Job Description

Job info	Job info details
Job title	Divisional Director - Community and Customer Service
Strategic team/Directorate	Adults and Community Services
Service	Community and Customer Services
Business unit	Community and Customer Services
Responsible to (day to day issues)	Director of Adults and Community Services
Accountable to (line manager)	Director of Adults and Community Services
Salary grade	HAY460TORB

1. Key purpose of job

Responsible and accountable to the Director for Adults and Community Services for the strategic delivery of a broad range of functions including Community Safety, (Safer Communities, Licensing, Housing Options, Environmental Health - Food Standards, Housing Standards Environmental Protection, Trading Standards (shared service) Health and Safety, Emergency Planning) and Customer Services (Call Centre, Council tax, Business Rates, Housing Benefit, Web and Systems).
To be a member of the Council’s Senior Leadership Team providing strategic leadership to facilitate the best outcomes for Torbay by:
- Collaborating as SLT, within teams, across departments and with partners,
- Being future focused,
- Being adaptable,
- Putting people at the centre of everything we do – both our staff and customers.
To do this by:
- Working with members and overseeing the good governance of the council,
- Providing corporate direction and communicating this clearly,
- Confronting budget issues and challenging our performance,
- Supporting and challenging our colleagues in a safe environment to help tackle issues and develop opportunities,
- Getting the best out of our teams and individuals,
- Embedding our organisational values in everything we do.
To lead a problem-solving approach to operational and strategic issues across the portfolio to ensure that statutory requirements are met and that opportunities for creative and innovative partnership working are maximised.
To ensure that strong and sustainable relationships are built across the portfolio area, with local and regional partners, including the community, voluntary and private sector, local business as well as other statutory bodies.
To provide strong and focused communication on all aspects relating to the portfolio to ensure that you persuade and influence others in the supporting the operational and strategic agendas of the portfolio.
To be an inspiring communicator of the Council’s vision and priorities both internally and externally, in order to promote high levels of awareness and understanding of the aims, objectives and values of the council and its achievements in delivering services to and developing its communities gaining support of these groups through sensitivity to needs and by achieving organisational goals.

2. Anticipated outcomes of post

Services are delivered effectively and efficiently within the relevant professional functions, with innovative solutions for future service delivery actively explored and implemented as appropriate.
To be the lead regulatory professional for the council having specific delegated powers associated with the post to ensure the effective delivery of a full range of functions for the portfolio.
Early identification and management of major issues that may be potentially sensitive or contentious.
Issues are fully researched, comprehensively reported, provide options and all of the information needed for the Council to make decisions.
The development of an environment where all colleagues feel safe to challenge the way things are done and suggest improvement, learning from experience.
Resilient and responsive services.

3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post

As an Employee of Torbay Council all roles are expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. The Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding is the Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services.
Responsible for the strategic leadership, professional development and setting of performance standards.
To ensure that services provide good value for money and are managed within allocated budgets.
To ensure the development, implementation and evaluation of strategies for the provision of the functions detailed in 1.1, which are responsive to the needs of the Council and are able to respond to changes in governmental direction and legislative change.
To ensure that all services detailed in 1.1 are actively reviewed as to the ‘right source’ option for their future delivery – that will cover options of outsourcing, co-sourcing or insourcing to ensure the most effective and efficient delivery method is chosen.
To anticipate the long-term impact on the Council of economic, political, environmental, social and technological developments and create joined up strategies that put into practice and support the Councils vision.
Develop an in-depth insight into customers, services, communities and markets affected by functions detailed in 1 and the wider public sector context.
To participate in the corporate management of the Council. To operate with other senior officers as one leadership and management team, connecting across services and drawing together strategy and delivery as appropriate.
Demonstrate the Council’s managerial leadership values and behavioural competencies – providing positive leadership, acting with openness, honesty and integrity, and instilling a clear sense of direction and priority.
Management and development of all the Council’s employees, value their contributions, develop their strengths ensuring that they are consulted, empowered, valued and motivated.
Leading people in an inclusive way to deliver strategic and operational objectives.
Early identification of risk and management of major issues that may be potentially sensitive or contentious.
Effective engagement with relevant communities.
Contribution to a culture of trust, openness and mutual respect in between officers and elected Councillors.
Promote and embed a culture of commercial awareness, ensuring that services develop the acumen to identify and develop income generating opportunities.
Sustain and improve the overall reputation of the Council and act in the best interests of Torbay through effective representation locally, regionally and nationally.
To ensure that the work of the regulatory teams is compliant with the national Compliance Code for regulatory services and to embody the principles required within this code across all service areas.
Leading and driving the Torbay Community Safety Partnership at a strategic level by providing advice and guidance across the partnership on national and local agendas and ensuring that strategic decisions made at Board Level are translated through to the delivery/steering groups for the appropriate delivery of services.
As a member of SLT to provide representation on a number of Boards across the organisation to ensure compliance and connectivity across organisational boundaries and services.
The post holder must ensure that Health & Safety legislation and the Council’s Health & Safety requirements are complied with and monitored.
To be a named member of the SCG and TCG Emergency Planning response as required and to ensure that services have appropriate business continuity plans and emergency response procedures in place.
Lead the transformation towards using digital technologies in the service areas in 1 ensuring full consideration of accessibility needs and the diverse range of end users.
Ensure the effective and customer focused delivery of a range of high profile and front line services, ensuring a positive impact on the day to day environment, safety and health of the Bay.
Sustain and improve the overall reputation of the Council and act in the best interest of Torbay through effective representation locally, regionally and nationally.

4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post

Responsible for all aspects of Budget development and management of the budgets of the services detailed within 1.
Responsible for identifying, applying for and delivering against a range of grant funding applications and delivery of services associated with those grants
Responsible officer for the allocation of the Police and Crime Commissioners commissioning allocation for Torbay (circa £250k per annum).

5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post

To undertake the supervision of the heads of Service within the team as required and ensure the regular supervision of each team member using identified mechanisms.
To assertively and continually challenge teams and managers to improve performance.
To establish annual objectives and ensure that these are cascaded to team members, monitoring their performance through the Council’s appraisal process.

6. Working environment and conditions of the post

Office working environment

7. Physical demands of the post

Normal physical demands

8. Specific resources used by the post

Laptop, Mobile Phone, iPad or similar

9. Key contacts and relationships

External

Central Government, Other Local Authorities, Other public sector organisations, The Council’s auditors, Private and voluntary organisations and employers, businesses, community and voluntary sector groups, Business Improvement Districts, Public Health England, Food Standards Agency, Health and Safety Executive

Internal

Leader, Cabinet, Members, Chief Executive, Senior staff across the Council, Trades Unions, and employees at all levels across the Council.

10. Other duties

To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job.

Other Information

N/A

Person Specification

Note for Candidate

All Candidates

The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement. In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.

Candidates who consider that they have a disability

Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.

If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.

Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.

If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.

Job info	Job info details
Job Title	Divisional Director - Community and Customer Service
Strategic team/Directorate	Adults and Community Services
Service	Community and Customer Services
Business unit	Community and Customer Services

Skills and effectiveness

Essential skills and effectiveness

Ability to influence and win the confidence of a wide cross sector of people within differing organisations.
Display passion and enthusiasm for the work, helping to inspire colleagues and stakeholders to fully engage with the aims and long term vision of the organisation.
Ability to anticipate long term impacts, monitor and evaluate services and practices to ensure agreed standards are maintained and intervene constructively where necessary.
Excellent analytical and performance management skills.
First class communication, ambassadorial and media management skills – ensuring that the reputation of Torbay Council is promoted at every opportunity.
Proven ability to lead change and to support services during periods of change and development, minimising the impact on staff morale and maximising and sustaining performance improvements to a service.
Champion the importance of continuing professional development – and role model good practice in this area.
Able to create jointed up strategies that think creatively and develop innovative solutions.
Manage conflicting priorities.
High degree of customer awareness.
Achievement and performance driven.
Ability to use judgement, tact and sensitivity.
High degree of personal integrity and political awareness and sensitivity.
Able to develop, negotiate and extend challenging outcomes and goals, make complex decisions based on facts and complete tasks to a high standard.
High level of financial acumen and ability to manage budgets and control costs.
Proven effective presentation and report writing skills.
Proven commitment to anti-discriminatory practice.
Ability to personally lead organisational change and develop a “can do” culture
High level analytical skills, with the ability to exercise sound judgement and cultural sensitivity in seeking creative solutions to complex situations.
To encourage innovative thinking and challenges to the status quo, ensuring a flexible approach is taken to the development of existing and new services.
Ability to assess the effectiveness of interventions, programmes and services
Ability to develop and implement policy and strategy to secure measurable and sustained changes in outcomes.
Proven ability to lead and collaborate to improve outcomes for the community.
Ability to understand and interpret the needs of a locality and translate these into evidence based interventions.
As this post meets the requirements of the Immigration Act 2016 (part 7), the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post

Desirable skills and effectiveness

N/A

Knowledge

Essential knowledge

Detailed knowledge of national and regional service priorities and the requirements for their local implementation in the context of the political and operational environment.
Detailed knowledge and understanding of the role of the regulatory services and legal procedures.
Excellent understanding of how best to achieve service outcomes with proven approaches to ensuring the correct approach is taken.
A high level of knowledge and understanding of confidentiality, data protection and ethics.
Demonstrable and detailed knowledge of performance management and improvement models.
Understanding of wider local government issues and the political context and environment in which it operates.
Relevant legislation and wider issues in the context of the political and operational environment.
Up to date knowledge of the crime and disorder agenda and frameworks within which the Community Safety Partnership operates.

Desirable knowledge

N/A

Experience and achievements

Essential experience and achievements

Proven experience of using models of influence to shape and develop strategic plans based on needs assessment and delivery of required outcomes.
Experience of developing and implementing new ways of delivering services and innovative working practice to succeed in achieving and maintaining service improvements and achieving best outcomes for service users.
Experience of successfully planning for and contributing to relevant audit and inspection processes.
Experience of developing, designing and embedding capability and performance approaches through future horizon scanning
Successful senior leadership role within a relevant organisation.
Experience of leading and managing large, complex teams and working within partnership arrangements.
Proven experience of successful project/programme management.
Experience of managing large and complex budgets.
Proven success in contributing to larger “corporate” agendas, ensuring that services are informed by the Council’s agreed economic, environmental and social priorities.
Competence and confidence in working with elected members, regulators and partners.
Proven experience of working in partnership with other statutory agencies at a senior level
Proven experience of working with a wide range of community and voluntary sector organisation.

Desirable experience and achievements

Commercial experience in a related field
Public Sector expertise
Relevant professional experience of environmental health or other similar regulatory service.

Qualifications/professional memberships

Essential qualifications/professional memberships

Relevant professional qualification or equivalent
Relevant degree
Additional post graduate study in one of the professional areas within the Business Unit
A recognised management qualification (e.g. ILM, Institute of Management) or equivalent at Level 5 or above

Desirable qualifications/professional memberships

Higher Degree or equivalent
Public Health or Environmental Heath qualification
A recognised qualification in project management (e.g. Prince2) or equivalent

Other requirements

Other requirements of the job role

Demonstrates a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people
Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay/South West/UK in order to carry out duties
Ability to accommodate unsociable hours
Ability to accommodate on-call working
Ability to accommodate occasional home-working