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- Tasks: Lead and transform Oakdene Care Home, ensuring high standards of care and financial performance.
- Company: Join a family-owned provider with over 130 homes across the UK.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, up to 40% bonus, private medical insurance, and generous leave.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a supportive environment with genuine autonomy.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in turning around care services and strong leadership skills.
- Other info: Opportunity for long-term growth and stability in a dynamic setting.
The predicted salary is between 68000 - 102000 £ per year.
Oakdene Care Home is a 71-bed residential service set across two buildings in the heart of Wimborne Minster. Currently operating at approximately 38% occupancy, with two units temporarily closed, Oakdene represents a significant and exciting turnaround opportunity for an experienced, resilient, and values-led Home Manager. The home’s business model is under review, with aspirations to evolve from a residential service into a nursing-led model, creating a unique opportunity for a clinically aware leader with strong commercial acumen to help define and deliver Oakdene’s next chapter.
This is not a short-term fix. We are seeking a long-term, visible leader who will restore trust, rebuild confidence, develop people, and drive sustainable improvement in both quality and commercial performance.
- Salary up to £85,000 per annum
- Annual performance bonus of up to 40% of salary (KPI-linked)
- Private Medical Insurance
- Pension scheme
- 5.6 weeks annual leave
As Home Manager, you will have full accountability for Oakdene’s performance, culture, and future direction. Over the next 12–24 months, your focus will be on stabilising the home, strengthening quality and compliance, reopening and embedding new units, and improving financial performance through increased occupancy and fee optimisation. You will lead from the front - working alongside your teams, coaching and developing capability, setting clear expectations, and holding people to account with fairness and consistency. You will balance high standards of care and risk management with commercial awareness, ensuring the home becomes both a great place to live and a sustainable, well-performing business. This role offers genuine autonomy, strong organisational support, and the chance to create long-term impact in a home with real potential.
A Snapshot of Where Oakdene Is Today: Oakdene is currently rated Requires Improvement by the CQC, with two regulatory breaches identified in March 2025. A follow-up inspection is anticipated to review progress. A local authority visit in November 2025 acknowledged positive steps forward, though there remains significant work to do. The internal quality audit score was below 40% in October 2025, highlighting the scale of improvement required. Workforce pressure remains high, with a HPRW of 55 (above the desired 41), and approximately 150 hours of recruitment still required across care and ancillary roles -though the home is not currently using agency staff. Fee structures vary widely due to a mix of self-funded and local authority placements, with older parts of the building presenting challenges for higher fees. However, the newer unit, Acorn Lodge, offers strong potential with target fees of £1,300–£1,400 in line with the local market. This context demands a leader who is calm, credible, systematic, and solutions focused. Someone who understands how to build improvement steadily and sustainably.
About You: You are an experienced Home Manager with a proven track record of turning around underperforming services, ideally across residential or nursing environments. You are clinically aware and confident in managing risk, governance, and regulatory compliance, with experience leading teams through inspection and recovery. You bring strong commercial understanding - able to improve occupancy, optimise workforce deployment, and build financial resilience without compromising care quality. You are hands-on, highly visible, and comfortable working alongside teams to understand the detail and drive change. Most importantly, you are a consistent and trustworthy leader. You do what you say you will do. You value coaching, development, and accountability, and you have the resilience to rebuild morale in a home that has experienced instability and lost confidence in leadership. Oakdene needs someone who will stay the course.
Leadership Style & Culture Fit: This role requires a leader who leads with heart, integrity, and energy -someone who takes the time to listen, understand, and rebuild belief. You will empower teams through support and development, while being clear, firm, and fair about expectations and performance. You will be transparent, values-driven, and deeply committed to achieving high standards of care and quality. Your presence will bring stability, direction, and renewed motivation to a workforce that is ready for change but needs to see it delivered consistently.
Why Oakdene? This is a rare opportunity to take ownership of a complex, high-impact turnaround within a supportive, well-established organisation. Oakdene has the foundations, the space, and the potential. What it needs now is the right leader.
About Care Concern Group: Oakdene Care Home is part of Care Concern Group, a family-owned provider operating over 130 homes across the UK. We are committed to investing in our people, supporting our leaders, and delivering high-quality, person-centred care. Our Values: Trust | Respect | Passion | Kindness | Inclusivity. Apply today and lead Oakdene into its next chapter of success.
Home Manager employer: Oakdene Care Home
Contact Detail:
Oakdene Care Home Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Home Manager
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the care sector, attend local events, and join relevant online groups. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching Oakdene Care Home and its current challenges. Show that you understand their needs and how your experience can help turn things around. Tailor your answers to reflect their values of trust, respect, and passion.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your leadership stories! Be ready to share specific examples of how you've successfully managed teams and improved care quality in previous roles. This will demonstrate your hands-on approach and commitment to high standards.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in being part of the Oakdene team and making a difference.
We think you need these skills to ace Home Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Home Manager role. Highlight your experience in turning around underperforming services and your strong commercial acumen. We want to see how you can bring your unique skills to Oakdene!
Showcase Your Leadership Style: In your application, let us know about your leadership style and how you empower teams. We’re looking for someone who leads with heart and integrity, so share examples of how you've built trust and motivated your teams in the past.
Be Clear About Your Vision: We want to hear your thoughts on the future direction of Oakdene. In your cover letter, outline your vision for stabilising the home and improving quality and compliance. Show us that you understand the challenges and have a plan to tackle them!
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity. We can’t wait to see what you bring to the table!
How to prepare for a job interview at Oakdene Care Home
✨Know Your Numbers
Before the interview, brush up on key performance indicators relevant to care homes. Understand occupancy rates, fee structures, and compliance metrics. Being able to discuss these figures confidently will show that you’re not just a people person but also a commercially savvy leader.
✨Showcase Your Turnaround Experience
Prepare specific examples from your past roles where you've successfully turned around underperforming services. Highlight the strategies you implemented, the challenges you faced, and the outcomes achieved. This will demonstrate your capability to lead Oakdene through its current challenges.
✨Emphasise Your Leadership Style
Be ready to discuss your leadership philosophy and how it aligns with Oakdene's values of trust, respect, and inclusivity. Share anecdotes that illustrate your hands-on approach and how you empower teams while maintaining high standards of care.
✨Ask Insightful Questions
Prepare thoughtful questions about Oakdene’s current challenges and future goals. Inquire about the support available for the new Home Manager and how success will be measured in the first 12 months. This shows your genuine interest in the role and your commitment to making a positive impact.
