Location:
Civic Centre Rd, Southampton, UKSalary: 86,402 - 94,852 per yearEmployment: Full timeCategory: Director Or Strategic SupportPosted: 2026-10-13Valid to: 2026-10-27Apply: Southampton City CouncilThis is a significant opportunity to help lead the next phase of Adult Social Care in Southampton.
About the team: We have built important foundations through our transformation programme. These include redesigning access and pathways, strengthening prevention and strengths-based practice, investing in workforce development, expanding performance and improving governance and accountability. Following the publication of our CQC assessment, we have established a comprehensive improvement programme. Our priorities include improving access, reducing waiting times, strengthening safeguarding and quality assurance, developing confident and capable teams, and ensuring that residents and carers experience consistently safe, timely and person-centred support.
We have secured additional funding to strengthen our leadership capacity and, as a result, are seeking to appoint two exceptional Heads of Service to join our Adult Social Care Senior Leadership Team. One post has arisen through the promotion of an existing Head of Service into a more senior leadership role, reflecting our commitment to developing talent and creating opportunities for progression. The second is a newly created role, funded through additional investment in Adult Social Care and our improvement programme.
These are significant leadership appointments. The successful candidates will help us build on the transformation already delivered and the foundations now in place, address the improvement challenges in front of us and embed the standards, culture and accountability needed for lasting change.
This is not an opportunity for someone who simply wants to maintain existing arrangements. We are looking for vibrant, highly skilled and experienced leaders who are energised by challenge, confident operating in complexity and determined to secure better outcomes for Southampton residents.
About the role:
As a Head of Service, you will work closely with the Executive Director, Director of Adult Social Care, managers, staff, elected Members and health, care and community partners to provide strategic leadership for a significant Adult Social Care portfolio.
You will be accountable for ensuring the delivery of high-quality, safe, responsive and legally compliant services that improve outcomes for Southampton residents. Leading large and complex services, you will drive transformation, continuous improvement and cultural change, embedding strengths-based practice, prevention, effective demand management and professional excellence across your portfolio.
These roles combine strategic leadership, operational accountability and system partnership working. You will bring together Council services, health partners, providers, voluntary and community organisations and other agencies to strengthen integration, improve pathways, reduce fragmentation and ensure residents experience coordinated, person-centred support.
You will be responsible for service performance, workforce development, financial stewardship, risk management and the delivery of agreed savings, efficiencies and improvement priorities. You will provide clear assurance, professional advice and constructive challenge to senior leaders, elected Members and governance forums, while contributing collectively to the leadership of Adult Social Care and the wider Council.
You will join at a point when there is real scope to shape services, influence the future operating model and lead improvement across organisational and system boundaries. You will be supported by a committed senior leadership team, strengthened governance arrangements and a clear programme of improvement, while having the space and authority to bring your own experience, ideas and leadership.
We are recruiting to two Head of Service positions as part of the next phase of Southampton's Adult Social Care improvement journey. Together, these appointments will strengthen our senior leadership capacity and play a critical role in delivering our improvement programme, embedding sustainable change and shaping the future of Adult Social Care in Southampton.
About you:
If you are an ambitious and values-driven leader with the experience to lead complex services, deliver improvement and inspire high-performing teams, we would love to hear from you. I think this version strikes a much better balance. It still sells the opportunity and transformation journey, but it now explicitly conveys that these are substantial senior leadership roles with accountability for performance, finance, workforce, quality, transformation and system leadership, which is exactly what strong Head of Service candidates will be looking for.
What we can offer you: Salary: The salary band for this role is 86,402 to 94,852. The starting salary is 86,402 with annual progression through the salary bands. Here at SCC we have a range of different benefits, a few examples can be found below.
Excellent local government pension with 15.2% employer contributionGenerous holiday 25–34 days, based on role and serviceFlexible working options (role-dependent)Family-friendly policies - Maternity, Paternity, Adoption, Shared/Unpaid Parental Leave, Time off for DependentsTraining and development, including coaching and mentoringHealth and wellbeing support - Employee Assistance Programme, Menopause Pledge, Mental Health First Aiders and access to a variety of staff networksVeteran-friendly employer with the Armed Forces CovenantRetail discounts and savings through the Southampton City Council benefits platformDiscounted memberships at local sports and fitness centresSustainable travel benefits - low emission car scheme, cycle to work, season ticket loansDeath in service benefit of x3 salary, and optional salary sacrifice shared cost AVC (additional voluntary contribution)Employee volunteering scheme with 2 paid days leave to volunteerFor further information on our benefits package please visit: Employee benefits (southampton.gov.uk)Contact details for informal discussion: For further information and details regarding the role, please contact Hannah Balzaretti at Hannah.balzaretti@southampton.gov.ukRecruitment contact details: Email: recruitment@southampton.gov.uk Tel: 023 8083 4033 For more information about SCC please visit Southampton City CouncilFollow us on social media for regular updates on our featured jobs and latest news.
AttachmentsJob Description - Head of Service Adult Social Care Operations.pdf
Head of Service Adult Social Care Operations in Southampton employer: Southampton City Council
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