Head of Direct Services

Headway - the brain injury association

Hours
21 hours per week

Length of contract
November 2027

About the Organisation

Headway UK plays a pivotal role in supporting individuals and families affected by brain injuries. Our comprehensive services encompass rehabilitation, counselling, and practical assistance to help survivors regain independence and improve their quality of life. Headway UK is at the forefront of raising awareness about the challenges faced by those with brain injuries and advocates for their rights, ensuring they receive the care and understanding they deserve.

Through a combination of educational initiatives, community outreach, and personalized support, Headway UK strives to rebuild lives, offering a lifeline to those navigating the complexities of brain injury recovery. Embark on a fulfilling career with Headway UK, join our compassionate team and contribute to our mission of rebuilding lives after brain injury. Make a meaningful impact with Headway UK, where every role plays a crucial part in empowering those on the path to recovery.

About the role

The Head of Direct Services will provide senior leadership and oversight of Headway UK's core national direct services: the Helpline, Justice Programme, Solicitors Directory, Brain Injury ID Cards, Emergency Fund, Training and Approved Provider scheme. Working through service leads and other colleagues across Headway UK, the postholder needs to ensure Headway UK’s core services are safe, high quality, effective, accessible and responsive to the needs of people affected by brain injury, their families and professionals working in the sector.

A key focus of the role will be to lead the scoping and early development of a potential new Trusted Partner Scheme. This work will explore how Headway UK could work to develop a further quality scheme that provides meaningful assurance around case management, specialist private healthcare and other brain injury support services.

The role requires strong brain injury knowledge and an understanding of the wider health, social care, case management and rehabilitation landscape alongside an interest in the experiences of people with ABI within the criminal justice system. A clinical qualification is not essential, but the postholder must be able to work confidently and credibly with clinicians, case managers, social workers, providers and people with lived experience of brain injury. Due to the Director of Services' maternity leave, the postholder will report directly to the CEO, attend Senior Leadership Team meetings when required and contribute to the Services and Network Committee, which includes staff and trustees.

The Services Directorate leads Headway UK's direct support for people affected by ABI and their families and professionals across the UK. Its national services provide information, practical support, quality improvement and professional
learning across different stages of the brain injury journey.

In addition, although led by the Head of Network, the Services Directorate includes the Network Support Team, which works closely with Headway's UK-wide network of affiliated charities and volunteer-led branches. Together, these organisations deliver a range of local services, including rehabilitation, reablement, information and support, social activities and peer support for brain injury survivors and their families.

Responsibilities

Key Areas of Accountability:

• Provide senior leadership and oversight of Headway UK’s Helpline, Justice Programme, Emergency Fund, Training and Approved Provider scheme, and the Headway Brain Injury Identity Cards, ensuring services are high quality, accessible and responsive to the needs of people affected by acquired brain injury.
• Lead, support and develop staff across Direct Services, providing clear direction and promoting a collaborative, inclusive and accountable culture.
• Oversee the effective planning and performance of Direct Services, including agreed objectives, budgets, service data, quality, risks and opportunities for improving and increasing the use of evaluation tools.
• Lead the scoping and development of a potential Trusted Partner Scheme, exploring how Headway UK could work with and provide assurance around case management, brain injury care, private rehabilitation and other specialist services.
• Build effective relationships with people affected by brain injury, professionals and providers across health, social care, case management, rehabilitation and criminal justice, using their insight and expertise to support the ongoing improvement and development of Headway UK’s Direct Services.
• Support the ongoing delivery and development of the Approved Provider scheme, working closely with the team to manage the budget, moderate assessment reports, build constructive relationships with Approved Provider units, support quality and consistency, and identify opportunities to strengthen and develop the scheme.
• Develop an understanding of the needs and experiences of people with brain injury within the criminal justice system, supporting the continued development of Headway UK’s Justice Programme and building knowledge of the wider criminal justice landscape.
• Work closely with Headway UK’s Designated Safeguarding Lead, providing support in relation to safeguarding concerns and helping to embed good safeguarding practice across Headway.
• Report to the CEO on the performance, development, risks and emerging issues within Direct Services, providing clear advice and recommendations where required.
• Attend Senior Leadership Team meetings as required and contribute to the Services and Network Committee, working with staff and trustees to support effective oversight and development of services.
• Work collaboratively across Headway UK, contributing to wider organisational priorities and representing the charity positively with external partners and stakeholders.

Corporate Responsibilities:

• Safeguarding: Safeguarding is at the heart of what we do, and every member of staff has a duty to ensure that they understand and follow safeguarding procedures to promote the welfare of our staff and service users.
• Health and Safety: We are an employer who is committed to health and safety, and you will have a role to play ensuring that we continue to embed a health and safety culture.
• Data Protection: You will help ensure that we remain fully compliant with our obligations in respect of data.
• Equal Opportunities is a key value of Headway UK. Every member of staff has a personal responsibility to ensure that they behave in an inclusive way and contribute to our diversity goals.
• You are an ambassador for Headway UK:  We want all our staff, regardless of their roles, to be our ambassadors, representing the charity and promoting the work we do. 

Skills, Competencies, Experience & Attributes

Experience & Knowledge:

• Significant experience of working in acquired brain injury, neurorehabilitation or a closely related field.
• Experience of leading services and managing staff, priorities, performance and resources.
• Experience of developing, reviewing or improving services, including turning evidence and stakeholder insight into practical proposals.
• Understanding of the health, social care, case management and rehabilitation landscape relevant to people affected by brain injury.
• Experience of safeguarding adults at risk and of providing appropriate management support around safeguarding concerns.
• Knowledge of private and independent case management, clinical, care or rehabilitation services.
• Experience of quality assurance, accreditation, provider assessment or standards development.
• Good IT and administration skills and the ability to use Microsoft Office and Salesforce (our CRM system).
• Knowledge and understanding of the data protection regulations.

Skills & Abilities:

• Ability to lead through others, build trust and provide clear direction in a part-time senior role.
• Ability to work credibly with people affected by brain injury, clinicians, case managers, social workers, providers, trustees and senior colleagues.
• Strong analytical judgement, with the ability to assess options, risks and evidence and make clear recommendations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, including concise reports, presentations and accessible information for different audiences.
• Ability to organise a complex portfolio, prioritise competing demands and work independently within a fixed-term assignment.

Other:

• Demonstrate a clear understanding of equality of opportunity and diversity issues
• Demonstrate a clear understanding of GDPR and the impact that it has on the role day-to-day.
• Demonstrate a clear understanding of health and safety.
• Appropriate workstation and set up to facilitate you working from home
• Ability and willingness to travel occasionally across the UK, including to locations that may not be readily accessible by public transport.

Required Qualifications

• Relevant qualification or significant professional experience in ABI, health, social care, case management, rehabilitation, service management or a related field.
• Relevant professional qualification, for example social work, occupational therapy, nursing, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, or neuropsychology.

Compensation & Benefits

• 25 days annual leave, increasing incrementally to 30 days with service (pro rata for part-time roles), plus Bank Holidays, one day birthday leave and an additional three days for Christmas closure.
• Access to shopping, lifestyle benefits, and discounts through IMHR Plus Privilege membership
• Competitive salaries
• Pension: You will be automatically enrolled into the People’s Pension, with Headway contributing between 3–6% depending on your contributions
• Occupational Sick Pay Scheme, increasing with length of service
• Death in Service Benefit, providing peace of mind for your loved ones
• Flexible working arrangements promoting wellbeing and work-life balance
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme, including access to counselling services
• Eye test vouchers
• Mental Health First Aiders

Working locations

• Home-based

How to apply

• Apply on our website
• Please don’t hesitate to email us at [email protected] if you need support with the application or would like to chat about what it’s like to work with us.

Interviews

• The shortlisting date are 23rd & 24th November 2026
• The interviews are on 30th November and 1st December 2026

Policies

At Headway UK, we are committed to the safeguarding and welfare of vulnerable adults. We expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow best practice as set out within the Care Act 2014. All successful applicants will be subject to safer recruiting procedures and must complete mandatory pre-employment checks, including a DBS check and two satisfactory references. We recognise, value and champion diversity and inclusion.

We want to ensure our staff population reflects the diverse service users that we support. For us, diversity and inclusion are about building happy teams, full of people who want to learn and be inspired by each other, by our different experiences and backgrounds. Inclusion means providing the people we recruit with opportunities and valuing everyone’s contributions and perspectives. We are also committed to removing barriers for applicants with disabilities during our recruitment process, upon appointment, and as an employee.

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