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What will you be doing?

Are you an inspirational social work leader with a passion for safeguarding, professional excellence and continuous improvement?

We are seeking an exceptional Assistant Director of Safeguarding, Practice and Quality (Principal Social Worker) to provide strategic leadership across Adult Social Care and Health.

Kent is one of the largest and most ambitious Adult Social Care systems in the country, supporting over 34,000 residents across diverse communities. As we deliver our refreshed Making a Difference Every Day Adult Social Care Strategy, we are seeking exceptional Assistant Directors to help lead system-wide transformation, improve outcomes and shape sustainable services for the future.

Our strategy sets out a renewed and ambitious direction for Adult Social Care in Kent. It reaffirms our commitment to strengths-based practice, prevention and partnership working – making this an exciting time to join our leadership team.

This is a high-profile leadership role with the opportunity to influence practice, shape policy, drive innovation and ensure that people drawing on care and support receive the highest quality services possible.

As the statutory Principal Social Worker, you will be a visible and influential leader across the organisation and wider health and care system. Working closely with senior leaders, elected Members and system partners, and leads the development of safeguarding, policy, quality assurance and practice improvement that deliver better outcomes for Kent residents.

You will play a pivotal role in strengthening professional standards, developing the adult social care workforce, influencing strategic priorities across health and social care, and ensuring that the voice of people with lived experience is at the heart of service development and improvement.

About you

We are looking for a creditable, highly motivated and forward-thinking leader who combines outstanding professional expertise with the ability to inspire others and lead change at scale.

You will be a qualified and registered Social Worker with substantial senior leadership experience within Adult Social Care and a track record of delivering strategic improvements across complex organisations. You will be confident operating at executive level, providing professional challenge and advice, managing competing priorities and building strong partnerships across organisational boundaries.

You will bring:

• Significant experience of leading safeguarding, quality assurance, practice development or service improvement functions within Adult Social Care.
• Strong systems leadership skills and the ability to influence across organisations and professional boundaries.
• A deep understanding of adult social care legislation, including the Care Act, Mental Capacity Act and Mental Health Act.
• A proven ability to lead through change, inspire high-performing teams and promote a culture of learning and continuous improvement.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and partnership-building skills, with the ability to operate effectively in complex and politically sensitive environments.
• A genuine commitment to co-production, inclusion and ensuring that voices of the people with lived experience shape the services we deliver.

Why join us?

This is a rare opportunity to influence the future of Adult Social Care in one of the country's largest local authorities. You will join an ambitious leadership team committed to delivering outstanding outcomes for residents through innovation, collaboration and professional excellence. You will have the platform to drive meaningful change, strengthen safeguarding and quality across the system, and leave a lasting legacy for the people and communities we serve.

At Kent County Council, our values matter. We are brave, curious, compassionate, accountable and stronger together. We are looking for a leader who shares these values and can inspire others to deliver their very best ever day.

If you're an experienced social care leader who wants to influence strategic direction, champion excellent practice and drive better outcomes for adults across Kent, we would love to hear from you.

This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure application to the Disclosure and Barring service and registration as a qualified Social Worker with Social Work England.

This role is subject to holding a Full UK Driving Licence – The Council is committed to making reasonable adjustments so whilst this job requires the jobholder to drive your application will still be considered if you are unable to drive due to a disability.

As part of the interview process for this role you may be required to complete additional testing.

About you

For further information on this role, please contact Michael Thomas-Sam:

Michael.Thomas-Sam@kent.gov.uk

03000 417238

About us

Work that works for you and us - let's talk flexibility!

KCC is committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the county's working residents, encouraging applications from people of all ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds, faiths and those with caring responsibilities, and aspires to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves at work.

Please note - if you are interested, please apply soon as possible as the closing date for this advert may be earlier than stated should a number of suitably qualified candidates apply.