Adult Social Care Service Manager

Job Title: Adult Social Care Service Manager
Starting Salary: £61,443 progressing to £68,775 per annum (pro rata for part time)
Hours: 37
Location: Hemel Hempstead
Contract Type: Permanent
Directorate: Adult Care Services

About the team

We have an exciting opportunity for a Service Manager within the South and West Hertfordshire Older People and Sensory Services (SWHOPSS). This service includes seven locality teams, countywide Sensory Services, and two integrated operational and health teams.

As Service Manager, you will lead and manage adult social care services across locality teams, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, person-centred care aligned with Hertfordshire County Council’s Connected Lives principles. You will oversee operational performance, statutory compliance, and continuous improvement, fostering a culture of inclusion, collaboration, and innovation.

About the role

This is a senior leadership position with both operational and strategic responsibilities. You will:

• Provide professional leadership and oversight of operational managers, ensuring consistency and excellence in practice and performance.
• Drive service development, workforce planning, and training in collaboration with Learning and Development teams.
• Champion Equity, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion and co-production in all aspects of service delivery.
• Offer expert guidance on complex safeguarding and case management, ensuring statutory duties under the Care Act 2014 are met.
• Monitor budgets, manage improvement targets, and lead on complaints investigations and learning reviews.
• Develop strong partnerships with agencies such as the NHS, police, and housing providers to deliver integrated services.
• Contribute to policy development and embed operational pathways that reflect legislative and best practice changes.

About you

We are looking for a dynamic and experienced professional with a passion for adult social care and a commitment to making a positive impact. You will have:

• Extensive experience in managing social care services, preferably within adult social care.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to inspire and motivate teams.
• A thorough understanding of statutory responsibilities and best practice in social care.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills with stakeholders, including individuals, families, staff, and partners.
• Experience of working collaborative with system and health partners.

Essential:

• Registered Social Worker (or Nurse/Occupational Therapist).
• Full UK Driving Licence.
• Working with system partners, such as health colleagues
• Experience of supervising, managing and leading diverse teams
  
  Desirable:
  
  
• Performance management, recruitment, and workforce development
• Understanding of statutory responsibilities, safeguarding, Care Act duties, and CQC requirements
• Risk management and ensuring all services are safe, responsive, and effective.
• Ability to evaluate service quality through audits, inspections, and performance reviews.
• Managing service budgets, monitoring expenditure, and ensuring efficient use of resources.

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is within the Health and Social Care Services, level HSC14 job profile. Please locate this via:

Job profiles - Health and social care

To hear more about this opportunity please contact Sujana.lama-Paul@hertfordshire.gov.uk for an informal discussion about the role.

Interview Date: week commencing 19 January 2026

Benefits of working for us

How to apply

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

Additional information

Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

Driving required
You’ll need to have the ability to drive and/or travel around Hertfordshire, either using your own mode of transport or a company car to travel to other locations.

English Fluency
The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.