AHP Lead - Paediatric Gender Service
Closing date: 02 March 2026.
Cambridge University Hospital Foundation Trust (CUH) is seeking highly skilled and compassionate individuals to join the new NHS Children and Young People's Gender Service (East of England) in the role of Lead AHP. The key clinical roles in the CYPGS are SLT and OT, so the Lead must be from either profession.
Based within the Paediatrics Department, the successful applicant will have extensive experience delivering high‐quality, evidence‐based assessments and care to children and young people.
The post holder will provide assessments, supervision, interventions and consultation to staff and serve as a source of clinical expertise to the multidisciplinary team (MDT).
The Cass Review into gender services for children and young people recommends that staff maintain a broad clinical perspective by working across related NHS services. To that end we encourage part‐time applications from staff already working in other services and offer a job plan that blends gender‐service activity with other clinical duties. The role is split between Cambridge and Newmarket.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will provide strategic, clinical and professional leadership for Allied Health Professional (AHP) practice within the Children and Young People's Gender Service. Working closely with the Clinical Lead and Senior Leadership Team, the holder will ensure the systematic provision of high‐quality, safe, effective and evidence‐based AHP care across the service.
The role combines advanced autonomous clinical practice, including holistic assessment and intervention, with responsibility for professional governance, development and leadership of AHP practice. The holder will exercise a high level of professional judgement and autonomy, ensuring that AHP contributions are fully embedded within the multidisciplinary model of care and aligned to local, regional and national expectations.
As senior AHP clinical leader, the holder will contribute to service development, workforce planning, quality improvement, safeguarding, and outcome measurement, while maintaining a strong clinical presence within the service.
Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.
Eligibility
Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full‐time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a Student visa. Therefore, if you are a Student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full‐time permanent contract unless you meet one of the following:
* Applied for a Graduate visa.
* Successfully completed your course and applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of employment.
* Trust has agreed to sponsor you as a Skilled Worker and you will complete your studies within 3 months of the anticipated start date of employment.
Application timeline
This vacancy will close at midnight on 2 March 2026.
Interviews are scheduled for 24 March 2026.
Benefits
At Cambridge University Hospitals, we support good working days through development opportunities and a range of benefits, including on‐site leisure facilities, a shopping concourse, and day nurseries. Our work programme includes reduced‐cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from the CUH site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals, and we subsidise parking on site for eligible staff.
Hot food is available 24/7 on CUH campus, at a reduced cost for colleagues. We have launched staff pod break spaces, including a colleague‐only cafe with free tea and coffee, a break space, and a private outdoor area.
CUH is committed to work‐life balance, offering flexible arrangements such as part‐time work, job share, term‐time work, and flexible start and finish times. If you wish to discuss the required hours of this role, please approach the contact given. Alternative working hours may be considered where appropriate. We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.
Qualifications
* Registered Allied Health Professional with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
* Relevant postgraduate qualification or demonstrable equivalent level of knowledge and experience.
* Evidence of advanced clinical practice within an AHP profession.
* Evidence of ongoing continuing professional development (CPD) at a senior level.
* Registered clinical supervisor.
* Formal qualification or credential in advanced practice, leadership, education or service development.
* Training or qualifications relevant to paediatrics, neurodevelopment, communication, sensory or functional assessment.
* Additional safeguarding or other relevant qualification or experience.
Experience
* Substantial post‐registration experience as an AHP, including advanced or consultant‐level practice.
* Demonstrable experience working with children and young people, including those with complex, overlapping developmental, emotional or functional needs.
* Experience delivering holistic assessment and intervention, drawing on multiple sources of clinical information and working collaboratively with families.
* Experience working as a senior member of a multidisciplinary team, contributing to formulation, clinical decision‐making and care planning.
* Experience of professional leadership, including supervision, mentorship and support of other clinicians.
* Experience of contributing to service development, quality improvement, audit or evaluation.
* Experience managing clinical risk and safeguarding within a paediatric or CYP context.
* Experience working within highly specialised or emerging clinical services.
* Experience contributing to regional or system‐wide pathways.
* Experience developing or implementing new models of care or advanced roles.
Knowledge
* In‐depth knowledge of AHP professional standards, scope of practice and governance requirements.
* Strong understanding of child development and neurodevelopment, including functional participation across everyday contexts.
* Knowledge of safeguarding legislation, risk assessment and risk management for children and young people.
* Knowledge of evidence‐based practice, outcome measurement and service evaluation.
* Understanding of multidisciplinary working within specialist CYP services.
* Knowledge of gender‐related distress and its interaction with developmental, communicative, sensory or functional needs.
* Knowledge of trauma‐informed and neuro‐affirmative approaches.
* Awareness of national policy and guidance relevant to specialist CYP services.
Skills
* Advanced clinical skills in assessment, formulation and intervention within a holistic, child‐centred framework.
* Highly developed communication skills, including the ability to convey complex and sensitive information clearly and compassionately.
* Strong clinical leadership and influencing skills, with the ability to guide and support MDT practice.
* Ability to work autonomously, manage complexity and make high‐level clinical and professional decisions.
* Strong analytical and problem‐solving skills, including the ability to use data and outcomes to inform practice.
* Skills in service redesign, quality improvement or change management.
* Experience in training delivery or professional education.
Additional Requirements
* Ability to contain and work with organisational stress and the stress of others.
* Ability to travel.
* Behaviour that reflects the Trust values of Together, Safe, Kind, Excellent.
* Actively promote and value equality, diversity and inclusion, treating others with dignity and respect.
* Compliance with all Trust policies and procedures.
* Evidence of working as an effective team member.
* Demonstration of confidentiality.
* Ability to identify and employ appropriate clinical governance mechanisms for maintaining practice in the face of emotive material and challenging behaviour.
* Ability to develop and use complex multimedia materials for presentations in public, professional and academic settings.
* Ability to form good working relationships with other professionals at all levels.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Address #J-18808-Ljbffr