Purpose
A pivotal role in our senior team, reporting to the Director of Adult Social Services and Commissioning and supporting Elected Members, responsible for and providing leadership across the Adult Social Services and Commissioning Directorate.
This is a key role in delivering our overarching vision of making South Tyneside a place where people live healthy, happy and fulfilled lives.
The post holder will be responsible for implementing the Lets Talk Together practice approach working closely with the Principal Social Worker, driving improvements in practice, supporting the importance of prevention and early intervention, choice and control for people in terms of how their needs are met, delivering against the key objectives within the Living Better Lives Strategy.
Overall Objectives of the Post
- Provide vision and leadership to support the delivery of hiqh quality, safe services that improve outcomes for people who draw upon care and support and their carers in South Tyneside.
- Lead the Adult Social Care Service and coordinate and deliver the Council’s initiatives and priorities in order to ensure that South Tyneside has strong and sustainable communities and is an excellent place to live, work and visit.
- Work in partnership, as a key member of the Council’s Management Team, in leading specialist areas towards the achievement of the overall corporate vision by pursuing best practice and implementing value for money.
- Contribute to the achievement of the Council’s aims and objectives and secure continuous improvement in performance and standards through appropriate professional leadership, support and professional challenge within an overall framework that safeguards adults, their health and wellbeing.
- Develop and implement locality-based strategies for a broad portfolio of diverse service areas within South Tyneside and align all activity to the Directorate’s strategy and business model.
- Design and deliver value for money integrated public services and ensure attention to improving efficiency and robust cost management.
- Assume accountability for directly managing integrated service delivery, managing conflicting priorities and driving the achievement of continuously improved locality-based customer outcome.
- Develop services managed with appropriate partners, spotting and taking advantage of external changes so resource utilisation is maximised in the long term.
- Act as a figurehead for the service areas managed, liaising with Members, non-executive directors and senior individuals in external agencies, regionally and nationally, to influence agendas and increase inward investment.
- Drive appropriate organisational improvement, transformation, lead cultural, and policy change in line with the Council’s vision and values.
- Take responsibility for managing risks and resolving issues that may have a significant impact on the Council, for example, financial or political.
- Establish appropriate performance standards and determine priorities for resource allocation to meet clearly defined customer expectations.
- Ensure the provision of expert technical advice by service areas to senior leaders and partner organisations.
- Make recommendations for service improvement by creating an environment where new ideas can flourish and be implemented.
- Provide exemplary leadership to the council to ensure behaviours meet organisational values and create a working environment where employees can deliver their best and holding others accountable for their decisions.
- Recruit, lead and support staff to achieve quality services and encourage staff to develop their own understanding, knowledge and skills to ensure effective service delivery at all levels, and a workforce committed to the improvement of services to adults and their carers.
- Provide quality operational and strategic leadership to the Adult Social Care Directorate, in accordance with the legislative requirements, and the principles, objectives and policies of the Service.
- Ensure a comprehensive, flexible and coordinated response to the needs of individuals and their carers in the community and a committed and supportive working environment to deliver high quality services.
- Lead from the front through personal example, open commitment and clear action, valuing diversity, celebrating equality, involving and empowering people, encouraging innovation and promoting a clear customer focus and performance culture.
- Assume the Statutory responsibilities of the DASS in their absence, this role is the Deputy DASS.
Key Areas of Responsibility
- Early Intervention and Prevention
- Operational Social Work Teams
- Practice Standards and Improvement
- Quality and Audit for Practice
- CQC Practice Assurance
- Workforce Learning & Development
- Co production and engagement
- Safeguarding
- Deprivation of Liberty
- AMHP’s
Key Tasks of the Post
Corporate Management
- As a member of the Council’s Senior Management Team, contribute towards the effective management of the Council and the achievement of the Council’s corporate aims and assist in the development and implementation of corporate projects and initiatives.
- Advise and support Elected Members in pursuing the Council’s objectives and the provision of social care services for adults and or their carers. Advise Elected Members of the Council’s policies and procedures and professional obligations with regards to adult social care and or safeguarding.
- Work in partnership with other Heads of Service, each a key member of the Council’s Management Team, leading the service towards the achievement of the overall corporate vision by pursuing best practice and innovative ways of workings.
- Develop positive, influential and productive internal and external partnerships.
- Contribute to corporate teams tackling cross-cutting issues.
- Act for the Director of Adult Social Services and Commissioning as required.
Performance Management
- Within the corporate framework, establish processes for managers to monitor and evaluate standards of service and performance which take account of service user and carer needs and the provision of efficient and effective services which provide value for money.
- Ensure effective performance management systems are developed and maintained to ensure the delivery of effective social care services to adults and or their carers.
- Ensure that strong, quality audit and assurance systems are in place.
- Ensure the effective co-ordination, management and deployment of all resources, including budgetary control, within the service area, using established decision-making processes and in accordance with professional procedures and the Council’s standing orders and financial regulations.
- Manage risk to young people, adults and or their carers, employees and to the reputation of the Council.
Operational Management/Service Delivery
- Provide leadership and management to the Adult Social Services and Commissioning Service to achieve financial, legislative and policy objectives through an appropriate management ethos and culture.
- Lead and direct the activities of the service area to optimise the use of resources, respond effectively to current priorities and plan to meet future requirements, reacting and adapting quickly to any changes required.
- Develop strategic service and work plans and appropriate inter-agency joint planning. Ensure strategies and plans respond to and reflect service user needs and changes in legislation.
- Lead the safeguarding agenda for adults within the Council and on an inter-agency basis, and to be responsible to the Safeguarding Adults Partnership focusing particularly on Making Safeguarding Personal. Actively support the development of the South Tyneside Adults Safeguarding Board working closely with the relevant Senior Manager.
- Lead as appropriate on joint planning issues for adults and their carers; enabling the views of people who draw upon care and support and their carers to influence service development proposals for social care and wider services.
- Develop innovative responses to the challenges facing the Council in relation to its adult social care and commissioning. Lead the strategic development of services through changes in the local and national landscape, transforming services as appropriate.
- Provide effective leadership, guidance and support within the service to enable appropriate responses to sensitive and demanding situations involving those in need of care and support and or at risk. Make decisions and exercise professional judgement accordingly.
- Oversee issues of quality and risk in relation to the work of the service. Lead a culture of service improvement, overseeing caseloads, supervision and case file audit to support the well-being of employees and people who draw upon care and support.
- Work with the Principal Social Worker to ensure that professional leadership for the staff teams you are directly responsible for is delivered and ensure that our practice complies with current legislation and guidance and is strengths-based and person-centered.
- Provide leadership to transform the culture and practice of adult services so that we improve outcomes for people by adopting a community-led approach.
- Effectively manage the workforce ensuring that all employees operate within a productive environment and learning culture which is both conducive to the continuous improvement and performance of the service.
- Ensure the voice of the person is heard in everything we do by making authentic co-production business as usual’ so our residents and people using adult social care are able to influence and shape our future direction.
- Be an active member of the regional and local ADASS networks and adopt learning and best practice from other areas.
- Lead the corporate agenda for adults and their carers, promoting the importance of coproduction and advise Elected Members, particularly the Lead Member for Adults, Health and Independence, and the Scrutiny Commissions, as appropriate.
- Be an active contributor to partnerships, inspiring connections between teams and services in order to improve outcomes for adults and or their carers.
- Develop performance and quality management systems that deliver excellence and inspire staff.
- Champion a commitment to equality and diversity throughout the service and to implement relevant anti-discriminatory policies in all aspects of the service’s work.
South Tyneside Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
All employees have a responsibility to undertake training and development as required. They also have a responsibility to help, where appropriate and necessary, with the training and development of fellow colleagues.
All employees have a responsibility of care for their own and others health and safety.
The above list is not exhaustive and other duties may be attached to the post from time to time. Variation may also occur to the duties and responsibilities without changing the general character of the post.
