The Officer Appointments Committee of Wiltshire Council met on Friday 14 November 2025 to discuss a single item of business. The main item on the agenda was the appointment of a Director of Adult Social Care. The meeting was scheduled to be held in two parts, with the public excluded from the second part, during which the appointment was to be discussed.

Appointment of Director - Adult Social Care

The main item for discussion was the appointment of a Director of Adult Social Care.

According to the Public reports pack, the Director would be responsible for the corporate management of a range of major council services or a significant statutory function, providing strategic policy direction and leadership, operational management and financial control. They would also support the cabinet and corporate leadership team, to achieve the aims and desired outcomes of the council, Wiltshire community and partners.

The role profile states that the Director of Adult Social Care would be a Chief Officer as defined in the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and referred to in the Localism Act 2011 and Part 3 of the Council's constitution.

Key duties of the Director of Adult Social Care would include:

• Developing relationships both internally and externally to maximise opportunities for collaboration and integration.
• Ensuring service planning is shaped by, and takes into account the council's key strategic plans.
• Providing advice and recommendations to the wider corporate leadership team and elected Members on significant policy decisions or complex and contentious matters within their service areas and areas of expertise.
• Contributing to the corporate management of the strategic risks facing the council.
• Representing the council at regional/national level within their services areas and areas of expertise.
• Promoting and exemplifying robust decision making, which is open, inclusive, flexible and responsive.
• Growing an outstanding workforce with a can-do attitude, supported through clear career paths and development linked with robust talent and performance management.
• Embedding a culture that places customers first, adopts a can-do approach and focuses on good outcomes in our communities.
• Driving the council's staff engagement culture and demonstrate the behaviours expected across the organisation.

The Director would also lead a range of social care services that deliver a strengths model, maximise independence and focus on well-being, and ensure that safeguarding procedures are in place to support and protect vulnerable people. They would also ensure that the council performs its statutory duty in relation to the provision of Adult Social Care services, ensuring that statutory responsibilities within this area are fulfilled.

The services areas that would report to this post are Adult Social Care and Housing Operations.

The Director of Adult Social Care would have a direct service budget of approximately £144 million, and a contributory impact on spend of £876 million (gross budget).

The person specification for the role states that the successful candidate would have a Social Work or Occupational Therapy professional qualification, and that a postgraduate degree in management is desirable or equivalent management experience. They would also have substantial experience of managing operational adult care services in a large and diverse organisation, and a knowledge and understanding of commissioning and its role in adult social care operations.

The agenda notes that the public was scheduled to be excluded from this part of the meeting because it was likely that if members of the public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in paragraph 1 of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972¹ and the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information to the public.