Dear Applicant,

Thank you for your interest in joining Sefton Council as Assistant Director for Adult Social Care and Health.

Sefton is a great place to live, work and visit, and this is an exciting time to be joining our Senior Leadership Team. The borough stretches across 22 miles of coastline, from Bootle to Southport, and offers vibrant communities, excellent schools, and strong transport links to Liverpool, Manchester and beyond.

Our adult social care services were rated Good by the Care Quality Commission in June 2025. The assessment highlighted strengths in safeguarding, leadership, workforce culture, and partnership working. Staff were described as resilient, empowered, and focused on person-centred practice — reflecting the values we hold across the Council: ambition, collaboration, and a strong connection to our communities. We are proud of this outcome, and our focus remains firmly on continued improvement.

We are delivering a major transformation programme — Better at Home — focused on prevention, early help, and co-production with people who draw on care and support. Integrated working is central to our approach, and we have well-established partnerships across health, housing, Public Health, and the voluntary sector to ensure joined-up, effective support for our residents. Our work at Sefton Place is a key strength, enabling close collaboration with NHS colleagues and wider system partners. We also play an active role in regional networks across the Liverpool City Region, helping to shape policy and best practice across boundaries.

Financial management is also a priority. Like all local authorities, we are facing challenges, and the Assistant Director will play a vital role in ensuring services are sustainable, efficient, and aligned with our strategic priorities. You will contribute to the delivery of our Corporate Plan and Transformation Strategy, which is built on four pillars: Everyday Excellence, Better Outcomes, Sustainable Services, and Growth.

We are looking for a leader who brings strategic insight, operational experience, and a clear commitment to improvement, integration, and innovation. If you share our ambition and values, I encourage you to explore the information provided and consider applying.

Best regards,

Sarah Alldis

Executive Director of Adult Social Care, Health and Wellbeing

Lead with Purpose. Shape Services. Change Lives.

This is a defining moment for Sefton as we recruit an inspirational leader to help us move from a strong foundation towards outstanding services. Following a recent ‘Good’ rating from the Care Quality Commission, Sefton is recognised as one of the top-performing Adult Social Care services in the Northwest. Inspectors praised our compassionate staff, strong values, and innovative practice model. But we’re ambitious to do more - especially around co-production, prevention, and reducing inequalities.

We’re now seeking an Assistant Director to lead our adult social care function - driving integration, innovation, and improvement across a vibrant and complex borough. This is a high-impact leadership role, overseeing the engine room of our operational delivery. You’ll lead all frontline adult social care services, our client and business support function, and manage a broad portfolio including early intervention, safeguarding and learning disabilities.

A qualified social worker with senior leadership experience, you’ll have a deep understanding of adult social care systems. You’ll be comfortable operating across organisational boundaries, from integrated health partnerships to regional networks. You’ll work closely with the Cheshire and Merseyside ICB and will benefit from strong local relationships and a committed voluntary sector.

Like other local authorities across the country, we’re experiencing an increase in demand and complexity. We need someone who can lead with both resilience and creativity - holding up our high standards while empowering people to do their best work. We're looking for someone who is forward thinking and proactive, without compromising on day-to-day practice standards.

Sefton is a vibrant, diverse borough with a strong sense of community and a unique socio-economic geography. Our culture is positive and inclusive, with a working environment that supports people to achieve. This role offers a real breadth of experience and the opportunity to develop yourself as a leader. You’ll join a stable and ambitious leadership team, with strong political backing and a genuine appetite for transformation.

If you want to shape the future of health and social care in a place where your impact will be visible and valued, this is your moment.

To apply or find out more, contact our retained consultants at Tile Hill: Chris Barrow on 07437 839048 or Anita Denton on 07725 554802.

Closing Date: Sunday 19th October, midnight
Longlist Meeting (no candidate involvement): Wednesday 22nd October
Shortlist Meeting (no candidate involvement): Thursday 30th October
Preliminary Interviews (virtual): Monday 3rd November
Assessment Centre (in Sefton): Friday 7th November
Final Member Interviews (in Sefton): Monday 10th November