Fresh thinking and new approaches in Somerset.

Somerset Council's Chief Executive Duncan Sharkey spoke to the MJ about the Council's fantastic new opportunity - the Executive Director for Adult Services and Housing. 

Being one of the UK’s newest local authorities opens the door to fresh thinking and different approaches.

Since launching two and a half years ago, Somerset Council has endeavoured to seize those opportunities – a prime example being its award-winning work around adult social care.

The My Life, My Future transformation programme has become something of a beacon for change across the organisation in the way it has harnessed the benefits of prevention and early intervention to promote independence and deliver both reduced costs and better outcomes.

With the current Executive Director for Adult Services and Housing, Mel Lock, taking retirement, the search is on for someone with the leadership skills to take the service forward.

‘Mel has been an exemplary colleague for us and has built the system up and developed partnerships and relationships to a point where we are in a really good place,’ explains Chief Executive Duncan Sharkey. ‘It means we have a brilliant opportunity for somebody to come in – whether they’re an existing DASS or someone stepping up – and nurture and empower the team to grow and develop.’

Adult social care has seen significant investment to enable it to focus on innovation, says Duncan. A key challenge for Mel’s successor will be taking forward the council’s drive towards neighbourhood working to ensure more people can access appropriate support in their communities.

While there is ‘still a long way to go’, he says, there are already strong foundations to build on.

‘We’ve taken forward transformational work across the whole function to make it people focused and data led. We have turned a corner because of the work we have done and adult social care now has one of the best financial set ups.

‘There are really good relationships internally across the organisation, with key partners like health and the voluntary sector and with those in receipt of services as we move towards more coproduction with residents.

‘There’s a huge amount of support and good networks across the whole of Somerset. It’s very much about local people helping local people.’

Somerset takes in market towns, coastal resorts, rural communities, swathes of beautiful countryside and Wells, England’s smallest city. Since the launch of a countywide unitary authority to serve this diverse range of places, the focus has very much been on integrating what were previously five separate councils.

‘We have been working really hard to get teams, policies and operations in place to build on the great work of our predecessors,’ Duncan explains. ‘We want to make local services even better to ensure we are delivering the best possible outcomes for people in Somerset.’

There has also been a major effort to give the unitary a greater presence within communities – for example through neighbourhood workers and by building strong relationships with city, town and parish councils – and to connect residents with their new council.

Reorganisation gave Somerset the opportunity to combine the housing functions of the county’s four district councils with adult social care. With so many links between the two, it creates the chance to provide seamless services tailored to individual needs, says Duncan.

‘Housing is intrinsically linked with some of our adult services. There are common pathways and partnerships, with adult social care having partners including housing, and vice versa. It makes a lot of sense to join it up.

‘I think there’s an opportunity to make a difference within transitions so they are as smooth as possible, especially from children’s to adults. With housing being joined up, could we build properties for individual needs – a lifetime home? It gives us really exciting opportunities there to improve people’s quality of life.’

Above all else, there’s one attribute in particular that he is looking for in the next Executive Director for Adult Services and Housing.

‘We’re looking for a great leader. This isn’t a technical or operational role. We have got a brilliant team here that I’m very proud of and we want to make sure they have someone who can support them to be even better in the future.

‘We have been good at attracting people from all sorts of different councils and countries and that’s brought diversity into our thinking. So what’s really interesting is seeing what someone new can bring to this role: what have they learned elsewhere that can help us move forward on things like prevention, neighbourhood working, utilising AI and data. This is a corporate role so it’s not just about adult services, we want them to be a leader on these themes across the organisation.’

He adds: ‘I think coming to Somerset for this role offers a great chance to grow and burnish your career. We have brilliant teams, stable finances, and a real opportunity for innovation and developing great partnerships. Why wouldn’t you want to come to Somerset?’

Originally published in the Municipal Journal, 23 October 2025.

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