Area Manager (Adult Social Care)

Location - Dorset

Salary - £55k plus car allowance

We are a trusted, local care and support provider, committed to delivering the highest standards at affordable prices. Our focus is on what matters most: compassionate, reliable support that meets the needs of the people we support and strengthens our communities. Our vision is a world in which people thrive and at the heart of everything we do is a commitment to understanding individual needs and providing care and support that is truly person-centred. We offer warmth, compassion, and a personal touch in all our services. We are trusted partners of the local authority, which reflects the high standards we uphold.

The role of Area Manager is central to our approach of supporting our Service Managers to deliver their services in a way that is fully compliant with regulation including the Care Quality Commission and to achieve the highest standards of customer satisfaction. Our Area Managers will oversee the quality of the services we provide, offer leadership oversight and work collaboratively with colleagues to continuously improve where needed. To be successful in this role, the postholder will be driven by a desire to achieve the highest standards of person-centred care delivery. The postholder will be able to create effective working relationships with our Registered Managers and other service managers as well as colleagues who are experts in their fields, including but not exclusively HR, Quality & Safeguarding and Finance.

Responsibilities:

• Provide direction and supervision to Registered Managers and other Service Managers in the day-to-day management of services.
• Serve as the specialist for all matters related to service quality and compliance standards.
• Monitor and evaluate service quality and compliance, working with external consultants as needed.
• Offer clear, up-to-date, and relevant quality management oversight for their area, supporting care colleagues and the Executive and Senior Leadership Team of Care Dorset.
• Input compliance and performance management information promptly in collaboration with BI colleagues.
• Ensure services operate sustainably from a financial perspective.
• Ensure all activities align with Care Dorset's values, behaviours, and CQC regulatory standards.

Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities

• Plan and conduct service quality and compliance audits.
• Prepare feedback reports and collaborate with managers to create improvement plans where necessary.
• Monitor and report on managers' performance when an improvement plan is in place.
• Work with Registered Managers and Service Managers to set personal objectives aligned with the Care Dorset Annual Operating Plan.
• Conduct 1:1s, appraisals, and manage people-related matters as required.
• Identify training needs for managers and contribute to staff training planning.
• Lead investigations into complaints, ensuring adherence to company policy and lessons learned analysis.
• Promote and facilitate continuous improvement to enhance care delivery.
• Maintain oversight of monthly income and expenditure for each service, addressing adverse budget variances.
• Input and manage quality and compliance data collection and retrieval systems.
• Collaborate with external consultants on regulatory audits, ensuring action plans are implemented and monitored.
• Conduct review meetings with managers to address issues, share best practices, and improve performance.
• Attend internal and external meetings as directed by the line manager.
• Undertake personal training as required.
• Ensure service delivery respects the rights, privacy, dignity, independence, and choices of those supported.

Person Specification

Must-Haves:

• Experience supporting regulated care services across multiple locations in one or more of the following areas: Community-based and/or Bedded Reablement, Residential Care, Supported Living, or Day Services.
• Ability to set, monitor, and review management objectives.
• Strong knowledge of relevant legislation and regulations (e.g., Health and Social Care Act, CQC standards).
• Experience in conducting audits and implementing action plans to improve service delivery.
• Experience handling and resolving complaints from care service users.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and workloads, both personal and team-based.
• Strong problem-solving skills and confident decision-making ability.
• Collaborative approach to working across Care Dorset to support service development.
• Basic to intermediate IT proficiency, including Microsoft Office and care planning systems like Nourish Care.

Good-to-Haves:

• Previously held Registered Manager status with CQC.
• Experience supporting a regulated service to achieve an 'Outstanding' CQC rating.
• Experience using various tools to capture and analyse service delivery data (e.g., surveys, interviews).
• Full driving licence.