A local authority must appoint an officer, to be known as the director of social services, for the purposes of its social services functions.

A local authority may not appoint a person to be its director of social services unless it is satisfied that the person has demonstrated competencies specified by the Welsh Ministers.

The Welsh Ministers must specify the competencies for the purpose of subsection (2) in a code issued under section 145 or in regulations.

Two or more local authorities may, if they consider that the same person can efficiently discharge, for both or all of them, the functions of a director of social services, appoint one person as director of social services for both or all of those authorities.

A local authority which has appointed, or jointly appointed, a person under this section must secure the provision of adequate staff for the purposes of its social services functions in order to assist the director.