Welcome to Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen

Thank you for your interest in the position of deputy Head of Adult Services across both Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen County Borough Councils.

As the Joint Assistant Director of Adult Social Care for Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council and Torfaen County Borough Council, I am delighted to share what I believe is one of the most exciting leadership opportunities in Adult Social care in Welsh local government today.

This role is much more than a traditional deputy Head of Service position. It is an opportunity to be part of how we can shape, influence and lead the adult social care in our two Local Authorities and make a real difference to the lives and person outcomes of our most vulnerable residents. The post is directly responsible for leading key social care social work services across both authorities, including  having direct leadership of four social work locality patch teams and wider strategic influence for shaping the way we work with key partners to provide place based care and opportunities for the development of preventative approaches to meet support needs.

We are proud of the progress that has already been made through our collaborative approach to service delivery. However, we are ambitious for the future and recognise that local government continues to face significant challenges and opportunities. Communities expect excellent services, financial pressures require innovation and efficiency, and we must continue to modernise the way we work both corporately but also across our health, social care and third sector communities. We are therefore looking for an exceptional leader who can inspire people, challenge conventional thinking and drive continuous improvement whilst maintaining a focus on delivering for our most vulnerable residents, their carers and wider support networks.

The successful candidate will join a newly created forward-thinking Adult Services leadership team and will play a key role in shaping the future of both preventative and longer-term support solutions across both councils. You will be responsible for leading teams, managing resources, supporting service transformation, promoting best practice social work interventions and ensuring that the people we support are able to co-produce support that enables them to remain as independent as possible for as long as possible. You will also work closely with elected members, key statutory partners, our regulators, wider communities and third sector groups to ensure that the key principles of the Social Services and Wellbeing Act (2014) are fundamental in our values and ethos and deliver meaningful outcomes.

I am looking for someone who is passionate about social care, is a strong advocate and a voice for people who require our support and who understands the importance of visible and authentic leadership. You will be a leader who can bring health and social care professionals together around a common purpose, motivate teams through change, and create a culture where preventative approaches, innovation, accountability and collaboration thrive. You will be comfortable operating within a complex challenging environment where balancing competing local priorities with strategic ambitions and external pressures is essential.

You will help shape how consistent, high quality social work practices are delivered across two councils, champion new approaches to service improvement and play a pivotal role in ensuring people continue to receive the high-quality support and interventions that are appropriate and proportionate to their outcomes. You will have the opportunity to influence strategic direction whilst remaining closely connected to the social care preventative and long-term social work support that are driven by our social care principles and legislation.

Most importantly, I am looking for a leader who shares our core social care values, someone who believes in promoting and developing personal outcomes and ‘what matters’ principles, champions a preventative approach with proportionate and timely intervention, and is a strong advocate for equality and inclusion. .

If you are energised by the prospect of leading high-profile social care services, shaping organisational transformation across the health and social care journey and making a visible difference across Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen, I would be delighted to receive your application.

I look forward to learning more about what you could bring to this exciting role.

Yours sincerely

Alyson Hoskins

Assistant Director / Head of Adult Services and Commissioning
Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council & Torfaen County Borough Council

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