At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead strategic programmes in adult social care across five boroughs, driving impactful change.
- Company: Join Camden Council's North London Councils Partnership, a high-performing team making a difference.
- Benefits: Enjoy 27 days annual leave, flexible working, and career development opportunities.
- Other info: Inclusive workplace committed to diversity and providing support for all.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on local communities while developing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership experience in health or social care with strong strategic thinking skills.
The predicted salary is between 86889 - 96983 £ per year.
Salary: £86,889 - £96,983 (Dependant on experience)
Grade: Level 6 Zone 2
Location: 5 Pancras Square, London N1C 4AG/Hybrid
Hours per week: 37
Contract Type: Permanent / Full Time
Closing Date: Monday 27th July 2026 at 23:59
Interview: Week commencing 3rd August 2026
About North London Councils Partnership:
The post sits within the North London Councils Partnership, which is hosted by Camden Council. The North London Councils Partnership is a local authority led partnership supporting 13 boroughs to deliver programmes of work that address shared priorities in social care in partnership, and promote a strong local authority presence within North London’s Integrated Care System (ICS). The Partnership is a high profile, high performing team that in 2021 won the national LGC award for Adult Social Care demonstrating the impact of our work.
What You’ll Be Doing / How You’ll Be Involved:
- This key leadership role directs the North Central London (NCL) adult social care (ASC) programme across Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington Councils.
- It develops and leads a cross-borough market shaping and management programme covering key ASC service priorities including accommodation-based services, digital development and matrix leadership of workforce-related activity.
- The role provides strategic leadership of joint work with health partners, influencing them to support excellent outcomes for residents, and builds effective professional ASC leadership networks across the 5 boroughs.
Adult Social Care markets strategy and programme:
- Lead the development and delivery of cross-borough programmes of work with the ASC market that yield benefits for the local authorities, NHS partners and residents.
- Drive strategic collaborative and aligned commissioning approaches for ASC services across NCL to secure provision in line with local need and to yield substantial cost avoidance and/or financial savings, whilst ensuring the market remains sustainable.
- Champion a data driven and evidence-based approach to innovative programme strategy, delivery and reporting, including cyclical market analysis of trends, opportunities and risks; sustainable cost modelling; data digitisation and access for boroughs; expanding the range of data sources; and demonstrating impact and performance.
- Provide strategic leadership and coordination on ASC issues and in response to changing circumstances or guidance where there is aspiration to develop aligned approaches, coordinate responses or joint strategies.
- Oversee complex market shaping workstreams (including quality, price, market oversight and sufficiency, digital), to deliver specified outcomes and savings against challenging timeframes.
Strategic direction to NCL ASC Programme Board and Integrated Care System:
- Form trusting, credible relationships with a range of partners through an ability to think strategically, persuade, negotiate and influence a complex local agenda.
- This will include working closely with the 5 Directors of Adult Social Care and senior commissioners to agree approaches across the 5 boroughs.
- Lead on planning for the NCL ASC Programme Board reporting to the 5 Directors of Adult Social Services (DASS) and their leadership teams, providing expert advice and guidance that drives forward programme delivery and ensures the Partnership is achieving the anticipated outcomes.
- Develop excellent strategic relationships with care providers to promote health and social care input (e.g. digital social care), understand providers’ challenges and opportunities, improve outcomes and quality, and inform supportive effective council-NHS partnerships.
- Provide strategic and programme input on behalf of the 5 local authorities into a range of ICS workstreams with a focus on building effective joint planning and integrated working across health and social care.
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and will require an Enhanced DBS.
All About You:
We are looking for a proven and growing leader who is looking to further develop their skills, experience and impact in delivering complex change. You will benefit from direct exposure to senior local government officers and politicians across five local authorities. You will bring an ability to think strategically, persuade, negotiate and influence a complex and evolving local commissioning and market management agenda. You will also bring the skills required to develop and deliver a complex and evolving programme of commissioning and market shaping work that yields benefits for the local authorities, NHS partners and residents.
To be successful in this post, you will be excellent at building credible relationships across a wide range of stakeholders across the 5 Councils and NHS partners. You will be experienced at working collaboratively and successfully across agencies to deliver improved outcomes and will be confident in your ability to act as a system leader, developing excellent partnerships across the local authority and health landscape and inspiring confidence in stakeholders and staff at a time of significant change. You will be able to deal with conflicting views at a senior level including offering pragmatic and palatable solutions. You will be confident at analysing health and social care datasets to support a deeper understanding of local services and using your commissioning knowledge and experience to identify and action priorities for change.
You will be educated to degree level or equivalent, potentially with a professional qualification in health or social care. You will have extensive knowledge and experience of local authority and potentially health commissioning and ASC provider market management. You will have significant experience and understanding of building support for and managing complex, multidisciplinary projects across several partners that develop new approaches to address system challenges.
What We Offer:
- 27 days annual leave for new starters, rising to 31 days after 5 years
- Local Government Pension Scheme
- Flexible working opportunities
- Interest free loans
- Access to our incredible staff networks
- Career development and training
- Wellbeing support and activities
Inclusion and Belonging:
At Camden, we want every colleague to feel they belong and can thrive. We welcome applications from all parts of our community, and particularly encourage people from Black, Asian and Other Ethnic Heritage communities, LGBTQ+ people, disabled and neurodiverse people, survivors of domestic abuse, and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds or with care experience. We know that different voices and perspectives make us stronger, and we are committed to providing the support, adjustments and flexibility people need to succeed.
Asking for Adjustments:
Camden is committed to making our recruitment practices barrier‑free and as accessible as possible for everyone. This includes making adjustments or changes for disabled people, neurodiverse people or people with long-term health conditions. If you would like us to do anything differently during the application, interview or assessment process, including providing information in an alternative format, please contact us on 020 7974 6655, at resourcing@camden.gov.uk or post to 5 Pancras Square, London, N1C 4AG.
Anonymised Application:
In keeping with Camden’s commitment to inclusion the recruitment to this role is anonymised and supports the objective of reducing the impact of unconscious bias.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Strategy and Programmes - Adult Social Care in Camden Town
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We think you need these skills to ace Head of Strategy and Programmes - Adult Social Care in Camden Town
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Social Work:In your cover letter, let us see your passion for social work shine through! Talk about the experiences that made you want to pursue this career—whether it’s volunteering, personal experiences, or academic projects. We want to know why this field matters to you.
Emphasise Relevant Qualifications:Make sure your CV highlights any relevant qualifications, like degrees in social work or certifications like a DBS check. If you've done any workshops or training, don’t forget to include those as well. We're keen to see your commitment to your professional development!
Detail Your Experience with Clients:Since this is a hands-on field, detailing any direct experience you have with clients is crucial. Whether it's internships, volunteer roles, or previous jobs, highlight those experiences in your CV to show us you've got the practical skills necessary for the job!
Tailor Your Application to LONDON BOROUGH OF CAMDEN:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to LONDON BOROUGH OF CAMDEN! Research our mission and values, and refer to them in your cover letter. This shows us that you understand our work and are genuinely interested in being a part of our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at LONDON BOROUGH OF CAMDEN
✨Understanding the Role of Empathy
In social work, understanding and demonstrating empathy is key. Be prepared to share personal experiences or scenarios where you effectively showed compassion and support. This helps show that you genuinely care about the well-being of others, which is crucial in social work.
✨Demonstrating Knowledge of Frameworks
Familiarise yourself with the frameworks and models used in social work, such as the Strengths-Based Approach or the Ecological Perspective. Be ready to discuss how these frameworks apply to your work, especially if you can tie them into real-world examples or case studies you've encountered.
✨Showcasing Your Multi-Disciplinary Skills
In a full-time social work role, you'll often collaborate with healthcare professionals, educators, and law enforcement. Be prepared to describe your teamwork experiences and how you've effectively communicated with other disciplines to achieve the best outcomes for clients.
✨Preparing for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that put you in hypothetical social work situations, such as dealing with a crisis or managing a complex case. Think through your thought process for these scenarios beforehand, considering how you'd assess the situation and what steps you'd take, as this demonstrates your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
