Head of Service - Mental Health & Disability, Barnsley

Position reference: 50007806/785291

Directorate: Place Health & Adult Social Care | Service: Adult Social Care & Health

Salary: £85,038 - £93,308

Working Arrangements: Hybrid

Hours per week: 37

Contract type: Permanent

We are happy to talk flexible working arrangements with you, please get in touch.

See our range of Employee Rewards: Employee rewards and benefits

Closing date: 06/02/2026 at 23:59

Please be aware that this is a politically restricted post.

The successful candidate will be required to speak English to an appropriate standard.

The successful candidate will be required to be available outside of services normal working hours as part of a standby rota to respond to out of hours service needs. A standardised standby payment will be made in respect of these duties.

This post requires an Enhanced DBS Check

If you are currently living overseas or have lived overseas in the last five years please be aware, if you are the preferred candidate for the post, you will be required to apply for an overseas criminal records check from the country/countries you have resided in. If you experience difficulty in obtaining an overseas criminal record check please email

When applying, please ensure you are prepared to start work with all the necessary legal documents, such as a valid visa, relevant to the type of work you will be undertaking. Please be aware that our organisation does not possess a Home Office license and, as a result, is unable to provide sponsorship for anyone seeking a visa as a skilled or temporary migrant worker.

Pensions Regulations have provisions to reduce pension payments in certain circumstances of those who return to work within local government service. If you are in receipt of a pension upon commencing employment with the authority, this may affect your pension entitlements and you should therefore seek advice from the relevant Pensions Authority.

At Barnsley Council you can start a career that makes a real difference to people’s lives, helping our council and residents to be the best they can be.

About the Post:

Now is the time to come and work for Barnsley Council Adult Services and be part of the transformational change we are making.

We are seeking to appoint an exceptional and experienced Head of Service to support our new Neighbourhood Operating Model within Adult Social Care that will oversee the safe and effective delivery of care and support alongside having an extensive proven track record of managing Mental Health, DOLS & Learning Disability Services.

To join us, you’ll need to be educated to Degree level or equivalent; plus registration with Social Work England as a social worker.

As the responsible Head of Service, you will have excellent leadership skills, bringing an ability to balance strategic priorities and operational workload. You will maintain high-quality services whilst managing the overall performance of service delivery. This role also has an important external element drawing on your proven skills working with partners across the system. This will draw on your communication skills, stakeholder management and commitment to relationship-based practice.

The postholder will support the Service Director to deliver statutory obligations and deliver high quality, safe and effective operational services. The postholder will be responsible for the operational management of an agreed portfolio of services which will also include Mental Health, DOLS, Emergency duty team & Learning Disabilities, ensuring the effective and efficient use of allocated resources to provide a service organised around the needs of Barnsley residents and our local communities. You will be committed to delivering high performing, high quality services understanding how to motivate your services and providing containment at busy times. You will be passionate about making a difference to our most vulnerable adults their families, and networks, using this to lead and motivate your teams.

This is a senior leadership role and the postholder will be required to work in collaboration with the Adult Social Care senior leadership team, Health partners and the wider Council. With a proven track record of effective leadership evidence of strong performance and high-quality governance, workforce planning, emergency planning and on-going business development. The postholder will promote a culture of innovation, involvement and quality improvement.

Reporting to the Service Director and working closely with senior managers and operational leaders, you will provide strategic and operational leadership alongside the ability to deliver transformation, embed change and work within financial constraints

Key responsibilities

• Set and monitor practice standards across ASC; leading and implementing learnings from the Quality Assurance Framework, thematic audits and learning loops.

• Provide expert safeguarding leadership; strengthen governance, performance, and MSP outcomes.

• Ensure robust DoLS processes and MCA practice, working closely with legal and partners.

• Inspirational, visible, and credible leadership capabilities.

• Contribute to transformation programmes and workforce strategy with directorate, aligning improvements to the Adult Social Care Strategy and the Council 2040 Plan.

• Lead professional development via the Principal Social Worker, champion supervision, reflective practice, ASYE / Practice Education expectations.

What you’ll bring

• Leadership experience in Adult Social Care safeguarding / quality with clear impact on practice and outcomes.

• Deep knowledge of the Care Act, MCA/DoLS, and safeguarding statutory guidance, with confidence to lead complex risk management.

• Strong audit, governance, and improvement skills; ability to turn insights into coaching, standards and measurable change.

• Collaborative, values driven leadership—able to inspire professional communities and build effective multiagency partnerships.

You would be joining a double award-winning, high-performing Council with a growing economy, a thriving town centre and some truly impressive outcomes in our communities. We were awarded Council of the Year for 2023 by the Local Government Chronicle (LGC) and The Municipal Journal (MJ). Our excellent Adult Services has been a key part of our win; we’re so proud of what we’ve achieved not just for the council but for our partners and Barnsley.

We’re impressed. Are you? It’s the perfect time to join and be part of our excellent team.

For more information, please see our website –

Adult Social Care - in Barnsley, including getting help early, social care assessments, paying for care, and services.

Please note: interviews for this role will take place on Monday 2 March, 2026

For an informal discussion contact Julie Chapman, Service Director

Please use the documents below to help support you with your application form.

Job Profile: 71799 Head of Service Job Profile 20200703.pdf

Vacancy Exposure Profile: Exposure Profile LOW.pdf

Help with your application form

Why work for us?

Please ensure you view the job profile for this role, as you will need to demonstrate in your application form how you meet the required criteria.

We welcome the opportunity to have a chat about the role and are happy to address any questions you may have about flexible working arrangements, including as a result of caring responsibilities.

We're committed to creating a workplace where differences are valued and everyone truly feels able to be themselves. If you have any support needs during the recruitment process, please let us know.

CV's are not accepted for this role.

At Barnsley Council, we believe in second chances and value diversity. Our recruitment process is inclusive, and we welcome applicants with past convictions. We're committed to fairness and do not discriminate. Join us in building a future where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. #InclusiveHiring #SecondChances"