Director of Services / Hampshire / Learning Disabilities

Randstad Care is seeking a Director of Services for one of our Social care clients based in the Hampshire area. This post is responsible for the delivery of all of the company’s services and, as a key member of the Senior Management Team, plays a significant leadership role in the organisation.

My client is one of Hampshire’s largest providers of services for disabled children, young adults and their families. The sites you will be covering include: residential short breaks, outreach (domiciliary and day care), activity and play schemes, short break fostering services, and services for families including Parent Voice, independent support and advocacy.

The client provides support to a range of settings: home, community, and bases for activities. You will be working alongside health and social care partners and also education and leisure partners to ensure the best care possible for people with complex and multiple disabilities and serious health needs; also those with moderate disabilities.

Much of the companies work is commissioned by Local Authority funders. Some of this funding is being passed over to service users whom they will need to attract as paying customers in the near future. Our client is increasingly looking to diversify the breadth of services they offer through more income streams.

As a member of the Senior Management Team you will be expected to attend and contribute to meetings of the Board of Trustees and directors, to lead on all areas of policy, strategy and practice which relate to the delivery of the services.

You will be required to have a thorough understanding of disability practice for children and adults, a vision of high quality services to ensure standards, innovation and consistency, and the ability to engage, enthuse and motivate staff, those who use the services and families.

The role will commence as Registered Manager (RM) for one of the residential short breaks services but will drive an agreed change within a short timescale to then become the Responsible Individual for all services, handing over the RM role to two managers. This is part of a new structure created to enable future growth and strategic capacity. The role also line manages the Registered Manager of the domiciliary and community services.

Main Duties:

-To assess the immediate and long term effectiveness and viability of the services. Planning ahead so that the client can develop and refocus the services in line with what service users and commissioners want, need and expect whilst working with the Director of Finance, to meet financial targets.

-To develop and drive a vision and strategy for high quality services which express the company’s values and ambitions

-To research, design and put in place the systems, structures, and processes necessary to support modern, high quality service development, co-ordinating these across all services

-To identify opportunities and initiatives in line with the Company’s business development plans, working with the Business Development Director on funding bids which support the strategic aims

-To be responsible for the quality of the relationships with customers, commissioners, service users, and other partners, so that the company is widely trusted and respected as a provider of services which routinely exceeds expectations and contractual standards

-To define and achieve high quality performance of staff, volunteers and managers, working with Human Resources to ensure the necessary staffing, systems, policies and procedures are in place

-To develop and deliver the company’s strategy for the engagement of service users as customers and as people able to influence the development of the company

-Working with the Director of Finance, to ensure good financial performance across services and departments to identify financial and other risks

-To advise Trustees / Directors on all matters of strategic service delivery and performance

-To deputise for the Chief Executive in their absence alongside the Director of Business Development.

-To ensure standards and expectations within service contracts and policies are met and that effective systems to monitor and evaluate the quality of the service are established and implemented, supporting the Scrutiny committee in its responsibilities for service quality.

-To ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and agree and monitor action plans as the result of external and internal inspections and audits.

-To ensure that all assets relating to service delivery which are owned or managed by the company are properly maintained or replaced in line with relevant policy

Qualifications / Education / Training:

-Relevant degree or professional qualification or equivalent in experience – Essential

-Relevant management qualification or equivalent – Desirable

Experience:

-Senior management experience in the delivery and management of social care or health services – Essential

– Experience of line management of managers – Essential

– Managing complex transition & change Essential

– Management of disability services Essential

– Experience of developing & implementing service strategy Desirable

– Experience of positively managing change Desirable

– Experience of managing regulatory compliant services Essential

Knowledge/Skills/Competencies

-Good financial management skills – Essential

-Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills – Essential

-Ability to design / redesign services to meet changing needs – Essential

-Excellent IT and numeracy skills – Essential

Registration involves identity checks and professional references. Please only apply if you are confident that you will pass this procedure. In return, we will offer candidates leading industry rates.

Randstad Care acts as an employment business when supplying temporary staff and as an employment agency when introducing candidates for permanent employment with a client. Randstad Care is an equal opportunities employer and decisions are made on merits alone.