Heads of Service - Adult Social Care

In Cornwall we put people at the heart of care and support and to enable those who draw on care and support to lead a fulfilled life. As part of this, our flagship programme ‘co-production and personalisation’ is driving the changes our residents want. As set out in our Business Plan, Public Health and Adult Social Care sit alongside the interventions of other Directorates, such as Neighbourhoods, to support the people of Cornwall to live in vibrant, safe and supported communities.

Cornwall offers some unparalleled wellbeing opportunities, particularly in its landscape, but as part of the Care & Wellbeing Directorate, Adult Social Care is tackling some of the biggest challenges and issues we face, now and over the coming years. With the opportunity to make real and lasting change in care and health, Cornwall is a rewarding place to practice and to develop services. Cornwall, like most of the Southwest, is demographically ageing faster - there are 7,500 more people over 85 than five years ago. There are pockets of acute deprivation; rates of mental ill-health are high and there are workforce supply issues due to other competing industries such as tourism.

Adult Social Care have recently reviewed its Senior Management structure to ensure that it’s best able to take on these challenges and we are now looking to recruit to 5 Head of Service roles, reporting to the Service Director for Adult Social Care. 

• Head of Access and Hospital Discharge

This is a primarily operational role, leading 3 area-based Independence and Wellbeing Services, covering community access, hospital discharge and our occupational therapy offer. The post holder will ensure that we are providing advice and information and promoting prevention, ensuring people are able to recover, reable and rehabilitate - at home where possible. Initial assessments are also undertaken within this service, with a strong focus on personalisation. You can view the role profile here.

• Head of Localities

This is primarily an operational role, leading 3 area-based Locality Teams, comprising small teams of social workers and social care practitioners, built around Primary Care Networks. This is a critical role for ongoing case management and undertaking adult safeguarding, with a strong focus on Making Safeguarding Personal. The post holder will also provide Senior Adult Social Care representation within the Integrated Care Areas. You can view the role profile here. 

• Head of Learning Disabilities and Mental Health

This is an operational and specialist strategic role, leading 3 area-based Mental Health Social Work teams, plus the Approved Mental Health Professionals service/arrangements, along with a small specialist core team for Learning Disabilities. This role will also in reach and oversee learning disabilities and mental health social care/social work undertaken within other teams (primarily localities) and will work with health and other colleagues to develop relevant services. You can view the role profile here. 

• Head of Adult Safeguarding

This is an operational and specialist strategic role, leading the Safeguarding Triage and Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH), along with the Safeguarding Adults Board and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) function. The post holder will build strong relationships across other agencies and other areas of the Council to ensure that safeguarding/ensuring safety remains an absolute priority. You can view the role profile here. 

• Head of Practice Quality Assurance and Principal Social Worker

This is a strategic role which operates with a significant degree of independence, with a strong dotted line report to the Executive Director/DASS. Working with a small, non-case holding team - this is a critical role and function for practice assurance, driving practice development activity in line with our Practice Quality Standards and Practice Framework. You can view the role profile here. 

You would be taking on the challenge together with an extremely supportive leadership team at officer and elected member level, within a whole-Council and whole-system ethos. There is a strong understanding of, and political commitment to care and wellbeing in Cornwall.

The care and wellbeing landscape continues to shift. The formation of the Integrated Care System has given us the opportunity to better define the services we offer and to reshape the way we work with our partners and those most in need. The key principles of decentralising, decarbonising, and digitising are shaping the journey ahead.    

Arrangements between health and care system partners have been through some big changes over recent years and we are continuing to develop relationships across the health and social care leadership team, who all have a strong collective commitment to our people. 

You will join a talented and ambitious leadership team of officers and elected members, committed to genuinely working together with a clear sense of purpose, direction and strategic intent.  

All roles support continuing collaboration between health and care services and will lead and drive service modernisation as part of a whole Council focus to manage the risks and improve outcomes for vulnerable adults and reduce health inequalities in Cornwall.

About you

We are looking for Heads of Service who share our vision and who will relish the opportunity to work collaboratively to secure a shared future and to stick around to see that vision through. You will need to relish a challenge and have:

• A collaborative approach to the leadership of teams, our organisation and public services across Cornwall.
• A ‘can do’, solution focussed attitude with experience of successfully leading transformation change across complex publicly funded systems.
• A credible leadership style that is able to generate followership from adult social care colleagues.
• The resilience to tackle difficult issues and see things through to successful conclusion.
• Commercial acumen.

You will have extensive experience of Adult Social Care and enjoy being part of a senior team, able to work closely with colleagues on cross cutting agendas and contribute to our corporate priorities. Importantly, you will have a strong commitment to Cornwall as a place and to those who live here. We are looking for someone who brings experience of building strong partnerships, successfully leading diverse teams and who has the ability to navigate through complexity in a fast-moving environment whilst remaining focussed on our long-term vision.