Head of Service and Chief Social Work Officer

Head of Service and Chief Social Work Officer

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Moray is a large council area in northeast Scotland, covering 864 square miles with a population of around 96,000 and benefits from strong transport links to Inverness, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh, as well as access to nearby airports and rail connections. Known as Scotland’s “Sunshine Coast” due to its relatively dry micro-climate, the area offers striking landscapes from the Cairngorms to the North Sea coastline, a rich food and drink heritage, and a strong sense of community.

Despite these strengths, Moray faces rural inequality, service access challenges and the complexities of supporting an ageing population. Through the strategic partnership of Moray Council, NHS Grampian and the Moray Integration Joint Board, the region is focused on tackling poverty and inequality, building a greener and more resilient economy, and improving health and social care services, with recent inspections highlighting significant progress and strong partnership working.

We are seeking an exceptional leader to take forward a critical strategic role at the heart of local public services. This influential post spans both the Council and the Moray Integration Joint Board, offering a unique platform to shape policy, practice and partnership working at the highest level.

As a senior leader, the postholder will support the development of operational policies for adult and children’s services while fulfilling statutory duties under the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, reporting directly to the Council Chief Executive and to the Chief Officer of the Moray Integration Joint Board. In Moray, the CSWO also serves as Head of Children, Families and Justice Services, and in the CSWO role provides professional advice on statutory social work functions, overseeing governance and improvement planning, and supporting integrated health and social care services.

As Head of Service, the post holder is a key leader within both organisations, leading a team as well as leading for the profession. In this, there is a significant opportunity in Moray as we focus on redesign, prevention and early intervention and new models of support, whilst building on the opportunities within an integrated partnership.

The post includes the responsibility of Agency Decision Maker for fostering, adoption and kinship care in the context of relevant legislation, processes and practice and it also includes key responsibilities within public protection governance, contributing to strategic oversight of child and adult protection, justice, alcohol and drug services, violence against women, MAPPA, suicide prevention and other multi-agency partnerships. Overall, the position is central to ensuring safe, effective and accountable social work services that improve outcomes for vulnerable people across Moray.

For a confidential discussion, please contact Catriona Mackie or Katharine Price at Aspen People on .

To apply, please upload your CV and cover letter (as one document).

Please note:

all applicants are required to provide details of referees who can provide references covering the previous 3 years of employment. One of these must be your present or most recent employer. Unless otherwise notified, references will be taken up for candidates shortlisted for interview.