Strategic Manager - Learning Disabilities

Job Overview:

A Qualified Social and Health Care Strategic Manager is urgently needed on a long term contract. The Strategic Manager will be the strategic lead for mental health, providing expertise, professional social care leadership and management to drive the performance of the mental health/Learning Disabilities workforce and deliver the Company’s priorities and meet service targets in relation to mental health/Learning Disabilities.

The Strategic Manager will lead mental health strategic policy development and service planning across ASC operations the full range of mental health services within the parameters established by national developments. Assess the impact of new legislation, directives or national initiatives on Company Plans, Strategy, and Service Improvement priorities.

The Strategic Manager will have strategic responsibility for Preparing for Adulthood provision ensuring the smooth transition for young people into Adult Services and will also have the strategic Adult Social Care operational lead for Transforming Care ensuring the development of policy and practice is in place to meet the local and national requirements.

Key Responsibilities:

• Resolve complex operational and service-based problems and conflicts raised through the service escalation process and ensure positive outcomes.
• Provide expertise and advice to Members and Directors in respect of mental health planning, policy matters and complex service delivery issues.
• Contribute to the development of the Somerset’ Mental Health and Well Being Strategy.
• Create, agree, and deliver service plans and prioritise activities and projects.
• Identify and deliver opportunities for service change and improvement and scope, plan and manage change in corporate and professional activities.
• Manage and control a devolved budget within agreed financial parameters.
• Contribute to the service response to the Medium-Term Financial Strategy, reshaping services where appropriate to enhance outcomes within the agreed financial envelope.
• Establish and oversee through the Service Managers effective workload management mechanisms to ensure that practitioner workloads remain manageable and safe.
• Provide social care expertise and advice to senior management and elected members to inform decision making, strategy and policy development.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• Relevant professional qualification (management posts engaged in professional supervision and adjudication).
• Evidence of work-related continuing management development.
• Substantial managerial experience and skills gained at a senior level, including contributing to the corporate management of an organisation where required.
• Significant and up to date knowledge of mental health legislation.
• Demonstrable experience of partnership working including the ability to influence and, where appropriate, lead multi-agency groups and projects to deliver services and initiatives.
• Sound understanding and practice of multi-disciplinary working.
• Knowledge of effective risk management.
• Demonstrable experience of operating equality and diversity measures in the local commissioning and delivery of services.
• Track record of the flexible use of financial and other resources (including the service commissioning framework and opportunities for income streams) in the delivery of services on time and within budget.
• Demonstrable experience of the effective deployment, continuing development, and supervision of professional and other staff resources.
• Sound understanding and experience of the use of information and communication systems to inform operational decision making and recommendations/actions concerning service improvement.