Service Manager

Job Title: Service Manager
Location: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Salary: £25,000 – £35,000
Hours: 37 per week

Leading Lives provides high quality social care support for people with learning disabilities, autism and complex needs across Suffolk and beyond in the home and in the community.

We are a leading social enterprise that is highly regarded by our customers for providing social care support with a difference. We exist to support people with social care needs to lead the life they choose.

Following a recent successful restructure, we have created 5 new business lines within the organisation:

• Daytime Offer
• Independence Plus Offer
• Professional Service Offer
• Short Break Offer
• Supporting People to Live at Home Offer

Within this new structure, we can better respond to changing demands from customers, and co-ordinate and target our approach to ensure we deliver our support and services as effectively as our customers deserve.

We are therefore delighted to announce we have a number of exciting new opportunities within Leading Lives management structure. We are looking for Service Managers to lead their team to deliver the exceptional service for our customers within the short breaks services in Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket.

For an informal discussion about the business lines and the role, please contact the recruitment team on 01473 406 776.

The Role:
This is a unique opportunity within Leading Lives to manage two short break services as well as a single occupancy home, for adults and young people with learning and physical disabilities and autism, people with acquired brain injuries and older people with dementia.

‘Short Breaks’ offer a break for families and carers as well as provide a place for the person staying to meet new people and have new experiences whilst in a safe, friendly and comfortable environment.

7a, Stowmarket:
Our beautiful and homely Short Break Unit in Stowmarket offers our customers a versatile space to enjoy a break away from home.
We are equipped with various activities for our customers to enjoy, including an iPad, a Wii, television and karaoke machine. Our open plan kitchen/diner allows our customers to cook and eat together in an inviting and calm atmosphere.

Cathedral View, Bury St Edmunds:
Cathedral View offers our customers a hotel-like experience, offering eight contemporary, spacious bedrooms across two wings. We offer a variety of activities for our customers, including arts and crafts, cooking and socialising.
Set on beautiful grounds with a sensory summer house for our customers to enjoy, Cathedral View overlooks a tranquil green space offering further relaxation.

Further information about our Short Break Units can be found on our website:
https://leadinglives.org.uk/short-break-respite-support/

Accountabilities:
• Manage and support the team
• Deliver strategic initiatives, working in partnership with colleagues internally and externally and report on outcomes
• Work closely with the team to ensure all services respond to and improve on recommendations
• Contribute to new staff inductions, supervisions and RTW interviews
• Conduct appraisals for your direct reports
• Work closely with HR to manage capability, conduct, and absence issues
• Conduct service visits to ensure the wellbeing of customers and staff team
• Identify and plan training needs, working closely with the Learning & Development team to improve and develop new training that promotes the development of services
• Work with the Quality Assurance Auditor to ensure services remain up to standard and action improvements
• Lead and implement new methods of practice and support Team Supervisors with mentoring of teams to improve practice
• Oversee the implementation of strategies and approaches that are appropriate and effective for the customers within the services
• Promote the company aims and vision throughout all aspects of practice
• Be the CQC registered manager

Everyday is different
At Leading Lives, we are caring and passionate and know that there’s no better feeling than seeing the difference each of our jobs make to other people’s lives.

We are looking for a positive and motivated Service Manager who will role model our key values and ensure the service continues to run smoothly and efficiently.

Working in social care, we know that no two days are the same, but every day counts.

What you need:

• We are looking for someone with a track record of management experience at a senior level
• Proven effective leadership skills and experience, or formal qualification in leadership
• You’ll have earned your RQF Level 5 Award in Social Care (or equivalent qualification) or be willing to achieve this within 24 months of joining the organisation.
• Good practical knowledge of relevant human resource, health and safety and social care legislation
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills
• Presentation, analysis and report-writing skills
• Experience working with people with learning disabilities
• IT literate
• Proven experience in delivering results and effective decision making
• Ability to travel to different locations within the service (Suffolk)

Making the Leading Lives Difference
Our company values are at the heart of everything we do, and we are looking for candidates who share these core values.

• We think ahead, adapt, flex and focus to remain the front-runner and make the Leading Lives difference
• We value our relationships and collective strength so we can make the Leading Lives difference
• We grow ourselves to grow others to make the Leading Lives difference

Please note due to the nature of this role, all new appointments are subject to a satisfactory enhanced DBS with Children and Vulnerable Adults’ Barred List checks, along with all other pre-employment checks in line with Safer Recruitment guidelines.

To apply visit our careers page.