Director of ASC Workforce and Quality

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

Benefits offered by this job

Disability Confident

Job summary

Government Recruitment Service in Leeds is seeking a Director of Adult Social Care Workforce and Quality to lead the DHSC's workforce reforms and quality improvements. You will oversee the Workforce Plan, Fair Pay Agreement, and the new negotiating body, shaping policy and delivery at a national level.

The role requires senior leadership, strategic judgment and the ability to build trusted relationships with ministers and stakeholders across Whitehall, to transform adult social care in England.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of workforce reforms for adult social care, including the Fair Pay Agreement and the new negotiating body.
• Provide strategic advice to Ministers and senior leaders on workforce, quality and safeguarding issues.
• Strengthen workforce capacity, capability and professional practice across the sector.
• Drive improvements in quality and safeguarding, including support for unpaid carers.
• Build influential partnerships across government and the health and care system.
• Lead and develop a high-performing Directorate with responsibility for substantial budgets.

Job description

Director of ASC Workforce and Quality

Company: Government Recruitment Service

Salary: £105,000 to £162,500 a year

Hours: Full-time

Location: Leeds

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

• 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.