The role
As Head of Flourishing Programmes, you will lead the strategic and operational delivery and expansion of our growing suite of values-led professional learning programmes: Flourishing Leaders, Flourishing Teachers, Flourishing ECTs (in partnership with UCL), and Leaders Like Us. These programmes are designed to support the flourishing of educators at every stage of their journey, with a strong emphasis on inclusion, vocation, and leadership development. You will oversee a dedicated team and work closely with internal colleagues, delivery partners, and national collaborators to ensure these programmes are impactful, inclusive, and sector-leading. This role requires a visionary and relational leader who can manage complexity, inspire excellence, and drive continuous improvement across the programmes.
Strategic Leadership and Quality Assurance
- Provide strategic oversight of the Flourishing Programmes, including 'Leaders Like Us', ensuring alignment with organisational priorities and the Church of England Vision for Education.
- Lead the development and implementation of robust quality assurance processes to ensure excellence in delivery and readiness for external evaluation.
- Use data, evaluation, and research to drive continuous improvement and innovation across all programmes.
Team Leadership and People Management
- Line manage team members, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and professional growth.
- Support the development of a high-performing team through coaching, mentoring, and clear performance expectations.
- Champion a values-led leadership culture that reflects the ethos of the National Society for Education and wider Church of England.
Programme Delivery and Operational Oversight
- Oversee the full participant journey across all Flourishing Programmes, including recruitment, onboarding, retention, and completion.
- Ensure effective systems and processes are in place to support delivery, including digital platforms, communications, and participant support.
- Ensure all contractual elements of the UCL partnership are met in a timely and accurate manner, including KPI reporting and compliance.
- Ensure Flourishing ECTE programme is ready for UCL monitoring, Ofsted or other external evaluations.
- Lead on the resolution of complex operational issues, including participant transfers, deferrals, and reasonable adjustments.
Stakeholder Engagement and Partnership Working
- Work closely with delivery partners, including UCL, and MAT/Diocesan networks, to ensure effective communication, training, and support.
- Build and sustain relationships with key stakeholders across the education sector, including dioceses, MATs, and other national providers.
- Drive growth and programme engagement/recruitment across regional areas by developing strong, strategic relationships with schools, trusts, and diocesan networks.
- Represent the Flourishing Programmes on the national stage as an ambassador for our work, contributing to sector-wide conversations, networks, and events.
- Work collaboratively with the leadership team and the Partnerships and Engagement Team to strategically strengthen, streamline, and equip our Delivery Partner network - ensuring consistency across programmes, a unified voice and building capacity to drive increasing participant demand.
Collaborative Leadership
- Collaborate closely with the Head of Curriculum and Enablement and Head of NPQ Programmes as part of the Professional Learning Senior Leadership Team, reporting to the Head of Professional Learning.
- Contribute to the development of a holistic and coherent professional learning offer that reflects the organisation's values and meets the needs of leaders across the system.
- Ensure alignment and collaboration across all programme areas, supporting shared priorities, resource allocation, and cross-team innovation.
The Church of England’s vocation is and always has been to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ afresh in each generation to the people of England.



Key responsibilities:
1. Main Purpose of the Job
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To ensure the panel reflects AvMA’s values and that where possible the panel is managed in line with our strategic plan.
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To manage and oversee the operation of the specialist AvMA clinical negligence panel to include ensuring the qualifying requirements for panel applicants are relevant and up to date and reflect any important medical and legal developments.
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The assessment of panel applications and interviewing of Applicants. Convening meetings of the panel committee, drafting agendas for those meetings and identifying issues to be discussed.
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Identify ways for the AvMA panel application process to become more streamlined, efficient and supportive of lawyers making panel applications. To develop the process to ensure it is fit for purpose, relevant and continues to meet the needs of the public.
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Ensuring the AvMA database of panel membership and special interests is kept up to date. Giving informal advice to solicitors enquiring about panel membership requirements, liaising and meeting with firms as required.
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Travelling and attending key networking events, including AvMA’s three-day (2 overnight stays) annual conference and AvMA annual panel meeting (usually held end Nov, beginning December), engaging with potential AvMA panel applicants, promoting the benefits of accreditation and the junior scheme (Certificates Competence Scheme (CCS)), keeping up to date with medical and legal developments. Speaking at panel meetings and generally to promote the panel.
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Working with the conference department to identify relevant topics for panel meetings and conference events.
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To improve on the current re-accreditation process to make it more streamlined and user friendly for applicants.
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To ensure relevant data from panel applications is captured on the CRM. Regular analysis of panel data, findings shared with AvMA senior leadership team and more widely where appropriate.
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To pursue AvMA’s EDI strategy by considering ways in which the panel can be developed to ensure panel members are as ethnically diverse as possible.
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To liaise with AvMA’s conference department to advise on any training which may be required to strengthen AvMA panel members knowledge and information base.
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To work with the Director Medico Legal services in assessing applications for Certificate of Competence Scheme (CCS) for juniors. To update and work on the Certificates Competence Scheme including organising applicant feedback to ensure this scheme continues to be fit for purpose. To inform and work with panel applicant mentors in strengthening the scheme.
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To deliver on administrative requirements such as quarterly reports for trustees, working with AvMA’s Service Delivery Quality and Outreach Committee (SDQOC) as required to update on continued improvement of AvMA Panel Accreditation Scheme.
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Dealing with queries raised by AvMA Panel applicants and/or juniors who may have had their applications rejected.
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Ensuring AvMA panel template letters and documents are updated
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From time to time speaking publicly about requirements for AvMA panel membership, common pitfalls and how to overcome them as well as other matters relating to panel.
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To consider client complaints about panel members to determine whether the threshold for disciplinary action under AvMA’s Panel procedures is met.
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To manage disciplinary procedure for AvMA Panel members, identify and liaise with adjudicators, prepare documentation, set up the hearing.
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To manage appeals against rejection of an application for accreditation/reaccreditation, liaise with adjudicators.
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To keep on top of any government, regulatory or other policy changes which may affect the way in which patients can access justice, recover damages and seek redress for adverse clinical outcomes, as well as any improvements or impediments to lawyers undertaking this work.
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To develop and grow the AvMA panel accreditation and Certificates Competence scheme membership; to identify cost efficiencies and maximum engagement with AvMA accredited panel solicitors.
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Any other duties associated with the role.
2. Skills and Experience
Administration of the AvMA Panel
The bulk of the administration and management tasks do not require specialist skills; however, assistance is provided by the PA to the CEO when required.
AvMA has a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) driven computer system throughout the organisation, the introduction has been phased and the applicant should be confident enough with sufficient IT skills to onboard the new system. The CRM works with Microsoft Dynamics 365 a data driven software solution which is intended to manage, track and store information. AvMA considers IT to be an ongoing commitment and the new panel accreditation manager should be willing to consider ways in which AvMA can maximise the impact of the CRM to improve services and data collection on key issues identified from panel related activities.
Tasks such as updating and preparing new panel application documents and report forms will require medical and legal input, the panel application interview process will involve discussions about topical medico legal issues and for this reason the post would suit someone who has a legal background, ideally qualified as a solicitor or barrister, preferably with clinical negligence accreditation. A a medical background would be helpful.
Assessment of new applications, interviews and dealing with correspondence
The Panel Accreditation Manager is primarily responsible for the assessment of new panel accreditation applications.
The role of Panel Accreditation Manager would suit someone who has practised as a claimant clinical negligence lawyer who is looking to draw on their expertise and experience in a new role.The successful applicant should be confident in assessing former peers and colleagues in a fair and impartial way.
The nature of this work is such that the Panel Accreditation Manager can come into possession of sensitive information, discretion and respecting confidentiality are key qualities for this role.
Reaccreditations
Reaccreditation assessments are done internally by the Panel Accreditation Manager, occasionally assistance can be provided by members of the internal panel assessment team.
AvMA aims to make reaccreditations more straightforward for practitioners and the new appointee will be expected to liaise with the profession to understand where they consider the biggest hurdles to reaccreditation lie and to consider how these can be overcome without compromising standards.
AvMA receives a minimum of 15 applications for reaccreditation per annum, however numbers are usually considerably higher, up to 30 per annum.It is thought that the reaccreditation process could be designed to be more streamlined and user friendly for both the applicant and in house.
Other AvMA Panel assessments
In addition to assessing AvMA panel applications and reaccreditations the Panel Accreditation Manager will need to assess applications from accredited panel members who have changed firms.
Change of firm applications tend to be straightforward if the applicant has been on the panel for some time and is going to a firm where there is another AvMA panel member but the process is more in depth for those going to a firm which does not have another AvMA panel member. The Panel Application Manager needs to be confident that the new firm can meet the minimum standards and supervision requirements required of a first time panel application.
There are about 5 applications for changes of firm rising to a maximum of 10 per annum.
Interim Reviews
From time to time first time applicants may demonstrate that they largely meet the core criteria for AvMA Panel membership but there may be some areas that require improvement.In those cases, AvMA can award the applicant AvMA panel status subject to a review sometime later.The Panel Accreditation Manager is responsible for following up that review and examining progress made.The review is an opportunity to identify if the applicant has succeeded in strengthening the areas of weakness identified.If they have not, they risk losing their AvMA panel status entirely.
There are about 3 interim reviews per annum, currently not exceeding 6.
3. Other
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To support the Events Department’s quality initiatives and to suggest continuing improvements where needs arise.
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To undertake other duties commensurate with the post as may be required.
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Deputise for the Head of Events when necessary
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.