Head of Better Lives

Overview

Are you an experienced senior leader with the vision, influence and drive to shape the future of adult social care? This is a significant opportunity to lead Buckinghamshire Council’s Better Lives Programme — a major programme of transformation focused on helping adults live well, remain independent, and access high-quality care and support when they need it.

As Head of Better Lives, you will provide strategic leadership across transformation, improvement and partnership working, ensuring the programme delivers meaningful outcomes for residents, supports financial sustainability and strengthens readiness for external assurance and inspection. Working closely with colleagues across the Council, health partners, providers, elected members and wider stakeholders, you will be at the centre of a complex and high-profile change agenda.

About us

Buckinghamshire is an ambitious, growing county with a strong economy and vibrant communities. With beautiful countryside, historic towns and excellent transport links — including easy access to London — it is a place where people can build rewarding careers and enjoy a great work-life balance.

Buckinghamshire Council brings together the strengths of five former councils into one forward-looking organisation. We are focused on delivering better services, stronger communities and positive outcomes for residents, businesses and partners across the county. As part of our leadership team, you will help us continue that journey and make a lasting contribution to the future of adult social care in Buckinghamshire.

About the role

• Lead the strategic development, governance and delivery of the Better Lives Programme, ensuring priorities are clear, progress is visible and outcomes are measurable.
• Drive transformation and continuous improvement across adult social care, embedding new ways of working that improve outcomes for residents and deliver value for money.
• Build strong, effective relationships across the Council, NHS, provider market, elected members and wider system partners to influence change and secure shared ownership of delivery.
• Oversee programme performance, assurance, risk management and benefits realisation, including activity that supports readiness for CQC inspection.
• Support the delivery of financial sustainability through demand management, MTFP savings, evidence-led service improvement and robust business planning.
• Lead, develop and motivate a professional team, creating a positive, collaborative and outcome-focused culture where people are empowered to deliver.

About you

You will be a confident and credible senior leader with a strong track record of delivering complex change in a multi-agency environment. You may already have experience in adult social care, health, local government or another public service setting where partnership working, political awareness and large-scale transformation are central to success.

We are looking for someone who can bring clarity and momentum to a complex programme, balance ambition with delivery discipline, and keep residents at the heart of every decision. You will be able to communicate with impact, build trust quickly and work confidently with senior leaders, partners and stakeholders to turn strategic priorities into practical, lasting improvement.

To succeed in this role, you will bring:

• Senior-level experience in a complex, multi-agency service organisation.
• A strong track record of leading transformational change and delivering measurable improvement.
• Sound knowledge of adult social care, health integration, local government and the wider policy and regulatory context.
• Experience of strategic service planning, programme management, business case development and benefits realisation.
• The ability to manage performance, risk, resources and budgets effectively in a challenging financial environment.
• Excellent leadership, interpersonal, communication and presentation skills, with the confidence to advise, challenge and influence at senior level.
• A collaborative and inclusive leadership style, with the ability to bring people together around shared outcomes.
• A degree-level qualification or equivalent experience, with a relevant postgraduate or professional qualification desirable.

Other information

Any-Desk:

As an ‘any-desk’ worker, you’ll need to be connected to our network to access digital folders and resources, but this can either be from home or an office location when required. You will be required to work from the office a couple of times a week, depending on your role and team requirements.

Salary £78,000

Please contact [email protected] to arrange an informal discussion.

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

For further information on how long it takes for cautions and convictions cautions to become spent, please refer to our guide on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (updated 2023) | Nacro

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While we welcome innovation, we expect all submissions to reflect your own experience, skills, and achievements accurately. Please ensure your application is truthful and demonstrates your personal capabilities, as this will be assessed during the selection process.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Our values

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/