Head of Service

Our Adult Services in the South East region provide a range of person-centred support to autistic adults and people with learning disabilities, enabling them to live fulfilling, independent lives within their communities. Services are delivered across multiple locations, led by experienced managers and multidisciplinary teams, with a strong focus on inclusion, dignity, and high-quality care., As Head of Adult Services (South East), you will be a senior leader with full strategic and operational responsibility for services across the region. Working through Service Managers, you will ensure safe, consistent, and high-quality service delivery, while driving continuous improvement and innovation. You will translate national strategy into local delivery, lead on risk, governance, and safeguarding, and foster a culture of inclusion, accountability, and excellence. This is a highly autonomous role requiring visible leadership, strong decision-making, and a hands-on approach when needed. What You'll Do

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across adult services in the region
• Ensure services meet regulatory requirements, including CQC standards and safeguarding expectations
• Lead and support Service Managers and teams to deliver consistent, high-quality care
• Oversee performance, quality assurance, and continuous improvement activity
  
  Significant senior leadership experience in adult social care, particularly autism and/or learning disabilities
• Proven ability to lead complex, multi-disciplinary teams and manage service performance
• Strong knowledge of regulatory frameworks, safeguarding, and quality standards
• Experience in financial management, including budgeting and cost control, To protect our autistic adults at the National Autistic Society, all staff are required to have a criminal background check. Possession of an Enhanced DBS Check either on the Update Service or conducted within the last 12 months would be preferable but not essential., Disability Confident
About Disability Confident A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to .

This advert is for a full-time position, at 35 hours per week. What we can offer you
• Pension- Auto-enrolled pension scheme.
• Annual Leave- 33 days (including public holidays). You can buy or sell leave each year.
• Training- Great induction and training, including autism training.
• Discounts- Online staff discount scheme for shopping, cycling, tech, and more (e.g., Asda, Tesco, Nike, Apple).
• Healthcare- Cash plan for permanent staff.
• Life Assurance- 2x your base salary.
• Flexible Benefits- Options like private health, dental insurance, holiday trading, enhanced pension.
• Support- 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme and counselling.
• Mindfulness- Free Headspace app for you and up to 3 family/friends.
• Blue Light Card- Eligibility for discounts.
• Refer a Friend- Get £200 when you refer someone.