Chief Allied Health Professions Officer Wales

Vacancy title

Chief Allied Health Professions Officer Wales

Closing date

23/03/2026, 16:00

Advertising basis

Loan, Permanent, Secondment

Actual starting salary

A starting salary between £76,715 to £88,023, will be offered to the successful candidate based on their skills, knowledge, experience and performance at interview. This range is not negotiable. Secondees will remain on their employer’s terms and conditions of service and current basic salary.

Salary range or pay band

Grade 6 £76,715 to £88,023

Allowances

No

Work pattern

Full time (applications are welcome from people who work part time, as part of a job share or who work full time)

Group

Health, Social Care and Early Years

Directorate

Primary Care, Mental Health and Early Years

Branch

Primary and Community Care

Location (s)

Cardiff, Pan Wales

Main office base

Cathays, Cardiff

Purpose of post

The role of the Chief Allied Health Professions Officer (CAHPO) is a key Professional leadership role within the Health, Social Care and Early Years Group (HSCEY). Knowledge and experience of system wide leadership will be key.

Accountable to the Director of Primary Care, Mental Health and Early Years, you will ensure senior leaders and Welsh Ministers receive appropriate, timely and high-quality professional advice in respect of the Allied Health Professions (AHPs). You will work alongside other professional advisors and with senior leaders including the Director General for Health, Social Care and Early Years and Chief Executive of NHS Wales and the Chief Social Care Officer for Wales to deliver improvements to health and care services in Wales.

As a HCPC registrant in one of the 13 professions identified as AHPs in the AHP Framework for Wales, you will have a demonstrable breadth of knowledge and experience, sufficient profile and experience to lead your peers and engage effectively with the wider AHP community in delivering Government ambitions.

As Head of Profession for AHPs in Wales you will work across the health system, and with local authorities, and others (e.g., housing and education) and o versee the strategic direction and leadership of the AHP professions that are regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) together with associated staff groups and support workers.

These professions are: art, music and drama therapy, dietetics, podiatry, physiotherapy, prosthetics, orthotics, occupational therapy, orthoptics, paramedic, psychology or speech and language therapy.

Key tasks

• Provide expert professional leadership and advice on strategic and policy direction and development, professional practice and operational issues to drive increased access to AHP expertise in the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation and recovery from conditions.

Strategic oversight, direction and leadership of delivering ‘The AHP Framework for Wales: Looking Forward Together (2019)’ framework.

Work with workforce policy colleagues in Welsh Government, Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) and Social Care Wales to secure and grow sufficient and effective undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing education and training opportunities for the AHPs in Wales.

Support policy officials to shape the AHP research agenda and stimulate the generation, translation and dissemination of this knowledge to the relevant stakeholders in Wales and across the rest of the UK.

Advise on all statutory duties for those areas of health and social care policy relevant to the 13 separate AHPs to enable the optimal use of their skills and ensure high compliance with quality and patient safety standards.

Work with the Welsh AHP Advisory Committee, AHP Network, AHP professional bodies, leaders and experts in each of the professions to secure quality assured sources of advice to underpin professional advice on innovative AHP practise and the potential impact on public health, the NHS and social care.

Support the development of systems which maximise the potential benefits of new technologies and to promote evidence-based practice and high-quality research activity among allied health professionals for service quality improvement and innovation adoption for person centred care.

Develop and support the effective use of resources and Value Based health and care principles within the allied health professions and facilitate the continuing professional development, research and evaluation to improve clinical effectiveness and outcome.

Provide authoritative advice on human resources issues within the allied health professions in Wales in terms of workload, planning, training and continued professional development.

Development opportunities

The post offers the opportunity to work at the heart of government and be part of improving and transforming health and care services. In particular, the role offers the potential to lead the modernisation, transformation and improvement of AHP practice to deliver better outcomes for the population.

Other vacancy related information

• A reserve list may be held for this opportunity. Any candidate who is successful in being offered a reserve status, will remain on the reserve list for 12 months.

A stakeholder engagement exercise will be undertaken as part of Stage 2, followed by an interview.

A presentation/ test on ‘seeing the big picture’ will be required at interview stage (Stage 2). More information will be provided in the invitations to that stage.

A CV is requested as part of the application process. The CV is for information only and will not be scored as part of the assessment process.

Applicants for this post will be required to demonstrate, via their CV, and through evidence at onboarding stage, that they meet the following criteria:

• Registration in one of the HCPC allied health professions recognised in the AHP Framework for Wales. (art, music or drama therapy, dietetics, podiatry, physiotherapy, prosthetics, orthotics, occupational therapy, orthoptics, paramedic, psychology or speech and language therapy)
• Relevant postgraduate education or equivalent experience
• Demonstrable experience of your leadership contribution and impact in the field of allied health professions, and across the health and care system, at a strategic national or international level.

In the event of a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted against the lead assessment criterion: Leadership. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

This opportunity is available as a 2 year secondment or loan or on a permanent basis. If the successful candidate chooses to take up the role on a secondment basis they will remain on the terms and conditions of their employer, including basic salary. Loanees will move to Welsh Government’s pay scale for the G6 salary for the duration of the loan. At the end of the loan, you will return to your substantive grade and pay arrangements in your home organisation. Please see our candidate guidance for pay arrangements.

Vetting level

Basic

Number of posts

1

Contact point for further information regarding the post

hscey.pcmhey.directorsoffice@gov.wales

Welsh language requirements

3 - Welsh language skills are not essential for this post, they are however desirable and will be considered if two or more candidates receive the same score at the application or interview stage.

Understanding by reading

3 - Can read some routine work-related material with support e.g. dictionary

Speaking and being understood

3 - Can converse in some work-related conversations

Understanding by listening

3 - Can understand routine work-related conversations

Writing and being understood

3 - Can prepare routine work-related material with checking

Welsh Government, like all other Government Departments use Success Profiles when we recruit. For each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job. It raises performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

Behaviour 1

The selection process and stages are:

Leadership

Welcome and respond to views and challenges from others, despite any conflicting pressures to ignore or give in to them.

Behaviour 2

Communicating and Influencing

Deliver difficult messages with clarity and sensitivity, being persuasive when required.

Behaviour 3

Seeing the Big Picture

Ensure plans and activities in your area of work reflect wider strategic priorities and communicate effectively with senior leaders to influence future strategies.

Behaviour 4

Changing and Improving

Consider the full impact of implementing change on culture, structure, morale and the impacts on the diverse range of end users, including accessibility needs.

Evidence to provide

CV, Experience questions

Experience 1

A strong track record of working at a senior level and across traditional professional boundaries, to deliver change.

Strength 1

Influencer

Strength 2

Change Agent

You will be asked about your nationality and if you are legally allowed to work in the United Kingdom. This is to find out if you are eligible to apply for this vacancy. This is a requirement for working within the Civil Service. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

If you do not meet the eligibility criteria your application will not progress. If it becomes clear at a later stage in the process that you are not eligible to apply, your application may be withdrawn, or the offer retracted.

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)

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

All Welsh Government staff are members of the Civil Service, and as a result are eligible for:

• Civil Service Pension Scheme
• 31 days annual leave (pro-rated for part time)
• training and development opportunities
• Cycle2Work Scheme
• Smart Working flexible working arrangement
• Green Car Scheme (subject to availability)
  
  

If you are an active Civil Service Pension member you can continue your membership throughout your employment with us.

If you are an active Civil Service Pension member you can continue your membership throughout your employment with us.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition. Please see the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles on the Commission's website.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and wish to make a complaint please email complaints@gov.wales . Please ensure that you refer to the vacancy reference number.

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Welsh Government, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: info@csc.gov.uk.

How To Apply

All applications for this vacancy must be made using our online application system.

Unless stated otherwise in the 'Other vacancy-related information for advert', the Welsh Government cannot offer Visa sponsorship. Welsh Government holds a Visa sponsorship licence, but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

Applications are welcomed from people with a diverse range of lived and professional experiences. We are actively committed to becoming an increasingly diverse organisation which represents the diverse communities we serve. There are a number of Diversity networks that staff can participate in, which include the Disability Awareness and Support Staff Network; Minority Ethnic Staff Network; Mind Matters (Mental health and well-being); PRISM (LGBTI+), Women Together and the Neurodivergence Network.

If you have an impairment which prevents you from applying online, please email our recruitment team. You can:

• request an application pack in an alternative format

request a recruitment adjustment to help you submit your application

Use the 'Apply' button to submit your application. You will be asked to register if you don't have an account or sign in if you do. Registration takes a few minutes and you will need an email address.

You should check your Application Centre regularly for updates to your application. Please also check your spam/junk folder in case any communication regarding your application and/or assessment details finds its way there.

Once you've registered for an account and logged in, you'll be taken to the online application form. You must complete this and submit it before the deadline on the closing date. We will not consider an incomplete application form.

If you would like to apply for this vacancy in Welsh, please use the Change Language link on this page. We welcome applications in Welsh, and applications submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than applications submitted in English.

Please see the candidate guidance for more information on the recruitment process.

For information on Civil Service Success Profiles please click here .

For TS to G6 recruitment schemes: When presenting your evidence, you may find it useful to consider the expectations of the grade as set out in the Grade Description as well as the main responsibilities that are essential for the role.

Use the 'Apply' button to submit your application. You will be asked to register if you don't have an account or sign in if you do. Registration takes a few minutes and you will need an email address.

You should check your Application Centre regularly for updates to your application. Please also check your spam/junk folder in case any communication regarding your application and/or assessment details finds its way there.

Once you've registered for an account and logged in, you'll be taken to the online application form. You must complete this and submit it before the deadline on the closing date. We will not consider an incomplete application form.

If you would like to apply for this vacancy in Welsh, please use the Change Language link on this page. We welcome applications in Welsh, and applications submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than applications submitted in English.

Please see the candidate guidance for more information on the recruitment process.

For information on Civil Service Success Profiles please click here .

For TS to G6 recruitment schemes:

When presenting your evidence, you may find it useful to consider the expectations of the grade as set out in the Grade Description as well as the main responsibilities that are essential for the role.