Director of ASC Workforce and Quality
Job description
- Job grade: SCS Pay Band 2
- Contract type: Permanent, Loan, Secondment
- Length of employment: 3 Years
- Business area: DHSC - Adult Social Care Group
- Type of role: Policy, Senior leadership, Other
- Working pattern: Full-time
- Number of jobs available: 1
Location
You will be required to attend the London and Leeds offices on a regular basis, and some travel to other locations across UK.
DHSC has a hybrid way of working. You will be expected to attend the office for more than 60% of your working time Subject to the capacity of individual buildings, there is no upper limit on the number of days of attending offices and this should be driven by business need.
About the job
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 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.
Job description
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.
Person specification
It is important through your CV and Statement of Suitability that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the following essential criteria:
• Strategic policy and analytical capability – exceptional policy and analytical skills, with demonstrable experience of developing strategic responses to complex, challenging and long-standing policy and operational problems and translating these into clear priorities and deliverable solutions.
• Senior stakeholder engagement and executive influencing: A proven track record of advising and influencing senior leaders and key decision-makers—such as board members, ministers, or executive leadership—on sensitive, high-profile issues, with the political acuity, negotiation capability, and credibility to provide robust counsel, manage competing priorities, and secure consensus in complex, high-scrutiny environments.
• Strategic collaboration and system-level delivery: A proven track record of leading across complex organisational boundaries and navigating multi-layered governance or regulatory environments, with the demonstrated ability to influence senior institutional decision-makers—such as central government departments, regulators, or funding bodies—while aligning competing agendas and building collaborative, cross-sector coalitions to shape strategy, policy, and large-scale delivery.
• Delivery and implementation – proven experience of translating ambitious policy into effective delivery, managing complex programmes, competing priorities and significant delivery risks while maintaining a clear focus on outcomes.
• Stakeholder partnership and co-production – significant experience working with a diverse range of partners and stakeholders, building trusted relationships and ensuring that different perspectives and lived experience inform the development and delivery of policy.
• Exceptional leadership and people management – a strong and inclusive leader with proven experience of leading and developing multidisciplinary teams, building capability and maintaining effective delivery through significant organisational change and transformation, particularly relevant as the transformation across DHSC and NHS England takes shape.
Benefits
Benefits of working for the Civil Service
Whatever your role, we take your career and development seriously, and want to enable you to build a really successful career with the Department and wider Civil Service. It is crucial that our employees have the right skills to develop their careers and meet the challenges ahead, and you’ll benefit from regular performance and development reviews to ensure this development is ongoing. As a Civil Service employee, you’ll be entitled to a large range of benefits.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service values and supports all its employees.
We have strong and proactive staff networks, special leave policies for hospital appointments, reasonable adjustments put in place for those who need them, and diversity talent programmes to help everyone irrespective of background, to achieve their potential.
Pension
Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package.
A competitive contributory pension scheme that you can enter as soon as you join where we will make a significant contribution to the cost of your pension; where your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken; and where your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire. Visit Civil Service Pension Scheme for more details.
Generous Annual Leave and Bank Holiday Allowance
25 days annual leave on entry, increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service. This is in addition to 8 public holidays.
This will be complemented by one further day paid privilege entitlement to mark the King’s Birthday.
Staff Wellbeing
Flexible working including part-time or time-term working and access to Flexible Working Schemes allowing you to vary your working day as long as you work your total hours.
Generous paid maternity and paternity leave which is notably more than the statutory minimum offered by many other employers.
Childcare benefits (policy for new employees as of 5 April 2018): The government has introduced the Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) scheme. Working parents can open an online childcare account and for every £8 they pay in, the government adds £2, up to a maximum of £2000 a year for each child or £4000 for a disabled child. Parents then use the funds to pay for registered childcare. Existing employees may be able to continue to claim childcare vouchers, so please check how the policy would work for you here.
Onsite facilities Opportunity to use onsite facilities including fitness centres and staff canteens (where applicable).
Things you need to know
Artificial intelligence
Selection process details
The Recruitment Process
Application Process
To apply for this post please submit the following documents no later than 23:55 on Sunday 22nd November 2026.
- A CV (which is for information purposes only) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
- A Statement of Suitability (no more than 1250 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the criteria in the person specification.
Applications will be sifted against personal statements. Please note that your CV is for information purposes only and will not be scored.
Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only has limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.
As part of the online application process, you will be asked a number of diversity-related questions. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select 'prefer not to say'. The information you provide when submitting your application will help us monitor our progress towards the Civil Service becoming the most inclusive employer by 2025.
Please note that we are unable to provide feedback to those candidates who are not shortlisted for interview. Written feedback will be made available (on request) to those candidates who attend interview.
If you are unable to apply online please contact scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Selection Process
Christopher Pilgrim a Civil Service Commissioner, will chair the process. The Civil Service Commission has two primary functions:
- Providing assurance that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition. For the most senior posts in the Civil Service, the Commission discharges its responsibilities directly by overseeing the recruitment process and by a Commissioner chairing the selection panel.
- Hearing and determining appeals made by civil servants under the Civil Service Code which sets out the Civil Service values – Impartiality, Objectivity, Integrity and Honesty - and forms part of the relationship between civil servants and their employer.
More detailed information can be found on the Civil Service Commission website.
In addition to Christopher Pilgrim, the panel will also consist of:
- Sally Warren – DG Adult Social Care
- TBC
- TBC
Alongside other departments, DHSC is committed to making the Civil Service more inclusive and recognises the value of diverse interview panels. Helping candidates, particularly those from diverse backgrounds, to feel comfortable and at ease during the interview process, to reduce bias and increase the objectiveness of decisions. In line with the Civil Service’s Inclusive Board initiative we aim to ensure that, as well as being gender diverse, DHSC’s interview panels for Senior Civil Service will include at least one panellist who is from an ethnic minority background and/or who has a physical or non-physical disability (which may not be visible).
Shortlist
You will receive an acknowledgment of your application through the online process.
Candidates applying under the Disability Confident Scheme and A Great Place to Work for Veterans Scheme who meet the minimum selection criteria in the job specification are guaranteed an interview.
The timeline later in this pack indicates the date by which decisions are expected to be made, all candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter, and we will advise on any delays.
The panel will select a shortlist of candidates whose applications best demonstrate suitability for the role, by considering the evidence provided against the essential criteria set out in the ‘Person Specification’
Shortlisted candidates who attend an interview will also be offered verbal feedback from a member of the interview panel.
Assessments
If you are shortlisted, you may be asked to take part in a series of assessments which will include an individual leadership assessment and a stakeholder engagement exercise. These assessments will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, they are designed to support the panel’s decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview.
Discussion with Vacancy Holder
Shortlisted candidates may have the opportunity to speak to Sally Warren – DG Adult Social Care, DHSC prior to the final interview. This is an informal discussion to allow candidates to learn more about the role, and is not part of the assessment process.
Discussion with Minister and / or Perm Sec
Candidates may have also the opportunity to speak to a DHSC Minister and/or Perm Sec prior to the final interview. This is an informal discussion to allow candidates to learn more about the role, and is not part of the assessment process.
Interview
You will be asked to attend a panel interview in order to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification.
Shortlisted candidates may be asked to prepare a 5-minute presentation at interview. Full details will be provided prior to interview.
You will be asked a series of questions at interview around the essential criteria earlier in this pack.
Interviews will take place in person at 39 Victoria Street, London, full details of the interview format will be provided to shortlisted candidates prior to interview.
Feedback
Feedback is only available to shortlisted candidates, please contact scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk at Government Recruitment Service to request feedback on your application or interview.
A reserve list will be held for up to 12 months, which we may use to fill future suitable vacancies for candidates who are considered appointable following interview.
Expected Timeline
We will try and offer as much flexibility as we can, but it may not be possible to offer alternative dates for assessments or interviews. You are therefore asked to note the below timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process, in order to meet the dates given. Please note that these dates may be subject to change.
The anticipated timetable is as follows:
Advert Closing Date 23:55 Sunday 22nd November 2026
Short List Meeting Tuesday 1st December 2026
Assessments – Stakeholder Engagement Exercise (SEE) Wednesday 9th December 2026
Final Interviews Tuesday 15th December 2026
Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
- Contact Government Recruitment Service at: scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
- Complete the ‘assistance required’ section in the ‘personal information’ page of your application form to provide information we should be aware of that will enable us to support you further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Reserve lists
A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, which the Civil Service may use to fill future suitable vacancies across government for candidates who are considered appointable following interview.
Further Information
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact: scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Complaints
Civil Service Commission Selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.
In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles, our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of appointment on the basis of merit by fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance you should contact; DHSCSCSrecruitment@dhsc.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk and more information can be found at
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.
Security
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : SCS Recruitment Team
- Email : scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Attachments
| 2026-11-02 Director of adult social care workforce and quality - candidate pack Opens in new window (pdf, 471kB) |
| 2026-11-03 Candidate accessibility pack Opens in new window (docx, 27kB) |
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