The posting
Role Overview
The Head of Department, Therapy works closely with the Director of Direct Services to provide strategic and operational leadership for the creative arts, child life and therapeutic play teams. The role combines management and leadership responsibilities with a foundation in therapy practice, and to ensure that priorities of the team align with CCF 2030 and Direct Services directions.
Grounded in trauma-informed, strengths-based, systems-oriented and co-creation approaches, the role focuses on building team capabilities, strengthening services, and supporting the well-being of children with cancer and their families across the care journey. It embeds a survivorship care approach from diagnosis onwards. The role also champions co-creation, valuing survivors and caregivers as active partners and contributors in shaping and growing the ecosystems of support to children with cancer. While focused on leadership and management, the role remains connected to therapy practice, providing professional guidance and supporting teams in navigating complex or crisis situations.
Responsibilities:
Leadership and Strategy
· Set priorities and service direction of Therapy Team in alignment with 1 CCF 2030 and 1 Direct Services directions, together with the Director of Direct Services and Senior Management Team.
· Support senior management in realising CCF and Direct Services strategies, while having ability to translate organisation principles into team workplans and service deliverables
· Work with other teams both within Direct Services to strengthen coordination and continuity of care in groups, programmes and service development
· Lead, support and guide Team Leads of Therapeutic Play, Child Life in their managing of their teams, fostering a culture of collaboration.
Practice and Capability Building
· Provide clinical leadership, supervision, coaching and ensuring ethical and high-quality practice across Team Members and supervision of Team Leads / Supervisors.
· Lead the development, review and evaluation of therapeutic programmes and services in response to emerging client and organisational needs
· Promote evidence-informed, trauma-transformative and co-creation approaches across services
Partnerships & Systems Integration
· Identify opportunities and partnerships to strengthen therapy services across hospital, communities, family settings, and survivors to build responsive ecosystems of care.
· Build partnerships with healthcare professionals, community agencies, survivors and stakeholders
Operations & Governance
· Service planning, resource allocation, maintaining budget, workplans and ensuring service impact
· Ensure compliance of practice with safeguarding, policies, and professional standards
Clinical Practice
· Use creative arts and the creative process to improve and enhance the physical, emotional and psychosocial well-being of clients
· Assess the needs and feelings of clients by listening and providing guidance; work creatively with client groups in a therapeutic setting, ensuring a safe and supportive environment
· Apply appropriate therapeutic interventions, supporting clients to explore and reflect on their behaviours and experiences in a safe, respectful and non-judgemental manner
· Advance creative therapy practice through research, cross-disciplinary collaboration, partnerships and larger-scale initiatives that strengthen practice standards in paediatric oncology
Requirements:
· Academic qualifications:
· Minimum two-year postgraduate Degree in expressive therapies from local and overseas educational institutions
· Demonstrated experience in leadership, management responsibilities, setting directions and managing services.
· Relevant experience in creative arts therapy within healthcare or community settings
· Ability to provide clinical and managerial supervision and service development
· Experience in oncology, grief and bereavement and/or palliative care would be an advantage



