About the job

Job summary

The Adult Social Care Group is responsible for all things related to adult social care in central government.  I want this group to be a place where we really make a difference to outcomes for our users, where we are outward facing and understand what it feels like in the real world and where we are supportive to and inclusive of each other.  We are mid-way through a big reform agenda to transform adult social care in England including: investing in better workforce training, recognition and career progression; replacing paper care records with digital records; giving the public information on how well their local council delivers adult social care compared to others; expanding the use of online and telephone care assessments; providing home adaptations that help people live independently in their own homes; and much more.

It's a big task with many challenges, but together we can make so much difference to the people we serve.  If you have the ability to influence at senior levels in government and across the sector through the power of your expertise and relationships, we would love to hear from you.

Job description

As the Chief Social Worker for Adults (CSW) you will be the head of profession, the public face of adult social work in England and a senior leader within the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). 

You will represent the profession at events, sponsor relevant guidance relating to social work and leads the network of Principal Social Workers. Reporting to the Director General for Adult Social Care you will sit within the Social Care Group in DHSC.

As an expert in social work, you will work closely with other Directors in the Social Care Group and the Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care, along with a range of officials across DHSC, including the Director and teams leading on Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism.

You will be supported by a small administrative team but will not have any direct reports.

As CSW you will provide expert advice to Ministers and civil servants on all matters relating to social workers and social care practice. Topics where advice may be needed include social work’s role in relation to mental capacity; mental health; safeguarding and discharge from hospital (where social workers are key to assessment decisions regarding care needed after discharge); improvement of social care assessment processes; and the recruitment and retention of social workers, as a crucial component of the adult social care workforce. You will also have a formal role relating to the escalation of safeguarding issues.

You will offer expertise on local government and adult social care more generally, offering a frontline perspective on issues to inform policymaking, and will have strong links with the adult social care sector including with Association of Directors of Adult Social Services; Social Work England; British Association of Social Workers; the Principal Social Worker Network; the Principal Occupational Therapists network; adults using services; and employers of social workers in the local authority, NHS, private and voluntary sectors.

As the CSW you will generate ideas and opportunities for improvements in adult social care, being cognisant of wider issues including the political and fiscal context and will also maximise opportunities for join-up with the Department for Education and the Chief Social Worker for children’s social care on matters relating to social work and social care practice.

If successful you will bring inspiring, confident and empowering professional leadership to adult social workers across the social care sector. With the experience of operational leadership and delivery of high-quality adult social work and social care, you will have the ability to motivate and inspire the workforce and have experience of effective partnership working at all levels to achieve successful outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Advice on policy and practice:

• Provide expert advice to Ministers and senior officials across Whitehall on all matters relating to social work practice, adult social workers as well as wider issues on social care in particular workforce capacity, wellbeing, and resilience.
• Facilitate and advise on formal escalation of Safeguarding issues via the National Escalation Protocol for Issues from Safeguarding Adult Boards (SABs).
• Generate ideas and opportunities for improvements in adult social care, not limited to social work, taking account of the political and fiscal context.
• Support effective partnership working at all levels to ensure maintenance of high-quality adult social work practice and promote its role in delivering high-quality, personalised and compassionate care.
• Work with the Department for Education to improve the training available to social workers and collaborating with children’s social workers.
• Ensure relevant research is commissioned and used alongside a detailed personal understanding of current best practice, to generate new ideas and opportunities for improvements in adult social care.

Professional leadership:

• Provide visible, professional leadership to the adult social work workforce, including through maintaining relations with the regulator (Social Work England).
• Engage with key strategic regional and national policy makers, professional bodies and the public to ensure an understanding of social work is reflected in the development of future policies and strategies.
• Provide leadership and guidance to Principal Social Workers and work with the Principal Social Worker Network to stay informed of current issues in the profession and ensure the needs and views of the workforce are understood to inform future policy.
• Lead on raising the profile and reputation of adult social workers with key stakeholders, to attract more people to work in the sector ensuring that social work practice continues to develop through co-production with practitioners and people who draw on social work services.
• Maintain a good knowledge of practice, research and policy within the UK, globally, and within and outside the health and care economy in order to help consider any other appropriate options to help shape programmes of work.

Person specification

It is important through your CV and Statement of Suitability that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the following essential criteria:

• Ability to communicate and influence at very senior levels on a range of adult social work and care issues through the power of expertise, relationships, and personal credibility. This applies both internally with Ministers and senior civil servants, and externally with stakeholders in the adult social care sector including Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and the Principal Social Worker Network.
• Proactive in identifying opportunities to add value to policy making, and creative in generating ideas. Being cognisant of the political and fiscal context.
• Proven track record of operating successfully in a senior leadership role within social work, adult social care, or local government.
• Significant knowledge and experience of national policy development and implementation and ideally  working in or with central government.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £120,000, Department of Health and Social Care contributes £26,190 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Application

To apply for this post please submit the following documents no later than 23:55 on Monday 20th May 2024.

1. A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
2. A Statement of Suitability (no more than 1250 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the criteria in the person specification.

Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only has limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.  

As part of the online application process, you will be asked a number of diversity-related questions. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select 'prefer not to say'. The information you provide when submitting your application will help us monitor our progress towards the Civil Service becoming the most inclusive employer by 2025. 

If you are unable to apply online please contact

If you would like to speak to the immediate past Chief Social Worker Lyn Romeo more information on the role before submitting an application. Please contact on email: lynromeo@btinternet.com or by mobile: 07973 420548.

Selection Process

Martin Spencer, a Civil Service Commissioner, will chair the process. The Civil Service Commission has two primary functions:

• Providing assurance that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition. For the most senior posts in the Civil Service, the Commission discharges its responsibilities directly by overseeing the recruitment process and by a Commissioner chairing the selection panel.
• Hearing and determining appeals made by civil servants under the Civil Service Code which sets out the Civil Service values – Impartiality, Objectivity, Integrity and Honesty - and forms part of the relationship between civil servants and their employer.

More detailed information can be found on the Civil Service Commission website. 

In addition to Martin Spencer, the panel will also consist of:

• Michelle Dyson, Director General for Adult Social Care, DHSC
• Beverley Tarka, Immediate past President of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services

Shortlist

The panel will select a shortlist of candidates whose applications best demonstrate suitability for the role, by considering the evidence provided against the essential criteria set out in the ‘Person Specification’.

Candidates applying under the Disability Confident Scheme and A Great Place to Work for Veterans Scheme who meet the minimum selection criteria in the job specification are guaranteed an interview.

Assessment

If you are shortlisted, you will be asked to take part in a series of assessments which could include a stakeholder engagement exercise with a group of representatives who have experience in the social care  sector. These assessments will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, they are designed to support the panel’s decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview.

Discussion with the Vacancy Holder

Shortlisted candidates may have the opportunity to speak to the immediate past Chief Social Worker, Lyn Romeo, (if not already done so) prior to the final interview. This is an informal discussion to allow candidates to learn more about the role, and is not part of the assessment process.

Meeting with Minister of Social Care

Candidates may get the opportunity to meet with the Minister of Social Care before interview. This will be diary dependent.

Interview

You will be asked to attend a panel interview in order to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification. 

Interviews will take place in person at 39 Victoria Street, London, full details of the interview format will be provided to shortlisted candidates prior to interview.

Feedback

If unsuccessful at any stage, please contact scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk at Government Recruitment Service to request feedback on your application or interview. The timeline later in this pack indicates the date by which decisions are expected to be made, all candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter, and we will advise on any delays. 

Shortlisted candidates who attend an interview will also be offered verbal feedback from a member of the interview panel.

A reserve list will be held for up to 12 months, which we may use to fill future suitable vacancies for candidates who are considered appointable following interview.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.