Assistant Director of Adult Social Care; RQ

Interim Assistant Director of Adult Social Care

Rate: £700–£800 per day (Umbrella)
Location: Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY2 6ND

Working Pattern: Hybrid – 2 days per week on site (Tuesday and Thursday)
Supply Margin: £47.25 per day

We are seeking an experienced and credible senior leader to support the delivery of high-quality adult social care services across Shropshire.

The Interim Assistant Director of Adult Social Care will provide strategic and operational leadership, driving service improvement, ensuring statutory and regulatory compliance, and promoting person-centred, strengths-based approaches that improve outcomes for adults and carers.

The postholder will provide leadership across Adult Social Care services, ensuring the delivery of safe, effective, lawful, and high-quality support that promotes independence and safeguards vulnerable adults.

The role will focus on:

• Leading operational delivery across Adult Social Care services.
• Driving service improvement, transformation, and modernisation.
• Ensuring readiness for regulatory inspection and compliance with statutory duties.
• Managing performance, risk, quality, and resources effectively.
• Working collaboratively with partners across health, housing, care providers, community organisations, and the wider council.

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across Adult Social Care services.
• Ensure compliance with statutory responsibilities, safeguarding duties, professional standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Lead quality assurance, performance improvement, and continuous improvement activity.
• Manage budgets, resources, and workforce effectively to deliver positive outcomes.
• Provide visible leadership and support teams through change and transformation.
• Develop strong partnerships with health, voluntary sector, community organisations, and other agencies.
• Lead service redesign and improvement in response to changing demand, policy developments, and financial pressures.
• Provide expert advice and guidance to senior officers, elected members, and partnership boards.
• Promote strengths-based practice, prevention, independence, and high-quality outcomes for adults and carers.

The successful candidate will have significant experience of senior leadership within Adult Social Care, with a strong understanding of statutory responsibilities, safeguarding, transformation, partnership working, and performance improvement.

You will demonstrate:

• Strong leadership skills with the ability to inspire and manage teams through change.
• Experience of delivering service improvement and transformation programmes.
• Credibility with practitioners, partners, senior leaders, and elected members.
• Strong understanding of adult social care legislation, regulation, and best practice.
• Ability to manage complex risks, financial pressures, and competing priorities.
• Strong political awareness and experience working within a local authority environment.
• A clear commitment to person-centred practice, safeguarding, and improving outcomes for residents.

• Significant senior leadership experience within Adult Social Care.
• Proven experience managing complex services, budgets, and resources.
• Strong knowledge of safeguarding, statutory duties, and regulatory requirements.
• Experience working collaboratively across health, housing, and community partnerships.
• Relevant professional qualifications and recognised leadership credentials.