Service Director – Direct Services; Adults

Enabling People, Empowering Communities, Enhancing Places

Sandwell’s story is one of potential and striving to realise the ambitions of our borough, our residents and communities. We have been through a period of significant challenge including government intervention, but through determination and our drive for excellence, we look to the future with pride and a sense of purpose. While we have come so far, there is more to do;

breaking down silos, embedding our values across the organisation, and ensuring that we continue to transform to deliver the best services for our residents. Created 50 years ago from six proud towns, each unique but united by a shared identity and rich culture, Sandwell is a place built on making things happen. It’s where industry met innovation, and where strong communities continue to shape the future.

Leading a workforce of around 600 colleagues, our new Service Director for Direct Services and a broad portfolio of critical frontline services, you will shape a single, coherent operating model across Prevention, Reablement, STAR (Home support service), learning disability provision, Day Opportunities, Extra Care, Cransport, Community Alarms Services, Enquiry “front door service”, Joint Equiipment Service and our Occupational Therapy and Sensory service.

You will be the nominated person for provider services, ensuring that quality, safety and assurance are at the heart of everything we do.

This is an exciting time to join us. You will lead a major organisational restructure to future proof our services, and drive transformation across our front door and direct service pathways. You will also play a central role in ensuring that our provider services are CQC ready, responding to inspection outcomes, accelerating improvement and implementing a robust improvement plan. You will bring strategic grip and operational clarity, with a strong sense of accountability for a complex and critical service.

Working in a dynamic landscape shaped by changes in policy and the wider system, you will be at the forefront of modernising practice, supporting market sustainability, embracing digital opportunities and ensuring our services are fit for today and tomorrow. We are seeking an individual with a strong passion for workforce development who will lead the ongoing enhancement of the Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care, helping to build a confident, skilled, and engaged workforce that consistently delivers high‑quality care and support.

We are looking for a leader with energy, credibility and a deep understanding of direct services and prevention. A qualified and registered social work professional, you will bring substantial senior management experience, a strong track record of leading large operational teams and experience of delivering improvement  will be passionate about public service, confident managing complexity, and ready to make a tangible difference in Sandwell, a borough with ambition and momentum.

If you are excited by the challenge, motivated by improvement and ready to lead services that change lives every day, we would love to hear from you.

For further information speak to our executive search partners Gatenby Sanderson:

Alex Hayes )

Closing date:
Friday 10th April

To apply please click the
Apply Now link below.