Location: Hybrid – Northampton – office attendance c 3 days per week

To report directly to the Corporate Director Adults (DASS) for West Northamptonshire. A core member of the Strategic Leadership Team for Adult Services responsible for the strategic planning, engagement, operational & statutory delivery of key services and accountability for the financial & budgetary management & control of the 100 million budget for Adult Social Care.

To develop and deliver high quality services for local people in partnership with all key stakeholders ensuring that best possible outcomes for people who use services, and their families are delivered. As strategic service lead the role bears accountability for ensuring services, practice & standards meet statutory requirements and that all professionals work together to deliver Making Safeguarding Personal to promote and secure the safety of local residents.

The role requires leadership of key strategic programmes across the services with key partners to deliver the vision & outcomes required whilst anticipating and planning for demand in the short, medium and long term.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Management

• To ensure that services are of a high quality and that practice and standards meet statutory requirements with all professionals working together to deliver Making Safeguarding Personal to shape and promote the safety of local residents.
• Engage with senior political and managerial leaders to ensure Adult’s Services meet legal and statutory obligations and effective and transparent scrutiny arrangements are in place.
• Provide strategic leadership and direction for the delivery and development of Adult Services and provide assurance that the best possible outcomes are being delivered for people who use services and family carers.
• Contribute to and lead the development and delivery of strategies, business plans and operational service plans aligned to Corporate and Directorate plans and priorities.
• Provide ongoing accountability for performance and delivery to agreed actions and plans.

Core Responsibilities

• To be transparent and accountable across all aspects of service delivery, quality & performance for key service areas.
• Set clear objectives & outcomes and establish short, medium and long-term business, performance & quality targets.
• Provide regular updates and position statements as required and agreed
• To be accountable for the Financial & Budgetary management & control linked to the specified areas of service for this post.
• Contribute to and shape the development, establishment, and delivery of the overall budget framework for Adult Services.
• Provide assurance that all resources are being maximised to provide high quality care and support in response to local needs and demand, including innovation, income maximisation, effective asset management and ongoing improvements to business processes.
• Accountable for the leadership and management of services, safeguarding, and providing assurance that risks are identified assessed & mitigated, across the allocated group of services.
• Meet strategic priorities, delivering planned and agreed outcomes.
• Ensure that statutory, financial, and reputational risks are identified, mitigated, tracked and reported at appropriate levels and in a timely way.
• To maximise personal productivity, minimise duplication and errors; and manage our information efficiently and securely to reduce risk, though effective use of Office 365 and our internal IT systems and applications.

The candidates must have:

• A real strength in operational social work Experience of neighbourhood health working Experience in setting up integrated teams
• Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills
• Able to engage a diverse range of people who use services partner organisations and staff to promote good relations and equality.
• Excellent problem solving skills and experience of handling conflict and managing sensitive issues to achieve positive outcomes.
• Ability to forge, maintain and develop positive working relationships with current and new Stakeholders.
• Ability to assess & mitigate risk whilst effectively developing and managing services / strategic priorities.
• Ability to shape services by creatively thinking and being innovative to address priorities and meet customer needs.
• Ability to establish and develop monitoring systems for the continuous development of people and services, establishing effective team working for the delivering of high quality and commercially viable services. To performance managed effectively.
• Ability to give clear direction and role model Directorate & Council values.
• Ability to demonstrate awareness / understanding of equal opportunities and other people’s behaviour, physical, social and welfare needs.
• Ability and willingness to travel both inside and outside of the Borough as required.
• The ability and willingness to participate in an out of hour’s rota.
• High level written and oral communication skills.
• Detailed & extensive understanding of the legislative frameworks and statutory requirements relating to adult social care services.
• Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of financial & budgetary management & control requirements for Adult Social Care and its fit with the overall Corporate budgetary position.
• Detailed understanding of the scope of the Care Act and the remit and requirements of the Care Quality Commission.
• A good understanding of the operational, commercial and social community aspects of a similar, diverse and complex environment across adult social care.
• Understanding of best practice models across social care with an ability to successfully generate new and innovative business case to implement transformation and manage change effectively.
• Understand the importance of and commitment to incorporating the public, private and voluntary sectors in service delivery.
• Understanding of the commercial market for adult social care and an ability to successfully generate new business opportunities to maximise income and resources.
• Experience at third tier or above and service delivery within the public or health sector
• Demonstrate similar complex organisational experience at a high level e.g., Assistant Director level.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the safe working practices that apply to this role, and the delivery of Making Safeguarding Personal.
• Degree-level or equivalent in a relevant subject or equivalent by experience.
• In a social care, health, or business-related subject.
• Professional or Management qualification
• ILM Level 5 or equivalent.
• Related to health, social care or management role or extensive experience in management of similar functions.
• Professional qualification in health or social care.
• This is applicable to all roles in WNC that are required to use IT equipment: Demonstrate effective use of Office 365 (incl. Teams, OneDrive, etc.) or willingness to undertake training during the probation period.