Head of Service Adult Social Care Operations

Overview

In this Head of Service role, you will provide strategic leadership for a major Adult Social Care portfolio within Southampton City Council. You will drive high-quality, safe, and legally compliant services, commission improvement and cultural change, and strengthen partnership working across health, providers and community organisations. You will lead large, complex services, embed strengths-based practice and prevention, and shape an integrated, person-centred care system. This is a senior leadership opportunity to accelerate the transformation and deliver sustainable outcomes for residents.

Pay / Benefits

• Local government pension with 15.2% employer contribution
• Generous holiday entitlement (25–34 days)
• Flexible working options
• Training and development including coaching and mentoring
• Health and wellbeing support
• Volunteering opportunities (2 paid days)

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for a significant Adult Social Care portfolio
• Ensure delivery of high-quality, safe, responsive and legally compliant services
• Lead large and complex services, driving transformation and cultural change
• Embed strengths-based practice, prevention, and professional excellence
• Strengthen system partnership working to integrate health, council, providers and community organisations
• Oversee service performance, workforce development, financial stewardship, risk management and delivery of savings and improvement priorities
• Provide assurance, professional advice and challenge to senior leaders and governance forums
• Contribute to leadership of Adult Social Care and the wider Council
• Shape future operating model and lead improvement across organisational boundaries

Key requirements

• Experience leading complex services and delivering improvement
• Ability to inspire high-performing teams and operate in complex environments
• Proven accountability for performance, finance, workforce, quality and transformation
• Strategic leadership across organisations and system partners
• Strong governance, risk management and stakeholder engagement skills

• ambitious and values-driven
• energised by challenge
• confident operating in complexity
• system leadership
• transformation and programme management
• performance management and governance

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