Head of Service Discharge, Home Independence (HIT) & Occupational Therapy (OT)

Overview

This is an exciting opportunity to work as part of the adult social care leadership team covering, Hospital, Home Independence (HIT) and Occupational Therapy as a Head of Service.  This is an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Adult Social Care, leading large-scale services, transformation programmes and high-performing teams that make a real difference to the lives of Buckinghamshire residents. Ensuring services are sustainable, innovative, integrated and responsive to future demand.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally. 

About the role

You will work closely with all adult social care teams, commissioning colleagues, care providers, housing services and the voluntary and community sector and our NHS partners to develop integrated approaches that support people to achieve the outcomes that matter most to them.

As a senior leader, you will drive cultural change, champion strengths-based practice and ensure that our services deliver excellent performance, regulatory compliance and value for money.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Provide visible and inspirational leadership across Hospital Social Work, Occupational Therapy and Home Independence services.
• Lead the continued development of Adult Social Care, embedding strengths-based and asset-based approaches throughout service delivery.
• Develop and implement strategic plans that improve outcomes for residents while ensuring long-term service sustainability.
• Contribute to and lead transformation and improvement programmes.

Hospital Discharge and Integrated Working

• Lead effective hospital discharge arrangements and integrated pathways with NHS partners.
• Strengthen relationships across acute hospitals, community health services and other partners
• Ensure timely and safe transitions from hospital and D2A pathways, reducing delays and promoting independence.

Occupational Therapy and Independence

• Provide strategic oversight of Occupational Therapy services and Home Independence Teams.
• Ensure residents have timely access to assessment, rehabilitation, reablement and equipment solutions that maximise independence.
• Promote innovative models of practice that reduce reliance on long-term care and support.

Performance and Quality

• Ensure compliance with the Care Act, Mental Capacity Act, Mental Health Act and safeguarding responsibilities.
• Drive excellent performance against national and local indicators.
• Lead quality assurance, audit and service improvement activity to continuously strengthen practice standards.
• Use data, intelligence and evidence to inform decision making and transformation priorities.

Financial and Resource Management

• Hold responsibility for significant service budgets and ensure effective financial management.
• Deliver services within agreed financial targets whilst maintaining quality and statutory compliance.
• Identify efficiencies and opportunities for redesign that support sustainable service delivery.

Workforce Leadership

• Directly manage Team Managers and provide strong professional leadership.
• Develop a high-performing workforce through coaching, supervision and performance management.
• Support the development of social workers, occupational therapists and multidisciplinary teams.
• Foster a learning culture focused on innovation, accountability and continuous improvement.

For a full list of duties and responsibilities, please refer to the job description.

Any-Desk:

As an ‘any-desk’ worker, you’ll need a desk, screen a keyboard to get your job done. 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.

About you

We're looking for a confident, collaborative and forward-thinking leader who is passionate about delivering excellent outcomes for adults and their families. You'll be someone who can inspire and motivate others, build strong relationships with a broad range of stakeholders and confidently lead through change. You'll bring resilience, energy and a solutions-focused mindset, with the ability to balance strategic thinking and operational delivery in a demanding but rewarding environment.

You will bring:

Essential

• Significant senior leadership experience within Adult Social Care, Health or integrated services.
• Experience leading hospital social work, discharge services, occupational therapy, reablement or community-based adult services.
• A strong track record of delivering service transformation and improvement.
• Experience managing substantial budgets and complex operational services.
• Excellent partnership working skills with NHS organisations and system partners.
• Strong understanding of:
• Care Act 2014
• Mental Capacity Act
• Mental Health Act
• Safeguarding Adults legislation and practice
• Experience of performance management, quality assurance and inspection readiness.
• Ability to analyse complex information and translate strategy into operational delivery.
• Degree-level qualification and relevant professional registration (Social Work England or HCPC registration for Occupational Therapists where applicable).

Desirable

• Experience leading integrated health and social care services.
• Knowledge of discharge and community rehabilitation pathways.
• Experience working within a politically led organisation.
• Postgraduate leadership or management qualification.

For full details of the essential and desirable criteria, please refer to the job description.

What Success Looks Like

As Head of Service, you will:

• Deliver measurable improvements in independence, reablement and hospital discharge outcomes.
• Successfully lead Adult Social Care operational programmes across your service areas.
• Strengthen integrated working with NHS and community partners.
• Develop a motivated, high-performing workforce.
• Ensure services are safe, effective, financially sustainable and focused on the needs of Buckinghamshire residents.

Why Join Us?

This is a unique opportunity to play a leading role in shaping the future of Adult Social Care. You will join an ambitious leadership team committed to innovation, integration and delivering outstanding outcomes for local people.

If you are passionate about adult social care leadership and enabling people to live independent and fulfilling lives, we would love to hear from you.

Apply now and help lead the next chapter of Adult Social Care in Buckinghamshire.

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.

Other information

For more information about this role, please contact Zoe Vaughan at [email protected] for an informal discussion.

Internal Closing date: Thursday 19th November 2026

Interview Date: tbc

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.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

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

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• All spent convictions and adult cautions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020 and 2023).

For further information on filtering please refer to Nacro guidance and the guidance published by the Ministry of Justice (see, in particular, the section titled ‘Exceptions Order’).

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/