At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and support diverse care services across South East England with operational excellence.
- Company: Lifeways, a leader in supported living and specialist care.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, career progression, and the chance to make a real impact.
- Other info: Extensive travel required; great opportunity for personal and professional growth.
- Why this job: Every assignment is unique, offering challenges that enhance your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Experience in health and social care leadership and a Level 5 Diploma.
The predicted salary is between 45000 - 55000 £ per year.
Location: Regional role with extensive travel across designated Lifeways services in South East England.
Reporting to: Regional Director
Salary: £45,000 - £55,000
At Lifeways, we provide high-quality supported living and specialist care for adults with diverse needs, helping the people we support live more independently and achieve their goals.
The Opportunity
Looking for a role where you can make an impact across multiple services rather than being based in just one? We are recruiting for an exciting new role - A Peripatetic Manager to provide operational leadership and support across the South East region, stepping into key business priorities wherever your experience can make the greatest difference. This is a varied and highly visible role. You could be leading a service turnaround, stabilising a team, providing interim Service or Area Manager cover, supporting the mobilisation of a new service, coaching an existing management team or driving quality improvement. No two assignments will be the same!
You will work closely with Regional Directors, Operational Leaders and senior support functions including Quality, Compliance, HR and Health & Safety, giving you valuable exposure across the wider Lifeways business. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced care leader who enjoys variety, autonomy and challenge, whilst looking to broaden their operational experience and take the next step in their leadership career.
About the Role
As a Peripatetic Manager, you will provide agile operational leadership across Lifeways services, supporting business continuity and operational priorities wherever you are needed. Your assignments could include:
- Leading service turnaround, stabilisation and improvement activity.
- Providing interim Service Manager or Area Manager leadership.
- Supporting the mobilisation of new services, contracts and acquisitions.
- Coaching and mentoring Service Managers, Deputies and leadership teams.
- Driving improvements in quality, compliance and service performance.
- Supporting services through periods of change, growth or operational challenge.
- Building strong relationships with commissioners, families and professional stakeholders.
- Sharing best practice and developing future leadership talent across the region.
We are looking for someone who can quickly understand a situation, build trust and credibility, identify what needs to change and confidently deliver results.
About You
You will be an experienced operational leader within health and social care, with a strong track record of leading teams and improving services. Ideally, you will have:
- Significant experience as a Registered Manager, Service Manager or equivalent.
- Experience leading teams through change, challenge or service improvement.
- Strong knowledge of quality, compliance and regulatory requirements.
- Excellent people leadership, coaching and mentoring skills.
- The confidence to make decisions and work independently.
- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
- A resilient, adaptable and solution-focused approach.
- A genuine passion for delivering high-quality, person-centred support.
Essential:
- Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care or equivalent experience.
- Full UK Driving Licence.
- Enhanced DBS.
Location & Flexibility
There are two Peripatetic Managers within each region, supporting services across both the North and South of the region. Travel is an important part of the role. Whilst we will always aim to minimise unnecessary travel and take individual circumstances into consideration, you should be comfortable travelling across the region and occasionally supporting services at short notice.
Why Lifeways?
This isn't a role where you simply maintain the status quo. It's a role where you make a difference. You'll have the opportunity to:
- Work across a diverse range of services and operational environments.
- Lead transformation, mobilisation and improvement projects.
- Gain exposure to senior operational leadership.
- Develop your experience across the wider Lifeways business.
- Coach and develop future leaders.
- Build valuable experience to support your own career progression.
And this isn't just a theoretical opportunity - two previous Peripatetic Managers have gone on to secure promotions within Lifeways. If you're an experienced care leader looking for a role where every assignment brings a new challenge, your expertise is valued, and you can genuinely influence services and outcomes across a region, we'd love to hear from you.
Peripatetic Manager South East England employer: Meeveem Limited
Meeveem Limited is an excellent employer for general practitioners, offering a supportive and flexible work environment that prioritises professional growth and work-life balance. With full indemnity cover, NHS Pension, and generous leave, our team members enjoy a culture of collaboration and continuous development across our two sites, making it an ideal place for those seeking meaningful and rewarding employment.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Peripatetic Manager South East England
✨Dive into Local Community Groups
Social work thrives on community connections, so get involved in local groups or forums specific to your interests. Whether it’s volunteering at local shelters or joining community action boards, these are great ways to boost your visibility and make direct contacts that could lead to opportunities like the one at Meeveem Limited.
✨Attend Social Work Events and Workshops
Keep an eye out for workshops, seminars, or conferences in social work. These events are fantastic for meeting professionals in the field, learning about emerging trends, and spotting job openings. Plus, you might just bump into someone from Meeveem Limited!
✨Showcase Your Passion and Expertise
Use platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn to share your journey and insights into the social work sector. Whether it’s writing about your experiences or sharing relevant articles, this helps to establish you as an engaged professional. Potential employers, like Meeveem Limited, will notice your enthusiasm!
✨Leverage Your Network
Don’t hesitate to reach out to professors, mentors, or even past colleagues who are in social work. They might have inside knowledge about openings at Meeveem Limited or be able to connect you with someone who’s hiring. Networking is key, especially in a full-time role where relationships matter.
We think you need these skills to ace Peripatetic Manager South East England
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Social Work:In your cover letter, let us see your passion for social work shine through! Talk about the experiences that made you want to pursue this career—whether it’s volunteering, personal experiences, or academic projects. We want to know why this field matters to you.
Emphasise Relevant Qualifications:Make sure your CV highlights any relevant qualifications, like degrees in social work or certifications like a DBS check. If you've done any workshops or training, don’t forget to include those as well. We're keen to see your commitment to your professional development!
Detail Your Experience with Clients:Since this is a hands-on field, detailing any direct experience you have with clients is crucial. Whether it's internships, volunteer roles, or previous jobs, highlight those experiences in your CV to show us you've got the practical skills necessary for the job!
Tailor Your Application to Meeveem Limited:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to Meeveem Limited! Research our mission and values, and refer to them in your cover letter. This shows us that you understand our work and are genuinely interested in being a part of our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Meeveem Limited
✨Understanding the Role of Empathy
In social work, understanding and demonstrating empathy is key. Be prepared to share personal experiences or scenarios where you effectively showed compassion and support. This helps show that you genuinely care about the well-being of others, which is crucial in social work.
✨Demonstrating Knowledge of Frameworks
Familiarise yourself with the frameworks and models used in social work, such as the Strengths-Based Approach or the Ecological Perspective. Be ready to discuss how these frameworks apply to your work, especially if you can tie them into real-world examples or case studies you've encountered.
✨Showcasing Your Multi-Disciplinary Skills
In a full-time social work role, you'll often collaborate with healthcare professionals, educators, and law enforcement. Be prepared to describe your teamwork experiences and how you've effectively communicated with other disciplines to achieve the best outcomes for clients.
✨Preparing for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that put you in hypothetical social work situations, such as dealing with a crisis or managing a complex case. Think through your thought process for these scenarios beforehand, considering how you'd assess the situation and what steps you'd take, as this demonstrates your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
