Dental Director

Welcome

Letter from Karen Reid, Chief Executive Officer

Dear Applicant

I welcome your interest in joining NHS Education for Scotland (NES) – an ambitious, collaborative and forward- thinking organisation. This is a unique role in NHS Scotland in a national organisation. NES has significant influence and ability to effect sustainable change through workforce development, education and training across the health and social care system in Scotland and working at UK level with partner organisations.

Focused on delivering the Scottish Government’s priorities, NES is integral to improving outcomes for people and in ensuring a skilled and capable workforce underpins the design and delivery of services. This is an organisation which recognises the significant contribution it can make to improving population health, reducing inequalities and economic development. Workforce development, education and training are critical in this regard across a range of dimensions including widening access to training and employment, career pathways and new roles, for example through the NHS Scotland Youth Academy.

As a member of my Executive Team, you will have a corporate leadership role in delivering the organisation’s strategy, ensuring staff are motivated, supported and developed and in the delivery of key strategic outcomes. You will lead the Dental Directorate to ensure effective delivery of high quality dental education across Scotland, including the experience and wellbeing of all the trainees NES is responsible for.

You will share our ambitions to drive change, be innovative and collaborative, working directly with government, the NHS, academia, professional organisations, regulators and wide range of strategic partners. You will understand the opportunities which arise from the redesign of services and their location, increasingly via digital solutions, and in the skill mix of multidisciplinary teams, including new professional and support roles. You will recognise the importance of widening access not only for careers in dental (which you will actively promote) but across the health and social care workforce.

Crucially, you will have credibility based on your values, skills and experience. You will be an authentic, resilient leader with significant senior level experience in dental education and leadership in large, complex organisations. You will combine keen political awareness and acumen with creative and innovative approaches which deliver practicable, sustainable and beneficial change using recognised quality improvement methodologies. Additionally, you will understand the complexities of developing and implementing government policy as it relates to dental education and training. Embedding equality, diversity and inclusivity will be evident in all that you do.

The pack which follows provides the information you need as you prepare your application. For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Donogh O’Brien or Katharine Price at Aspen, 0141 212 7555. You can learn more about NES at nes.scot.nhs.uk

Yours sincerely

Chief Executive Officer