Adult Services

Change has been a constant factor in this sector, and this has had (and does have) a direct impact on the recruitment decisions organisations need to take.

Since the ‘split' of children's and adults' social services after Every Child Matters, Local Authorities have been adopting a variety of different approaches and structures.  For some, adult social care has been a stand-alone function.  Others have grouped it in with Housing, Health, Community Services, Leisure, or Culture, etc.  In short, there is no definitive model.

More recently, some Authorities have chosen to bring children's and adults' services back together again, with the financial cutbacks being the prime driver here, although some argue that it also creates a more joined up and ‘family focused' service area.

The changes in the Health sector also impacts upon adult services, with the changes to Public Health and GP Commissioning all needing to be accommodated.  Equally, there is an increasing need to work with voluntary or 3^rd sector organisations to deliver front line services, meaning that the Local Authority is directly providing less and less themselves.

All of the above will have a direct impact on whether Local Authorities need a qualified social worker leading this grouping of services or whether the statutory DASS role can sit somewhere else in the structure.  There are also questions regarding whether a Director of Public Health should sit within this area, or have a separate function, possibly reporting directly to the Chief Executive.  The changing demographics also put a huge amount of pressure on this service area, as people live longer and require more care.

Despite the numerous options and challenges an organisation will face and the implications for executive recruitment, it is highly likely that GatenbySanderson will have handled something similar, somewhere in the country!  Over the last three years alone we have helped numerous organisations with over 50 senior appointments in this field, at Corporate/Executive Director, Assistant/Service Director level, or for Chairs and Boards of related bodies.  Our understanding of the sector, strong networks, and our ability to negotiate complicated partnerships gives us an unrivalled ability to deliver strong fields.

• Adult Services Case Study