ASSOCIATION OF DIRECTORS OF ADULT SOCIAL SERVICES

DATE: APRIL 29, 2008
EMBARGO: 00.01 HRS, MAY 1, 2008

National Director to be appointed 'to transform social care’

A major step forward in revolutionising the way we think and talk about adult social care was taken this week when an advertisement was published for the post of National Director for Social Care.

The successful applicant will have to be a current or recently experienced director of adult social services, and the post will be on an initial one year’s secondment with an option to renew for a further two years.

He or she will be line-managed by the Vice-President of ADASS (currently Jenny Owen, Executive Director for Adults and Community Wellbeing, Essex County Council), and accountable to the Chair of the Social Care Transformation Programme Board, situated in the Department of Health, the Local Government Association, and the Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government (IDEA). The post will be funded by central government.

The Transformation Board exists to ensure that the Putting People First changes in social care are satisfactorily implemented.

The principal task the new Director will be expected to carry out will be “to lead and drive the delivery of Putting People First within Adult Social Care on behalf of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) and with the Concordat, to ensure transformation of the whole system and to deliver personalisation.”

The Concordat was signed in December last year and committed a number of central and local government bodies, the NHS, as well as third sector organisations, to work together to bring adult services much more within the control of service users, to concentrate on early intervention and prevention services and to enhance the quality of information about social care services. It was presided over by Health Secretary Alan Johnson.

ADASS President John Dixon said: “This is truly a significant development, and shows the determination that ADASS shares with the Government, the LGA and IDEA to use personalisation to change the social policy map of England. The National Director will be responsible for implementing the Concordat, with all its positive messages about personalisation, wellbeing and information as well as providing leadership and inspiration to their peer directors throughout the country.

“It really is a massive vote of confidence in adult social care services and a bold step for the Department of Health to make. It is a particularly strong vote of confidence in the partnership between DH and local authorities, and I look forward to working with the successful candidate in carrying out what is going to be a challenging and exciting task.”

ENDS

For further information contact:

John Dixon, ADASS President, 01243 777660
Jenny Owen, ADASS Vice President, 01245 434806
Drew Clode, ADASS Policy/Press Adviser, 020 8348 5023/07976 837755

* Pictures of John Dixon and Jenny Owen available on request.