Manchester City Council has announced that its Executive Director for Adult Social Services will retire in March 2026.
Bernie Enright joined the Council from Salford City Council in 2018 with a remit to drive improvements in adult social care services which were feeling the impacts of years of austerity. She immediately started work an Improvement Plan to secure investment to stabilise the service, increase staffing levels, strengthen the management structure and address waiting lists.
She and the team then led a service transformation which placed a strong emphasis on prevention, supporting people to be as independent as possible for as long as possible in their communities.
This long-term strategy of supporting people earlier while investing in, valuing and developing staff has not only meant better outcomes for people but has also seen the adult social care budget stabilised at a time when such costs are soaring in other places.
Bernie has been at the forefront of health and social care integration in Manchester, sitting on the Manchester Local Care Organisation’s senior team since its inception in 2018. She has also played a key role representing the sector at both regional and national levels.
Her excellence was recognised in 2024 when she won the MJ (Municipal Journal) Corporate Director of the Year Award.
Bernie will remain in post until March 2026 and is currently focussed on the preparation for the forthcoming Care Quality Commission assurance visit due later this year. She will support recruitment of her successor to be in place before she leaves at the end of March. The new Director of Adult Social Services will then recruit their Deputy following Sarah Broad’s move to become Director of Policy, Performance and Reform.
Council Leader Bev Craig said: “Bernie has been an outstanding director of Adult Social Services. Having worked with her closely, both as Executive Member for Adults and as Leader, I’ve seen first hand not just the dedication she brings but the transformation of adult services in this city. She was also at the forefront of our nationally-recognised efforts against Covid – and the decisions Manchester made saved lives.
“A true public servant, she has served the people of Manchester well and we wish her the very best retirement.
“Thanks to the strong foundations she put in place, we can be confident that our adult social care directorate will continue its transformation to provide the best possible support and care to Manchester people who need it.”
Chief Executive Tom Stannard said: “Bernie is someone I hold in high personal regard whose approach to compassionate leadership and creating a positive working culture has been central to transforming adult social care in Manchester and ensuring it is better integrated with health services.
“She has made a significant impact on the lives of residents, patients and social care professionals in Manchester and will be a hard act to follow. However, this is a great place to work and thanks to her and her team there are strong foundations to build on.”
Councillor Thomas Robinson, Executive Member for Healthy Manchester and Adult Social Care, said: “Bernie embodies the very best of public service. Her commitment, compassion and selflessness have impacted thousands of Mancunian lives for the better, and those qualities have been fundamental in improving the culture and practice of our adult social care services in recent years.
“We wish her the happiest of retirements but until then we will be working closely with her to ensure a smooth transition which will build on her endeavours over the years to come.”
Bernie Enright said: “I am really proud of the improvement and transformation over the past eight years in Manchester, and I am grateful for the continuous support from the Council’s leadership and all our staff in adult social care. Together, we have kept the people we serve at the heart of everything we do, supporting them to have the best possible outcomes in their lives. Whilst looking forward to my retirement, I have no doubt adult social care in Manchester will continue to go from strength to strength in the future.”
