*** This is a fixed term or secondment contract to 30 August 2025, with the possibility of extension ***​

Location: Home worker

Salary: Grade 9, £103,569 pro-rata

Hours Per week: 17.5

Employment Type:  fixed term contract until 30 August 2025

Department: Partners in Care and Health (PCH), LGA & ADASS, employment contract held by LGA

This is a great opportunity for someone with senior experience in health and social care to play a key role in improving outcomes in this region. You will be working primarily with councils, understanding their needs and ensuring that they can benefit from the right support. At the same time, you will be doing this in a context of partnerships, especially with health services but also with others such as social care providers.

About the Partners in Care and Health programme (PCH)

The Local Government Association and Association of Directors of Adult Social Services are Partners in Care and Health (PCH) working with well-respected organisations. PCH helps councils to improve the way they deliver adult social care and public health services and helps Government understand the challenges faced by the sector. The programme is a trusted network for developing and sharing best practice, developing tools and techniques, providing support and building connections.  It is funded by Government and offered to councils without charge.
https://www.local.gov.uk/our-support/partners-care-and-health

About the Local Government Association (LGA)

We are a politically led, cross-party organisation that works on behalf of councils to ensure local government has a strong, credible voice with national government. We aim to influence and set the political agenda on the issues that matter to councils, so they are able to deliver local solutions to national problems. To find out more information about what it’s like to work at the LGA, please visit http://www.local.gov.uk/benefits-and-working-lga and for information on Equality and Diversity at the LGA, please visit https://www.local.gov.uk/equality-and-diversity-lga

About ADASS

The Association of Directors of Adult Services (ADASS) exists to represent and support its membership of DASSs and their management teams. ADASS is also a charity which gives a national voice for social care.  ADASS and the LGA work together as partners to lead PCH.

The role and requirements  

The focus of the role is to support councils in a given region to develop and improve their work on social care. Themes include risks across the board, finances, commissioning, safeguarding, and working with the regional or local NHS on an integrated basis to improve outcomes. Councils face different challenges and have different support needs, and so you will be tailoring what you do to this and will be seeking to mobilise appropriate types of support from other sources.

As well as working with Directors of Adult Social Care (DASSs) in individual councils, you will be working closely with the regional branch of ADASS and in particular its regional chair. You will also be working with a range of other agencies at a regional and where necessary a national level, for example NHSE/I or Skills for Care, and you will also be working with other functions of local government, including where necessary Members and members of Corporate Management Teams. On this latter point, you will work closely with the LGA’s Principal Adviser for the region.

The role is varied and broad in its scope. It may include commissioning additional capacity and expertise, facilitating staff development and change management programmes and working with government agencies. There will also be opportunities to take a cross-England lead on certain key themes requiring CHIA input.

Your background

You will bring to the role proven senior level experience in complex political and strategic environments within social care and health services. Together with an in-depth understanding of central and local government, you will have a track record of creating strategies, interventions and innovative solutions to complex issues. An inspirational, motivational and influential leader with deep integrity and professional credibility, you will demonstrate a flair for negotiation and forging partnerships.

You must have the right to work in the UK, the LGA are unfortunately unable to offer sponsorship visas. Evidence for the right to work in the UK will be requested at the interview stage. 

To apply

If you would like to be considered for the role, please complete the online application form and include a supporting statement detailing how you meet the criteria of the role before the closing date.  We are specifically assessing candidates against the following: 

1. Held the statutory responsibility of Director of Adult Social Services or equivalent senior role including in Health 

2. Demonstrable and exceptional track record of delivery and performance improvement in a local or central context

3. Strong understanding and commitment to the principles of sector-led improvement 

If you would like to discuss this role informally then please contact Hazel Summers hazel.summers@local.gov.uk  

​Care and Health Improvement Adviser - Job Description

Closing Date:      12pm, Friday 16 May 2025

Interview Date:    Week commencing 19 May, interviews will be held virtually through Microsoft Teams.

At the LGA we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. Our recruitment decisions are based on fair, open competition, with appointment on merit. The LGA are proud to be awarded a “Disability Confident Leader”.  If you are require a reasonable adjustment, which is a change to the format or conditions of the recruitment process to accommodate any disability-related needs you may have. Please contact us via recruitment@local.gov.uk

Our benefits

• LGA annual leave entitlement is 29 days, rising to 31 days after three years’ service and to 33 days after five years’ service, plus all UK public holidays (pro rata for fixed term and part time contracts).*

• Flexible & agile working – office-based staff are required to work in the LGA’s London office two days per week as a minimum, subject to business need and this may vary significantly between different roles and from week to week.

• Future development – face-to-face and virtual courses are scheduled in line with developmental goals

• The LGA offers 24/7 access to a free, confidential employee assistance programme managed by Health Assured. This service is also available for Dependants.

• Family friendly policies

For more of LGA’s benefits and working with us, please view our webpage https://www.local.gov.uk/benefits-and-working-lga

Our values & behaviours

Our Values and Behaviours are there to give us an understanding of who we are as an organisation and who we want to be. They are a framework to help us understand:

• how we work with each other

• how we work with our members and stakeholders

• our expectations for ourselves and each other

Our values are:

Collaboration – We value collaboration, to pursue shared goals by encouraging and utilising diverse perspectives and working with internal and external colleagues across the organisation.

Inclusion – We value inclusion, where everyone feels valued, understood, and supported to contribute meaningfully.

Ambition – We value ambition, reflecting our desire to achieve best possible outcomes for local government, communities, and individuals.

Respect – We value respect, to ensure fairness, recognition, and shared accountability.