About the job

Job summary

The Director of Strategic Planning (DSP) will be directly accountable to the Deputy CEO, NHS Wales and Director General, HSSG/ CEO of NHS Wales. The DSP will be a member of the HSSG senior leadership/ Directors’ Team. The post forms part of the new structure being established in the group to oversee the NHS Executive and along with another Director and the Deputy CE will lead and be accountable for the day to day running and performance of the NHS Executive. 

Job description

The post holder will play a pivotal role in shaping the NHS, driving forward   transformation focussed on working collaboratively within systems and ever closer partnership working with other stakeholders regionally and nationally. 

The Director will also support the Director of Finance HSSG in the planning and delivery of a financially sustainable service in utilising the circa £10.5 Billion of Welsh Government resources. 

As the Head of the NHS Planning Profession, the DSP will nurture planning capacity and capability in Wales through their credible leadership of the Planning Programme for Learning. 

This post is one of three key posts within the NHS and HSSG, they are the key conduit between government policy and NHS organisations, providing system leadership in setting out the planning and delivery requirements for the NHS in Wales. 

Converting policy and ministerial priorities into national plans and building a planning and delivery mechanism to support organisations in the delivery of health and social care services in Wales. 

The Director will lead the development of the national integrated planning framework and the Mandate for the NHS system in Wales.  This will involve distilling advice from Welsh Ministers, the newly formed NHS Executive, Policy Directors within H&SS Group and across Government, were appropriate, alongside the views of wider NHS leadership groups. 

The postholder will also develop the related NHS planning guidance and to oversee the annual development, assessment, and monitoring of Integrated Medium-Term Plans (IMTPs), which is a statutory requirement. 

The Director will provide advice and recommendations to the Minister for Health & Social Services regarding the approval, or non-approval, of IMTPs, accountability conditions and organisational escalation. 

The Director will be an influential spokesperson who, as head of profession, will represent the function across a wide range of stakeholders, across Welsh Government, NHS Wales, and partner organisations, maintaining and enhancing the reputation of integrated healthcare planning in Wales, fostering key relationships, and ensuring there is a clear strategic direction. 

The Director will also engage at a strategic and operational level with all NHS Wales organisations, including hosted organisations, to ensure optimum compliance with the NHS Wales Planning Framework and the delivery of strategic plans to support the wider public services in Wales. 

In addition to strategic planning, the Director will also lead the NHS Executive’s Emergency Planning arrangements, including leadership of the Planning & Response mechanisms that ensure national and co-ordinated actions across HSSG, NHS Wales and social care. 

This post working closely with DCEO and Director of Performance & Operations NHS Wales and will ensure the NHS in Wales effectively manages the £10.5 Billion revenue budget ensuring that local health systems meet system and organisational financial controls and have effective plans and systems for achieving clinical and financial sustainability of services, supported by effective cost improvement programmes. 

Deputise as necessary for the DCEO NHS Wales, on broad activities as well as specific functions, recognising the external-facing nature of the role with responsibility for NHS Wales. 

Participate in NHS Wales Leadership Board and as a senior member of HSSG Executive Director Team and similar arrangements. 

Contribute to governance and accountability arrangements for the NHS in Wales, such as NHS IQPD, JET meetings and tripartite/ escalation meetings, HSSG policy development and government business, as well as wider WG meetings.

Equality and Diversity

The Welsh Government is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and which promote equality of opportunity. This is underpinned by the Equality Act 2010 and will be adhered to at each stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure that these commitments are also embedded in our day-to-day working practices with all our customers, colleagues and partners.

We are committed to being an anti-racist organisation and increasing diversity in the Welsh Government by removing barriers and supporting all our staff to reach their potential. We are committed to recruiting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people and disabled people who are currently under-represented in Welsh Government.

We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, marriage and civil partnership (both same sex and opposite sex), impairment or health condition, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, gender identity or gender expression.

We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion and a Disability Confident Level 3 (Leader) organisation. Key to supporting this work and providing peer support are five Board sponsored Staff Networks (Disability Awareness and Support (DAAS); Minority Ethnic Support Network (MESN); Mind Matters (Mental health and well-being); PRISM (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex +) and Women Together.

Person specification

We are looking for an individual who will be able to demonstrate through their application and at interview: -

• Personal leadership with immediate credibility – a personal and professional approach to compassionate leadership that builds trust, motivates and empowers staff and that will command the confidence of a range of stakeholders including, Ministers and senior officials.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills - with clear confidence around sharing difficult, unexpected, or challenging messages to the most senior Welsh Government and NHS colleagues and external stakeholders. This must include the use of data to underpin all strategies.
• A willing exchange of expertise, know-how and skills – listening and working inclusively to continuously explore the best solutions for Government and the NHS, operating effectively across the system to bring multidisciplinary teams together.
• An ability to fully engage with senior leaders from across government and the NHS to support strategic decision making. The role requires the ability and appetite to shape the role and purpose of both the Department and NHS Wales in delivering priorities which are in the national interest and meet the diverse needs of all stakeholders.
• An ability to give unbiased evidence-led advice to Ministers and other senior colleagues based on extensive robust analysis, translating strategic objectives into practical interventions that improve performance, while ensuring alignment to broader commitments. This must involve early involvement and partnership working with the right stakeholders when making recommendations or decisions.
• You will also be able to demonstrate the key behaviours required for this role which include Leadership, Communicating and Influencing, Working Together, Making Effective Decisions, and Seeing the Big Picture.  

We will want to talk to shortlisted candidates more at interview about those behaviours and how you embody Welsh Government’s values of creativity, fairness, partnership, and professionalism.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £126,650, Welsh Government contributes £34,195 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

he below activities will form part of the overall assessment required for this recruitment exercise:

On Line Psychometric Tests - these will include an Independent Leadership Assessment discussion with a psychologist. You will receive a link to these on-line tests within 10 working days from the shortlisting meeting.

If you have completed the online psychometric test in the last 2 years, for a post at the same grade, it will not be necessary for you to take these tests again for this particular recruitment exercise.

• Stakeholder Engagement Exercise – these will take place 13th March 2024. Further details will follow. 

• Panel Interviews & Presentation – these are scheduled 21st March 2024. These will also take place virtually via Microsoft Teams. Interviews will last around 45 minutes. The Panel will receive feedback on your psychometric tests and staff/stakeholder engagement exercise before you are interviewed. Your interview will consider how your skills and experience as outlined in your CV and personal statement meet the requirements of the role. Candidates will be given at least one week’s notice of the presentation topic. Please note that presentations are to be delivered without the use of hand-outs or electronic devices unless as part of a reasonable adjustment, however, you are welcome to use prompt cards.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.