Head of Services - South East England

The National Autistic Society; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 65,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

The National Autistic Society is seeking a 'Head of Adult Services' for South East England, responsible for leading strategic and operational service management. The position requires proven experience in adult services, managing quality assurance, risk, and stakeholder engagement while fostering an inclusive culture.

Benefits

Auto-enrolled Pension Scheme

25 days annual leave with flexible buying/selling options

Excellent induction and training programme

Staff discount scheme for various benefits

Healthcare Cash Plan for permanent staff

Life Assurance at 2 x base salary

Flexible benefits and salary sacrifice schemes

Access to 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme

Free access to Headspace App

Join the Team Scheme with referral bonuses

Qualifications

• Proven managerial experience in adult services or social care.
• Ability to manage models of service delivery and regulatory compliance.
• Experience in strategic risk and escalation leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead the implementation of national strategy and services across South East England.
• Ensure compliance with quality standards and regulatory requirements.
• Foster a culture of dignity, inclusion, and continuous improvement.

Skills

Strategic Leadership

Service Planning

Operational Management

Quality Assurance

Financial Management

Workforce Leadership

Person-Centred Practice

Education

Relevant management experience in social care

Job description

Who we are:

TheNational Autistic Societyis here to transform lives, challenge perceptions and build a society that works for autistic people.

We support people to understand their diagnosis and how this may impact on their life and the lives of those around them. Our residential services provide accommodation and supportfor autistic adults 52 weeks a year, 24 hours a day in urban and rural settings. We also provide supported living services for autistic adults who need extra help to live in their own homes or within our accommodation, whether as tenants or owner occupiers, living alone, or with others.

Visit our website to find out more about who we are and what we do:https://www.autism.org.uk/

Who we are looking for:

We are seeking to appoint an experienced manager to the role ofHead of Services. This is an exciting career development opportunity.

The role is to:

TheHead of Adult Services -South East Englandis a key senior leader within the Adult Services Directorate, holding full strategic and operational accountability through service managers for services across the of South East of England.

This role supports autistic people and people with learning disabilities to live fulfilling, independent lives in line with our charity’s mission and values. The postholder will operate with a high degree of autonomy, confidently managing risk, driving change, and ensuring excellence in service delivery.

As a visible and values-led leader, you will lead local implementation of national strategy, ensure quality and regulatory compliance, and foster a culture of dignity, inclusion, and continuous improvement.

You’ll be expected to hit the ground running, escalate appropriately, and take a hands-on approach where needed—bringing integrity, courage, and commitment to the people we support.

And involves:

• Strategic Leadership and Service Planning
• Operational Service Management
• Risk and Escalation Leadership
• Quality Assurance, Governance, and Regulation
• Financial and Resource Management
• Workforce Leadership and Culture
• Person-Centred and Inclusive Practice
• Partnership and External Engagement

This is a Full Time/Permanent Position, working 35 Hours Per Week. The Salary for this role is from£65,000 - £70,000 per annum dependent on experience.

Click here for full Job Description

What we can offer you:

• Auto-enrolled Pension Scheme
• 25 days annual leave with the option to buy or sell annual leave every year
• Excellent induction, training and development programme including training about autism
• Online staff discount scheme for a range of benefits such as cycle to work scheme, season ticket loan & shopping discounts for places such as Asda, Tesco, Sainsburys, Halfords, Nike, Apple and loads more!
• Healthcare Cash Plan (for permanent staff members)
• Life Assurance at 2 x base salary
• A portfolio of fantastic new salary sacrifices benefits and other flexible benefits private health, dental insurance, car salary sacrifice scheme, activity pass, holiday trading, enhanced pension & salary deduct loans (eligibility criteria may apply)
• Access to a 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme & counselling programme
• Free access to the Headspace App – a global leader in mindfulness and you can enrol up to three friends or family members for free!
• Eligibility for a Blue Light Card
• Enhanced overtime. Additional payments for sleep-in and on call
• Join the Team Scheme - Refer a friend and receive £200

Where you will be working:

You will be home based, but regional travel will be expected to the services within the area. Some national travel will be expected also on an adhoc basis.

About our application process:

When providing a supporting statement, please refer to the job description and person specification and include any information that shows your suitability for the role.

We do reserve the right to close this advertisement early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

To protect our autistic adults, all staff are required to have a criminal background check. Possession of an Enhanced Criminal Records Check either on the Update Service or conducted within the last 12 months would be preferable but not essential.

Applications for this job are sought from anyone who is suitably qualified and experienced for the role but particularly welcome from those with a diagnosis of autism.

The National Autistic Society is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and adults who use our services and as such expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Successful applicants will be required to complete the relevant safeguarding checks.

We are an equal opportunities employer.