Director of ASC Workforce and Quality

Government Recruitment Service; Greater London; On-site; GBP 105,000 - 163,000; Full time

Job summary

DHSC are seeking an outstanding senior leader to join the Adult Social Care Group as Director of Adult Social Care Workforce and Quality. This high-profile role will lead major workforce priorities, including the Workforce Action Plan, Fair Pay Agreement, establishment of the adult social care negotiating body and international recruitment work.

The role will shape a new approach to driving quality across adult social care, including safeguarding and support for unpaid carers.

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience in policy and delivery programmes.
• Ability to engage with Ministers and senior stakeholders across Whitehall.
• Strong strategic judgement and influencing skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of the Government’s workforce reforms for adult social care, including the first Fair Pay Agreement and the establishment of the new Adult Social Care Negotiating Body.
• Provide authoritative strategic advice to Ministers and senior leaders on complex adult social care workforce, quality and safeguarding issues.
• Strengthen workforce capacity and professional practice across the 1.5 million-strong adult social care workforce, driving recruitment, retention, training, skills and standards.
• Drive improvements in quality, safeguarding and people’s experience of care, lead the response to Covid-19 related inquiries and develop pandemic preparedness action plans.
• Build influential partnerships across government and the health and care system, working with Home Office, Cabinet Office, HM Treasury and local government to deliver sustainable solutions via co-production.
• Lead and develop a high-performing Workforce and Quality Directorate, comprising around 70 people across Leeds and London, with responsibility for around £100m of workforce grants and contracts.

Job description

DHSC are seeking an outstanding senior leader to join the Adult Social Care Group as Director of Adult Social Care Workforce and Quality. This high-profile role will lead delivery of major workforce priorities, including the Workforce Action Plan, Fair Pay Agreement, establishment of the adult social care negotiating body and international recruitment work. The role will lead work on how to shape a new approach to driving quality across adult social care, and will lead policy and delivery on specific aspects that drive quality including safeguarding adults, support for unpaid carers and health protection in social care.

The successful candidate will bring substantial experience of leading complex, high-profile policy and delivery programmes, excellent strategic judgement and the ability to build trusted relationships with ministers and senior stakeholders across Whitehall.

This is an opportunity to provide visible leadership and make a significant contribution to transforming adult social care in England.

Key responsibilities

As Director of ASC Workforce and Quality your key responsibilities will include:

• Lead delivery of the Government’s workforce reforms for adult social care, including implementation of the first Fair Pay Agreement, establishment of the new Adult Social Care Negotiating Body, and delivery of the Adult Social Care Workforce Plan, ensuring reforms deliver a skilled, valued and sustainable workforce.
• Provide authoritative strategic advice to Ministers and senior leaders on complex and high-profile adult social care workforce, quality and safeguarding issues, navigating significant public, sector and cross-government interest and translating long-standing challenges into clear policy and delivery choices.
• Strengthen workforce capacity, capability and professional practice across the 1.5 million-strong adult social care workforce, driving improvements to recruitment, retention, training, skills and standards, professionalisation and workforce supply, including the future approach to the international care workforce. Ensure value for money and excellent results through the delivery of workforce grants and contracts.
• Drive improvements in quality, safeguarding and people’s experience of care, strengthening protections for adults at risk, national safeguarding leadership and accountability, statutory guidance and learning systems, while delivering priorities for unpaid carers, visiting, health protection and emergency preparedness. Lead the government’s response to Module 6 of the Covid 19 Inquiry and the development of the adult social care pandemic preparedness action plan.
• Build influential partnerships across government and the health and care system, working closely with the Home Office, Cabinet Office, HM Treasury, local government, providers, sector partners and people who draw on and provide care to develop and deliver sustainable solutions through genuine co-production.
• Lead and develop a high-performing Workforce and Quality Directorate, comprising around 70 people across Leeds and London, three Deputy Directors and a new NDPB negotiating body, with responsibility for around £100m of workforce grants and contracts. As a senior leader, you will build capability, support excellent delivery and help shape the structure, culture and ways of working of the new Department as NHS England is brought into DHSC.

• Strengthen workforce capacity, capability and professional practice across the 1.5 million-strong adult social care workforce, driving improvements to recruitment, retention, training, skills and standards, professionalisation and workforce supply, including the future approach to the international care workforce. Ensure value for money and excellent results through the delivery of workforce grants and contracts.

• Drive improvements in quality, safeguarding and people’s experience of care, strengthening protections for adults at risk, national safeguarding leadership and accountability, statutory guidance and learning systems, while delivering priorities for unpaid carers, visiting, health protection and emergency preparedness. Lead the government’s response to Module 6 of the Covid 19 Inquiry and the development of the adult social care pandemic preparedness action plan.

• Build influential partnerships across government and the health and care system, working closely with the Home Office, Cabinet Office, HM Treasury, local government, providers, sector partners and people who draw on and provide care to develop and deliver sustainable solutions through genuine co-production.

• Lead and develop a high-performing Workforce and Quality Directorate, comprising around 70 people across Leeds and London, three Deputy Directors and a new NDPB negotiating body, with responsibility for around £100m of workforce grants and contracts. As a senior leader, you will build capability, support excellent delivery and help shape the structure, culture and ways of working of the new Department as NHS England is brought into DHSC.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

Director of ASC Workforce and Quality

Company: Government Recruitment Service
Salary: £105,000 to £162,500 a year
Hours: Full-time
Location: London
Job type: Permanent
Posting date: 4 Nov 2026
Closing date: 22 Nov 2026

Summary

DHSC are seeking an outstanding senior leader to join the Adult Social Care Group as Director of Adult Social Care Workforce and Quality. This high-profile role will lead delivery of major workforce priorities, including the Workforce Action Plan, Fair Pay Agreement, establishment of the adult social care negotiating body and international recruitment work. The role will lead work on how to shape a new approach to driving quality across adult social care, and will lead policy and delivery on specific aspects that drive quality including safeguarding adults, support for unpaid carers and health protection in social care.

The successful candidate will bring substantial experience of leading complex, high-profile policy and delivery programmes, excellent strategic judgement and the ability to build trusted relationships with ministers and senior stakeholders across Whitehall.

This is an opportunity to provide visible leadership and make a significant contribution to transforming adult social care in England.

Key responsibilities

As Director of ASC Workforce and Quality your key responsibilities will include:

• Lead delivery of the Government’s workforce reforms for adult social care, including implementation of the first Fair Pay Agreement, establishment of the new Adult Social Care Negotiating Body, and delivery of the Adult Social Care Workforce Plan, ensuring reforms deliver a skilled, valued and sustainable workforce.
• Provide authoritative strategic advice to Ministers and senior leaders on complex and high-profile adult social care workforce, quality and safeguarding issues, navigating significant public, sector and cross-government interest and translating long-standing challenges into clear policy and delivery choices.

• Strengthen workforce capacity, capability and professional practice across the 1.5 million-strong adult social care workforce, driving improvements to recruitment, retention, training, skills and standards, professionalisation and workforce supply, including the future approach to the international care workforce. Ensure value for money and excellent results through the delivery of workforce grants and contracts.

• Drive improvements in quality, safeguarding and people’s experience of care, strengthening protections for adults at risk, national safeguarding leadership and accountability, statutory guidance and learning systems, while delivering priorities for unpaid carers, visiting, health protection and emergency preparedness. Lead the government’s response to Module 6 of the Covid 19 Inquiry and the development of the adult social care pandemic preparedness action plan.

• Build influential partnerships across government and the health and care system, working closely with the Home Office, Cabinet Office, HM Treasury, local government, providers, sector partners and people who draw on and provide care to develop and deliver sustainable solutions through genuine co-production.

• Lead and develop a high-performing Workforce and Quality Directorate, comprising around 70 people across Leeds and London, three Deputy Directors and a new NDPB negotiating body, with responsibility for around £100m of workforce grants and contracts. As a senior leader, you will build capability, support excellent delivery and help shape the structure, culture and ways of working of the new Department as NHS England is brought into DHSC.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

About Disability Confident Disability Confident is a government scheme. It encourages employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long term health conditions.