Some managers want a smooth service that runs itself.
This one is not that. And if you are being honest with yourself, that is probably not what you are looking for either.
The right person for this role is someone who looks at a service with room to improve and sees an opportunity, not a warning sign. Someone who wants to put their stamp on something, build it properly and have the inspection outcome, the team stability and the commissioner relationships to show for it.
If that sounds like you, keep reading.
The Role
An established care at home service based around 14 miles north of Inverness is looking for a Registered Manager to lead, develop and grow what is already a functioning operation.
The service currently delivers around 700 hours of care per week across a wide rural geography. A team of care practitioners, Team Leads and a Care Coordinator are already in place. The infrastructure is there. What the service needs now is the right registered leader to take ownership of it, drive quality forward and grow it sustainably toward 1,000 hours.
There has been a recent Care Inspectorate inspection. The outcomes were mixed and an action plan is in place. Progress is already being made. This is not a service in crisis. It is a service in transition and it needs someone who understands the difference and wants to be part of what comes next.
What a Strong Week Looks Like
Care plans that are live, accurate and genuinely person-centred
Risk assessments completed, reviewed and meaningful rather than filed and forgotten
Supervision that the team actually benefits from
A rota that holds
Commissioner conversations built on trust and consistency
Inspection readiness that is not a last minute panic, because the work is being done every dayThe Highland geography is real. Lone workers covering rural communities across a wide area need a manager who is visible, present and consistent, not one who manages from a distance and hopes for the best.
Who You Will Be Working With
The Operations Manager above this role has spent her career at the sharp end of care at home. She is a former Operations Director for one of the Highlands' largest providers and is well connected across the commissioning landscape in Scotland. She is not a figurehead. She knows what this service needs and she is genuinely invested in the right person succeeding.
The support behind this role is real. If there is a specialism you want to develop or an area you want to lead on, there is appetite to back that properly with protected time and resource.
Day to day operational decisions are yours. Budget sign off sits higher in the business, which is worth knowing upfront. But the expectation is straightforward. Build something stable enough that the people above you are not worried when they step away.
By the end of year one, success looks like this:
Measurable progress on the improvement plan
A team that is properly supervised, retained and performing
Care hours growing steadily toward 1,000
A commissioner relationship rebuilt on reliability and consistencyFor the right person, growth beyond this service is a longer term conversation. But it starts with making this one what it should be.
What We Are Looking For
Experience
Several years working within care at home services, not just social care more broadly
Registered Manager experience or a clear and credible route to registration
Confidence with compliance, inspection standards and Care Inspectorate requirements
A full UK driving licenceQualifications
SCQF Level 9 in health, social work or a related field
Leadership and Management at SCQF Level 10, or a committed plan to complete it
SVQ Level 4 in Health and Social Care, or readiness to work toward it quicklySalary: £40,000 to £45,000 depending on experience.
Relocation support is available including open discussion around housing and temporary accommodation.
Not Quite There Yet But Getting Close?
If you are a Deputy Manager or experienced Care Coordinator with a strong care at home background and you know you are ready for the next step, this employer is open to that conversation. The right candidate will be supported toward registration. What matters is the experience, the values and the drive to get there. Do not let a job title stop you from getting in touch.
How to Apply
Send your CV to Recruitment Panda. It does not need to be updated. A conversation costs nothing.
Or get in touch directly. Tim is the Principal Consultant working closely with this employer and knows the brief inside out.
Right to work in the UK is required for this position.
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Salary description
£40000.00 - £45000.00 per year