Registered Manager – Supported Living and Support at Home in Bedford

Location: Based in Bedford, but travel throughout the UK may be required.

Reports to: Adult Services Director

Hours: Full time 37.5 hours/week, including evenings and weekends and on call responsibilities. You will need to be flexible to meet the needs of this service, colleagues and the people we support.

Salary: £36,407 – £43,416 (depending on experience)

About Us

Autism Bedfordshire is an independent charity dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for autistic children, young people, adults and their families. Our primary goals include providing exceptional support and services for autistic individuals. With a strong emphasis on person‑centred care, we aim to empower our service users to lead fulfilling and independent lives within their communities.

About the Role

This year, we will launch an innovative Supported Living Service, including Support at Home, in Bedford, designed to empower autistic individuals and people with learning disabilities to live fulfilling, independent lives. This service will provide tailored, person‑centred support to adults with a wide range of needs, including those with complex needs and distressed behaviours. We are seeking an experienced and motivated Registered Manager to lead and develop this new service. The successful person will play a pivotal role in ensuring individuals receive high‑quality care within the comfort, security and familiarity of their own homes. This approach promotes independence while delivering the right level of practical and emotional support. As Registered Manager, you will be responsible not only for the safe and effective delivery of care but also for the service’s growth and continuous improvement, driving excellence in outcomes and expanding provision to meet local needs.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, manage and develop staff teams within a supported living and support‑at‑home service, ensuring high‑quality care delivery across all provisions.
• Provide effective supervision, coaching and mentoring to staff, identifying training needs and supporting continuous professional development.
• Build and maintain positive, professional relationships with families, stakeholders and partner agencies.
• Maintain robust safeguarding practices, ensuring all concerns are appropriately identified, recorded and escalated to the Local Authority in a timely and professional manner with clear follow‑up actions.
• Promote a culture of respect, dignity, and inclusion, ensuring individuals’ choices, preferences and rights are always upheld.
• Oversee the physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing of individuals, ensuring a safe, supportive and person‑centred environment.
• Ensure effective communication across the service, the wider organisation and external providers to support coordinated care delivery.
• Provide regular updates, reports and reviews to relevant stakeholders, ensuring transparency and accountability.
• Support individuals who may present with behaviours of distress, including self‑injury, aggression, absconding, or verbal distress, using positive and proactive approaches.
• Demonstrate strong organisational skills, productivity, and a solution‑focused approach to problem‑solving.
• Undertake additional duties and responsibilities as required to meet the needs of the service.

The Candidate

As the Registered Manager, you will report to the Adult Services Director and play a key role in the growth and development of an expanding service, with clear potential to increase capacity and extend support provision across the local area. You will hold overall responsibility for a 3‑bedded supported living service for adults with complex needs, as well as an additional 4‑bedroom property and a developing support‑at‑home provision. You will lead the day‑to‑day operations of the service, ensuring safe, effective and person‑centred care delivery. This includes the leadership, supervision and development of the staff team, alongside close collaboration with colleagues across the organisation to maintain high standards and regulatory compliance. You will also be expected to maintain a visible and hands‑on presence within the service, including working flexibly and undertaking shifts as required to support the team, ensure continuity of care and respond effectively to the needs of the service. Working in partnership with the Adult Services Director, you will drive the ongoing development and growth of the service, ensuring that individuals consistently receive high‑quality care and support tailored to their needs. The role requires a strong working knowledge of health and social care, excellent leadership and communication skills and a sound commercial awareness to support the sustainability and expansion of the service.

Why Work for Us?

At Autism Bedfordshire, our staff are at the heart of everything we do. We recognise that it is our people who make the real difference in the lives of those we support. We are committed to creating a compassionate, inclusive and supportive working environment where you can thrive and build a meaningful career. We exist to enable autistic people to live the best quality of life, and we know that achieving this starts with investing in our team. We actively encourage innovation, welcome new perspectives and value the diverse skills and experiences that each individual brings. We understand that starting a new role can feel daunting, which is why we provide a structured and supportive induction. Throughout your probation, you will benefit from a blend of eLearning, face‑to‑face training and on‑the‑job mentoring to ensure you feel confident and well‑supported in your role. We are passionate about helping our employees grow and reach their full potential, offering continuous training and development opportunities to support your long‑term career progression.

What we offer

• Ongoing training, continuous professional development (CPD) and career progression opportunities.
• A supportive induction with a mix of learning styles, including mentoring and hands‑on experience.
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, with additional leave for long service.
• Contributory pension scheme.
• Access to an Employee Assistance Programme, including a 24/7 confidential helpline with trained advisors.
• Access to the Blue Light Card, offering discounts across thousands of retailers and services.

Confidentiality and Data Protection

All staff are required to respect the confidentiality of all matters that they may learn relating to their employment, other members of staff and to the general public. All staff are required to adhere to the regulations regarding the Data Protection Act 1998.

Safeguarding

Autism Bedfordshire is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults in its care. The Development Officer is often required to be the named officer for groups they are overseeing and attend relevant training. To ensure that this is achieved we expect all employees to share this commitment and staff working with these vulnerable groups will be recruited and selected in line with safer recruitment policies and practices including the completion of DBS check.

Equal opportunities and diversity

Autism Bedfordshire is an equal opportunities employer. The aims of the equal opportunities policy is to ensure that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of race, colour, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, religion or any disability nor disadvantaged by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be justifiable.