New Job Opening: Head of Service Adult Mental Health in CW11 1HZ

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Job Description and Person Specification

Head of Serv ice –

Specialised Mental Health

and Disability Services

November 2025 2

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Job Title: Head of Serv ice – Specialist Mental Health a nd Disability Services

Reference: CE356

Service: Adult Social Care

Grade: SMG

Reports to: Director of Adult Social Care Operations

Location: Crewe

DBS : Yes

Your job

Responsible for the leadership and oversight of the assessment and care management

services across Learning Disability and Specialist Mental Health Services, actuating multi -

agency change programmes and partnership/collaborative working arrangements to del iver

integrated specialist care services to vulnerable people across Cheshire East.

Developing and delivering operational systems, policies, procedures and processes to

ensure that the Council meets all its statutory duties relating to Learning Disability and

Specialist Mental Health Services. The role will carry some cross -cutting respon sibilities

across the Adult Social Care (ASC) assessment and care management delivery business area.

Responsible for supporting the requirements underpinned by the DOH Transfor ming Care,

regarding the complex care needs assessment and planning supporting people with vast

range of healthcare needs requiring vast ranging support

Our shared values Here at Cheshire East Council, we have a clear set of values:

• Drive : striving for innovation, excellence and high performance.

• Integrity : acting ethically, being accountable and fostering trust.

• Respect : demonstrating empathy and appreciat ion for others, being inclusive.

• Collaboration : working and learning together with a focus on outcomes.

Co -produced with our staff, these value are critical to us achieving our vision as set out in

the Cheshire East Plan . It is important you take some time to understand our values and

how you can bring these to life in your day -to-day work.

Further information on the values can also be found via the link Our values .

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Artificial Intelligence (Al) We embrace Al to enhance our operations and to innovate our services. However, we value human talent and are looking for pass ionate

individuals to join our organisation. Please ensure you personally complete your application and read all the instructions c arefully to maximise

your chances of success. Applications that rely too heavily on Al may be rejected during shortlisting, however we understand that Al may be used as a reasonable

adjustment, if using Al to support your application, please give a brief explanation why to help ensure fair selection p rocess.

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In this job you will

1. Lead, manage, organise, implement and develop all resources associated with the

operational delivery of the Council’s specialist Mental Health and Learning Disability Adult

Social Care services, ensuring provision effectively and efficiently meets statutor y

requirements, the assessed care needs of vulnerable residents and ide ntified service

policies, objectives and priorities, within the context of the directorates strategies,

structures, systems, initiatives and operational management standards; ensuring

compliance with the Council’s Safeguarding procedures and processes acro ss all Services

2. Lead the development of services, working with the Director of Adult Social Care

Operations, to ensure the Council can meet wider identified customer needs as the

requirements across social care in Cheshire East develops; working closely w ith colleagues

within the Council (e.g. Children’s Services), Health Trusts and CCGs etc. to deliver co -

ordinated, collaborative and partnership working to optimise integrated Mental Health and

Learning Disability Services within Cheshire East that maximis e the efficiency and

effectiveness of the services provided to vulnerable people (e.g. development of integrated

community and hospital based assessment services in conjunction with health partners

etc.)

3. Lead, develop and manage the analysis and assessmen t of service user needs – ensuring

that they are adequately accounted for in service plans and development decision making;

manage service data, target and performance measures which feed into an integrated

performance management strategy for Mental Health and Learning Disability Services,

within the overall Council’s Adult Social Care strategy, builds capacity, improves and quality

assures service delivery, and ensures value for money

4. Responsible for leading operational implementation of, and compliance w ith, the Mental

Health Act, Mental Health Capacity Act, Adult Safeguarding and all other legislation relevant

to Specialist Mental Health and Learning Disability Services, across Adult Social Care –

working closely with colleagues through the Directorate ( particularly the “Head of Service -

Safeguarding (Adult Social Care and Health )”); responsible for adherence with professional

standards, working closely with the “Principal Social Worker”, to ensure compliance with all

statutory, professional and local st andards, policies and procedures

5. Work closely with other members of the senior management team to review and develop

robust operational service practices, standards, protocols, policies, procedures and

structure(s) to ensure continued legislative compliance, maintenance of service standar ds,

November 2025 4

Artificial Intelligence (Al) We embrace Al to enhance our operations and to innovate our services. However, we value human talent and are looking for pass ionate

individuals to join our organisation. Please ensure you personally complete your application and read all the instructions c arefully to maximise

your chances of success. Applications that rely too heavily on Al may be rejected during shortlisting, however we understand that Al may be used as a reasonable

adjustment, if using Al to support your application, please give a brief explanation why to help ensure fair selection p rocess.

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and continuous service quality improvement; resolving major, contentious, high risk/profile,

operational issues effectively and efficiently to ensure that the reputation of the service and

Council is upheld at all time

6. Lead, recruit, manage, motivate and develop employees in the service, having overall

responsibility for their health, safety and well being at work, and ensuring that they are

informed of, equipped for and included in all service development and improvemen t,

progress towards new service delivery models and major change

7. Effectively manage service budgets (revenue, capital and commissioning) to ensure targets

for savings and income generation are met and maximised, resources are well monitored,

controlled and deployed to best possible effect to provide value for money at all times

8. Support and advise Members of the Council, especially the Cabinet, as necessary, so that

they can perform their executive, scrutiny and representational responsibilities to ensure

that decisions are appropriately informed

9. Work closely with colleagues in Commissioning to develop and implement appropriate

provision that delivers required outcomes and safeguards the well -being of residents (based

upon population levels, needs assess ments and gap analysis etc.)

NOTE: Notwithstanding the detail in this job description, in accordance with the Council's flexibility

policy, the job holder will undertake such work as may be determined by the Chief Executive from

time to time, up to or at a level consistent with the principa l responsibilities of the job and in any

location within the area of Cheshire East Council.

RESPONSIBILITIES AT MANAGEMENT LEVEL:

As a member of the Council’s Operational Management Team:

• To contribute actively to the effective functioning of a network with peers, for mutual

development and support, to derive shared solutions to complex aspects of service design

and delivery, and to make recommendations to the Corporate Management Team on these

where appropriate.

• To articulate, champion and develop the Council’s operating model and principles, driving

efficiency and continuous improvement, to provide real value -for -money for local people.

• To ensure consistently high levels of customer satisfaction, including designing a nd putting

in place an effective framework to capture measure and report on this on a regular basis.

November 2025 5

Artificial Intelligence (Al) We embrace Al to enhance our operations and to innovate our services. However, we value human talent and are looking for pass ionate

individuals to join our organisation. Please ensure you personally complete your application and read all the instructions c arefully to maximise

your chances of success. Applications that rely too heavily on Al may be rejected during shortlisting, however we understand that Al may be used as a reasonable

adjustment, if using Al to support your application, please give a brief explanation why to help ensure fair selection p rocess.

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• To support, encourage and enable collaborative multiple accountability and multi -agency

working, in partnership with a wide range of other service providers, to deliver outcomes

for local people efficiently and effectively.

• To create , foster and maintain a safe and healthy working environment, which encourages

commerciality, creative thinking, innovative practice and acceptable well managed risk

taking by a ll staff, and which seeks actively to provide added ‘public value’ from limited

resources.

• To design, document, implement and maintain service structures, methods of delivery,

operating procedures and ‘rules of engagement’ which define the required behaviours and

best practice of frontline staff, and to ensure that agreed standards are met consi stently in

meeting the needs of local people.

• To ensure that services/functions are delivered within and to budget, and to set and

manage appropriate financial and o ther controls, which enable decisions to be made

directly and quickly at the frontline (within agreed delegated authority).

• To manage all aspects of the team and individual staff performances including use of

resources against agreed shared and personal targets.

• To work closely with elected members at local level, to support them in undertaking their

Community Leadership role effectively and confidently.

• To take responsibility for, and be directly accountable for the performance and use of

resources, of a r ange of defined related functions and activities, as the main (but not

exclusive) area of focus of the role

From time to time you may be asked to undertake work as may be determined by

the Chief Executive and/or an Executive Director. This will be up to or at a le vel

consistent with your job role . This supports our com mitment to being an effective

and enabling council.

November 2025 6

Artificial Intelligence (Al) We embrace Al to enhance our operations and to innovate our services. However, we value human talent and are looking for pass ionate

individuals to join our organisation. Please ensure you personally complete your application and read all the instructions c arefully to maximise

your chances of success. Applications that rely too heavily on Al may be rejected during shortlisting, however we understand that Al may be used as a reasonable

adjustment, if using Al to support your application, please give a brief explanation why to help ensure fair selection p rocess.

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In this job you will need

CRITERIA DESIRABLE ESSENTIAL METHOD OF

ASSESSMENT

Qualifications Degree level

qualification in a

relevant area,

supplemented by

relevant post -

graduate

qualification(s)

Evidence of

personal

commitment to

continuous

professional

development and

improvement

HCPC registration

Application

form

Interview

Certificates

Experience Significant

experience at senior

management level

Application

form

Interview

November 2025 7

Artificial Intelligence (Al) We embrace Al to enhance our operations and to innovate our services. However, we value human talent and are looking for pass ionate

individuals to join our organisation. Please ensure you personally complete your application and read all the instructions c arefully to maximise

your chances of success. Applications that rely too heavily on Al may be rejected during shortlisting, however we understand that Al may be used as a reasonable

adjustment, if using Al to support your application, please give a brief explanation why to help ensure fair selection p rocess.

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in adult social care

services

Extensive

operational

experience in

specialist Mental

Health and Learning

Disability Adult

Social Care Services

References

Job related

Knowledge

Significant knowledge

of service and

resource

management

Extensive knowledge

of social care services,

policies and types of

provision

Detailed

understanding of all

legislation relevant to

role, including the

Care Act, Mental

Health Act, Mental

Capacity Act and

DOLS etc., and the

Council’s statutory

Adu lt Care

responsibilities and

their application in an

operational setting

Detailed knowledge

and understanding of

the needs of different

Application

form

Interview

References

November 2025 8

Artificial Intelligence (Al) We embrace Al to enhance our operations and to innovate our services. However, we value human talent and are looking for pass ionate

individuals to join our organisation. Please ensure you personally complete your application and read all the instructions c arefully to maximise

your chances of success. Applications that rely too heavily on Al may be rejected during shortlisting, however we understand that Al may be used as a reasonable

adjustment, if using Al to support your application, please give a brief explanation why to help ensure fair selection p rocess.

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client groups in

relation to adult social

care services

Understanding of the

inter -relationships

between unit costs,

occupancy levels,

spending decisions

and budgets

Knowledge and

understanding of

modern business

methods

Full understanding of

leadership and

management

principles and styles,

and the ability to

adopt appropriate

styles successfully in

specific situations,

including continuous

improvement and

development

Knowledge and

detailed

understanding of

national and local

developments

affecting the Adult

Social Care services,

the Council and

governing agencies as

a whole

November 2025 9

Artificial Intelligence (Al) We embrace Al to enhance our operations and to innovate our services. However, we value human talent and are looking for pass ionate

individuals to join our organisation. Please ensure you personally complete your application and read all the instructions c arefully to maximise

your chances of success. Applications that rely too heavily on Al may be rejected during shortlisting, however we understand that Al may be used as a reasonable

adjustment, if using Al to support your application, please give a brief explanation why to help ensure fair selection p rocess.

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Knowledge and

detailed

understanding of

national policy and

strategy relating to

social care and health

Knowledge of project

management and

quality assurance

processes and how to

apply

Understanding of the

key issues related to

the adult social care

agenda and

knowledge of good

professional practi ce

across adult social

care

Skills and

Aptitudes

Strong interpersonal,

mentoring and

coaching skills – to

provide direction and

purpose to others in

changing and stressful

environments

Empathy, sensitivity

and assertiveness,

with developed

persuasive and

negotiation skills, to

effectively and

appropriate influence

Application

form

Interview

References

November 2025 10

Artificial Intelligence (Al) We embrace Al to enhance our operations and to innovate our services. However, we value human talent and are looking for pass ionate

individuals to join our organisation. Please ensure you personally complete your application and read all the instructions c arefully to maximise

your chances of success. Applications that rely too heavily on Al may be rejected during shortlisting, however we understand that Al may be used as a reasonable

adjustment, if using Al to support your application, please give a brief explanation why to help ensure fair selection p rocess.

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others to achieve

outcomes and ensure

operational

compliance

Excellent

communication,

advisory and guidance

skills

Effective people

management

Able to develop good

working relationships

with partners and

colleagues, and an

understanding of the

importance of matrix

management and

collaborative working

Able work effectively

with staff across a

range of professions

to maintain, monitor

and set service

standards

Report writing – able

to convey complex,

technical and

sensitive information

to a range of

audiences in a clear

and concise manner

November 2025 11

Artificial Intelligence (Al) We embrace Al to enhance our operations and to innovate our services. However, we value human talent and are looking for pass ionate

individuals to join our organisation. Please ensure you personally complete your application and read all the instructions c arefully to maximise

your chances of success. Applications that rely too heavily on Al may be rejected during shortlisting, however we understand that Al may be used as a reasonable

adjustment, if using Al to support your application, please give a brief explanation why to help ensure fair selection p rocess.

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Able to convene and

chair inter -agency

meetings and panels,

and use group

working skills to

progress decision

making processes

Other

Requirements

The ability to

converse at ease

with customers and

provide advice in

accurate spoken

English is essential

for the post

Flexible approach to

work

Willingness and

ability to travel

throughout the

borough

Application

form

Interview

References