Assistant Director Adult Social Care

This opportunity as Lincolnshire County Council's new Assistant Director in Adult Social Care is both exciting and challenging. It is exciting, because Lincolnshire is a large and varied place, with a changing population, and has the partnerships and the resources to develop new approaches that enable people to lead what have been so aptly described as ‘gloriously ordinary lives’.

The County Council is stable, whether politically, in its officer leadership, and financially. We have long-established and sound relationships with our partners, both in the NHS, our external providers, and our VCSFE sector. We have adopted a strengths-based approach and have taken significant steps to ensure that people who draw on care and support are enabled to maintain the maximum level of independence, and to exercise choice and control over their lives. These strengths were recognised last year, when the Care Quality Commission assessed the County Council as being ‘Good’ across the board.

There are certainly challenges too. The Lincolnshire population is somewhat older than the England average, and is aging rapidly – we expect the number of people aged over 85 to double within the next 15 years or so. We also have significant areas of deprivation, with rural and coastal parts of the county often having limited access to services and poor digital connectivity. And, like every other Local Authority in the country, we need to keep a close eye on managing our budgets to secure value for money and live within our means.

Our County Council's performance is consistently good to very good, as certified by our rating of GOOD across the board from our recent CQC assurance review. We have a strong reputation for achieving more but spending less, with excellent outcomes for our residents while at the same time achieving a balanced budget in each of the past 10 years. We are looking for someone to join our senior team who can be part of making sure we continue on that path.

As a large and ambitious service, we are focused on enabling people to secure the best possible outcomes in their lives, building resilience, maximising independence and helping them stay connected to their chosen communities. You (and we with you) will only achieve this by working alongside strategic partners, people who draw on care and support, carers and our County Councillors.

Some of the key reasons for our success have been the longstanding close strategic partnerships within the Council and with partner organisations, a strong preventative offer and a clear commissioning model for social care. We're proud of the extent of the integrated working we've achieved between health and social care partners, which currently includes a pooled budget in excess of £260m. Working alongside colleagues in our seven District Councils, we have seen significant progress on improving housing provision for older and disabled people.

But this is not enough. We want to go further. A lot further.

You will be a bridge-builder, acting as a role model to those around you, with the strategic lead for the delivery of integrated arrangements and services for older people, effectively managing annual budgets of over £140m.  Key early tasks will include the development of a new approach to day services for older people, the establishment of an integrated approach to intermediate care with NHS partners, and the implementation of a new system-wide strategy for older people. More broadly, you will lead on ensuring the very highest standards of professional practice across adult social care as a whole, through your line management of the Principal Social Worker. You will also contribute to maintaining the service’s regional and national profile, maximising the Council's influence and promoting a philosophy of collaborative and integrated working.

We have a 'One Council' ethos, which means you will also have the opportunity to make a significant contribution to wider corporate transformation, building on what is a highly successful organisation. Within this, there is the potential to explore a range of different approaches that might become available, through the new devolution arrangements for Greater Lincolnshire, which will shortly bring together the County Council and the two unitary authorities for North and North-East Lincolnshire into a new Mayoral County Combined Authority.

About You

To undertake this role, it is desirable that you are a registered Social Worker with considerable experience within a statutory adult social care setting, however, we would consider and welcome applications from candidates with other relevant qualifications and experience.

You will also bring:

• The aptitude to be the person we need and have a track record of considerable success, with the evidence and experience to match
• The ability to effectively manage a high-profile personal portfolio, which is one of the biggest areas of responsibility at Lincolnshire County Council
• Energy and drive, combined with political astuteness

​There is huge opportunity for someone with vision, expertise, and commitment to join a strong team here in Lincolnshire County Council. If that sounds like you, we look forward to hearing from you.

For more information, please read the Candidate Pack below.

Download the Candidate Pack now

Indicative Timetable

Closing date for applications: Monday 4 November 2024
Preliminary interviews (via Microsoft Teams):  week commencing Monday 11 November 2024
Assessment Centre and Final interviews: week commencing Monday 25 November 2024

For an informal conversation about this role, please contact:

Dawn Faulkner
Email: dfaulkner@faerfield.co.uk
Phone: 0121 312 3755

Sean Anderson
Email: sanderson@faerfield.co.uk
Phone: 0121 312 3755