Assistant Director Service Development

Welcome, and thank you for your interest in learning more about North Yorkshire Council and this exciting role of Assistant Director Service Development.

It is an exciting time for me personally; in March I take up the role of Corporate Director Health and Adult Services and one of my first tasks is to recruit my replacement for this pivotal role. I know first-hand how enjoyable the role is but also the career opportunity it provides.

North Yorkshire is England's largest county and is a beautiful, vibrant place to live and work. We have a reputation for delivering high quality services. Our Health and Adult Social Care Services are nationally recognised for their excellence, one of the highest performing authorities in the country in the recent Care Quality Commission inspections:

Read our Social care for adults praised in wide-ranging inspection of services page.

Read the full Care Quality Commission report on our adult social care services on the Care Quality Commission website.

Whilst we are immensely proud of our track record, we are committed to ongoing continuous improvement to ensure that our services are of high quality, positively impact on the health and wellbeing of the communities that we serve, whilst providing efficient use of public money.

It is an ideal time for a new Assistant Director to join us as we:

extend our much-lauded Extra Care programme; the provision of housing developments to ensure older and disabled people remain living independently in purpose-built housing, with on-site care workers and wider community facilities such as libraries, shops, hairdressers and cafés
implement our service restructure creating specialised county wide services. Staff are enthusiastic about the changes as it provides distinctive career pathways, enhances localised services and further develops strength-based practice
embed our new North Yorkshire Health Collaborative, a formal partnership between the largest Integrated Care Board and the authority, with wider NHS, voluntary and community sector and care sector involvement to oversee in the region of £600 million in prevention and community services, aiming to improve outcomes, and tackle inequalities and joined-up working
roll out five new Care and Support Hubs: an investment of up to £60 million for intermediate care and specialist dementia care

At the heart of our improvement plans is a determination to put the voices and aspirations of people with lived experience at the heart of what we do. We have co-produced our Health and Adult Service Involvement Framework and our goal is to grow co-production in our daily practice, our service improvement and our service developments. Our ambition is to show what our lived experience experts mean when they say that “Co-production is a super-power”.

We are poised to capitalise on these opportunities and drive forward our plans.

Whilst what we do, we do well, we are not complacent and with true Yorkshire resilience we constantly strive for further improvement, to meet growing complexity of need and significant shifts in demand for our critical services. We have a great deal more to learn, more to do for our residents, and so this is where we will look to our new Assistant Director to deliver our ambition through prevention, service development and strategic commissioning.

We are fast approaching our three-year anniversary following local government reform and the merging of the eight district, borough and county councils to form North Yorkshire Council in April 2023.

As the county council was the continuing authority, Health and Adult Services were unchanged by this structural transformation. However, unification brings the opportunity to improve localised services in this great county and secure greater investment through our devolution deal for North Yorkshire. The devolution deal for York and North Yorkshire could potentially unlock around £2.4 billion of investment over 30 years, with a focus on improving the economic prosperity and future long-term opportunities for all residents.

We are making the most of being a new unitary council, with a stronger Public Health contribution to shaping the new countywide leisure and active well-being service, and plans being developed to build more, better homes for older and disabled people, and to improve support to people with multiple, complex health, housing and care issues in their lives. We are also working with colleagues on issues such as food affordability and supply and climate change. And we are strengthening our Health Protection services.

There are significant challenges facing the service and the organisation as a whole. We are currently in the process of delivering a transformation programme which is an ambitious programme to realign the council in the face of reduced funding levels, increasing complexity and demand for services and harness the opportunities that emerging technologies bring. The only way to address the magnitude of the challenge is by an equally ambitious programme of change. It is more important than ever that we work in genuine partnership, are crystal clear about our priorities, and are resolutely focussed on improving outcomes.

We use our substantial resources to seek out and tackle issues head on. For many of our residents, the quality of life is high but the needs of communities across our localities are diverse with some areas experiencing significant deprivation and health inequalities, alongside the rural nature of the county which impacts on accessibility.

This provides a great foundation for a new Assistant Director Service Development to further shape exciting, innovative approaches, making your mark in this role and on a national stage.

Ideal for a driven health and social care leader with a track record in outcomes based strategic commissioning wanting to step up to the leadership challenge. You will be welcomed by strong corporate, directorate and service teams with a high-performance culture and significant resources that will enable you to rise to the challenge, develop innovative practice and really make your mark here.

In particular, you will drive our approach to:

strategic commissioning that shapes care provision to drive improved outcomes
strategic partnerships across health, voluntary and communities anchor relationships that drive whole system performance and innovation
working with communities to ensure co-production is embedded and holds influence
supported housing, through supported living, extra care and care hub developments
performance; demand management, governance and financial grip

To be successful you will be an influential, visible leader; a real collaborator; commercially astute to drive financial management, with a strong moral purpose that constantly drives through our complexity and scale to improve the health and wellbeing of people in our communities.

You will be welcomed by leadership colleagues and a corporate suite of support services, that will provide support and critical challenge as we are united as one council: jointly ambitious for the health and wellbeing of our residents across our region.

Want to learn more?

We encourage further conversations to explore this opportunity and look forward to discussing your interest further following an initial conversation with our recruitment partners, Resourcing Solutions.

Abigail Barron, Corporate Director Health and Adult Services

About our Health and Adult Services

Our Health and Adult Services employs nearly 2,000 people and in 2025/26 invests a Public Health Grant of £25.9 million and an adult social care net budget of £277 million.

North Yorkshire is a unitary authority in Yorkshire and the Humber, England. It has a population of approximately 627,000. The county has a higher-than-average older population, with 25.67% aged over 65, compared to 18.69% in England.

As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, in Public Health, we are focused on giving children the best start in life, getting more people to move more and helping people age healthily.

Our vision for Health and Adult Services is about “people living longer, healthier, independent lives”. We have four over-arching ambitions, underpinned by statements about what they will mean for people.

Opportunities for everyone, everywhere

Our aim is that everyone has an equal opportunity to have the best possible start to a long, healthy and independent life; where people fulfil more of their ambitions and aspirations; where we help to reduce the gaps in life expectancy and healthy years lived and improve health outcomes across the county. We aim to prevent and delay illness and reduce the number of people who need care by offering support earlier. This approach helps more people live healthier lives, adding both years to life and life to years.

My time and experiences are valued

We want everyone to feel their time is valued and that their views and experiences shape their support. We will use feedback to continuously improve our practice.

My home, my community, my choice

We have a strong history of providing a range of housing and community-based care services to help people stay independent where they want to live. Our population is ageing faster than the national average and we are forecast to be supporting more people with multiple needs and complex life circumstances. However, we are focused on building on our track-record to achieve this ambition for as many people as possible.

Leading and delivering

Our plans for the next five years require us to work well with other parts of the council, the NHS, businesses and voluntary sector organisations, as well as with individuals and communities. In so doing, we need to continue to focus on our workforce, including recruitment and retention; to continue our commitment to learning and training and research; and to constantly strive for improvements in performance, quality and equity across the county.

Over the coming years, we want to enhance our prevention services in communities across North Yorkshire; to support unpaid carers in better ways; to focus more on how we help people with mental health, disability or substance use issues who are likely to have higher needs and potentially higher care costs; to continue our journey of improvement in adult social care practice; to continue to develop our services and joint working with the NHS; to work with communities and partner agencies to help people be more physically active; to improve the affordability and availability of good quality food; to work towards a smoke-free generation; and to improve women’s health and access to services.

Now is the time to join us.

About the role

Title: Assistant Director Service Development
Salary: £100,545 to £111,533 plus relocation support
Location: Northallerton, hybrid
Contract: Permanent, full time

We are passionate in our commitment and ambition for the residents in North Yorkshire. We want North Yorkshire to be a place where everyone thrives, lives independently and is able to live safely and healthily within their communities.

You will be responsible for leading on prevention and social care commissioning and market development, supported housing development and support to Public Health commissioning.

As a member of the Health and Adult Services Leadership Team, you will carry shared responsibility with other senior team colleagues for the performance of the whole of Health and Adult Services.

You will lead, jointly with the Assistant Director – Adult Social Care / Principal Social Worker and the Assistant Director – Adult Social Care, the Adult Social Care Leadership Team to ensure effective services and strong practice across the county.

In particular, you will lead our service development services, leading commissioning, brokerage, Direct Payments, Health and Adult Service planning and contract management activity for Health and Adult Services, with the NHS, Children and Young People Services, and with other commissioners, providers and the public. Leading the continued development of joint commissioning arrangements, you will ensure the quality, diversity and stability of the various care markets and wider associated sectors. Also leading the supported housing, technology enabled care and sustainability function across Health and Adult Services, working in partnership with other directorates.

You will lead the budget and scrutiny oversight across adult social care and seek assurance on budget management, achievement of savings and associated performance, leading on in-year financial recovery plans as needed. This includes overseeing the Section 75 arrangements with Integrated Care Boards and Joint Commissioning Boards.

You will work at scale and with complexity, leading a team of over 50 people with a direct budget of £20 million and coordination of directorate budgets of over £260 million.

The role will require you to work with other Assistant Directors, elected members, and other senior colleagues across the council and form partnerships across health and social care partners. You will jointly manage with the Director of Public Health, a population health role, ensuring that public health functions are embedded into the commissioning principles across adult social care.

You will have significant autonomy and responsibility when coordinating activities and priorities.

As Assistant Director Service Development you will be responsible for delivering our ambition and therefore take responsibility and accountability for the services and functions allocated to Service Development acting within our Officers’ Delegation Scheme. You will ensure we meet our statutory responsibilities in respect of the health and social care of people across North Yorkshire, ensuring the safeguarding of people.

As Assistant Director, you will provide outstanding strategic and organisational leadership to create, embed and sustain the council. With colleagues you will have collective responsibility for delivery of our operating model and embedding the values and behaviours throughout the council. You will promote diversity and inclusion throughout the council and through partnerships and relationships with other stakeholders.

You will work effectively with elected Members to ensure the vision and strategic direction of the Directorate is delivered. You will act as an advocate for the council at local, regional, and national level, enhancing our reputation and influence, building partnerships and enabling us to be a leader in the field.

You will be responsible for the effective delivery of the service development, in Health and Adult Services for North Yorkshire. Providing strategic leadership and direction, operational management and financial control for the directorate, ensuring delivery of high-quality strategic aims. You will also support the development of cross-council strategies across diverse services.

In return we offer you a strong platform, extensive resources and corporate support from which to enhance your career in this stunning place.

Whilst the base will be County Hall in Northallerton, it is expected that you will work from a locality base at least one day per week.

This is a politically restricted post as defined by the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.

This post requires the post holder to be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

A photograph of a woman in a wheelchair laughing next to a photograph of a carer wearing a face mask and talking to a woman.

Key documents

Other documents that might be of interest:

Why work for us

We are a strong performing authority, with supportive political leadership and talented teams providing the platform to have a fulfilling, challenging and successful career in a truly stunning place.

A peer challenge found that the council is a good place to work, with strong leadership and a loyal and committed workforce who have access to well-regarded training and development.

We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice, offering a range of training and development opportunities and career progression allowing you to manage your own development journey and empowering you to control your career. Your career can change with your life here in North Yorkshire.

Our relocation package

If you are considering relocating to North Yorkshire we provide a comprehensive relocation benefits package.

This features up to £8,000 to cover reasonable costs such as:

removal expenses
storage costs
legal and estate agent fees
travelling expenses

Countryside views of North Yorkshire with signs.

Living and working in North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire is a thriving county that adapts to a changing world and remains a special place to live and work.

North Yorkshire's natural beauty is captured in its three areas of outstanding natural parks, national nature reserves, stunning coastlines, scenic rural villages, vibrant cities and market towns. North Yorkshire really is a beautiful, thriving and special place to live and work, rich in heritage and culture.

North Yorkshire features significantly in the best places to live in the UK across all quality-of-life indicators and is the safest place in England with extremely low crime rates.

In addition, the county benefits from excellent road and rail links, with easy access via the east coast mainline, the A1(M) and A19. Leeds, York, Newcastle, Durham and Teesside are all easily commutable, and London and Edinburgh are just two hours away by train.

From its lively cities to pretty villages, rolling countryside and grand coastline, Yorkshire has so much to offer including great employment opportunities for your family members, along with a higher proportion of schools which are good or outstanding compared to national figures.

You can find out more about what North Yorkshire has to offer on the Visit North Yorkshire website.

Watch this video to see more of what North Yorkshire has to offer.

Key dates

closing date: 22 March 2026
assessment event: 16 April 2026
final interview: 20 April 2026

Apply

To apply please provide us with your CV including a supporting statement in one Microsoft Word document.

Applications should be emailed to Executive.ResourcingSolutions@northyorks.gov.uk.

Please do not send PDFs. We will remove your personal details from your application on receipt to enable anonymised shortlisting, therefore it is important that your application is made using one Microsoft Word document.

It is important that your written application fully addresses the experience criteria as detailed in the person specification.

Please ensure your CV includes: your full contact details (telephone, email, address), full employment history (name of employer, job titles, dates of employment and salary), full education history (qualification, grade, dates and place of study), explanation of any gaps in employment and the contact details of at least two referees including your current or most recent employer indicating whether you consent to us contacting each referee prior to interview. Please also provide details of your current salary and notice period.

We believe in the importance of inclusion, which is why we are always working towards being a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive employer. You can find out more about our equality, diversity and inclusion work on our working for us page.

We are committed to directly recruiting staff and will not accept applications nor services from agency suppliers.

Contact us

For an informal confidential discussion about this opportunity, please contact Leanne Auton on 07815 028 548 or email Leanne.Auton@northyorks.gov.uk.

We believe in the importance of inclusion, which is why we are always working towards being a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive employer. You can find out more about our equality, diversity and inclusion work on our working for us page.

This is a politically restricted post and is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

We are committed to directly recruiting staff and will not accept applications nor services from agency suppliers in respect of our vacancies.

Assistant Director Service Development