closely related health and care setting. You will bring a strong track record of leading complex services, delivering improvement, working across organisational boundaries, and building trusted relationships with partners, communities, people who use services, and staff.

You will be able to operate effectively at Board and system level, balancing strategic leadership with grip on delivery, quality, safety and performance. You will demonstrate a deep commitment to compassionate leadership, reducing inequalities, co-production, partnership working and improving outcomes for people with mental health needs and learning disabilities.

The Director of Mental Health and Learning Disabilities provides strategic leadership for all Mental Health and Learning Disability (MH&LD) services across Swansea Bay University Health Board. The role enables the delivery of high-quality, safe, compassionate and sustainable services aligned with the NHS Wales Duty of Quality and Duty of Candour, while leading implementation of the Welsh Government’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy  and the Learning Disability Strategic Action Plan .

As a member of the Health Board’s senior leadership team, the postholder leads the delivery, transformation and continuous improvement of MH&LD services across community, inpatient and specialist pathways, ensuring alignment with the Health Board’s Transforming for the Future Clinical Services Plan, ten-year organisational strategy, A Healthier Swansea Bay and the Integrated Medium Term Plan (IMTP). The Director will lead the redesign of services to strengthen prevention, early intervention and integrated community-based alternatives to hospital admission while ensuring safe, therapeutic and effective inpatient care.

The Director provides visible system leadership across the MH&LD portfolio, working in partnership with Local Authorities, police, housing, education, the third sector and Regional Partnership Boards to develop integrated pathways that improve outcomes and reduce inequalities.

Central to the role is meaningful co-production with people who use services, their families and carers, ensuring lived experience informs service design, governance and improvement.

The Director acts as Senior Responsible Officer for MH&LD elements of the Health Board’s Integrated Medium-Term Plan (IMTP) and provides strategic oversight of commissioning, market shaping and independent sector provision. The role represents the Health Board within regional commissioning arrangements, including the Joint Commissioning Committee, ensuring sustainable and person-centred pathways across organisational boundaries.

The Director will provide visible, values-based leadership across the MH&LD workforce, fostering a culture of compassion, partnership working and continuous improvement.

The role will play a key leadership role in the Health Board’s Organised for Success programme alongside the rest of the executive team, supporting the transition to a care group structure and embedding a consistent organisational methodology for improvement and culture change.