Deputy Manager – Mental Health Supported Living Services in Ipswich

Salary: £28,000 – £30,000 per annum

Hours: 37 hours per week

Location: Spinney Close, Kelsale, with travel to other sites as required

Reporting to: Coastal Housing Manager / Care / Operations Manager

We are a growing care organisation providing person-centred supported living and care services to individuals with complex needs. Our aim is to help people live with dignity, independence, choice and control while ensuring services are safe, responsive, recovery-focused and delivered to a high standard.

This is an important operational role for someone who can lead staff, maintain service quality, support individuals with complex mental health needs, and work closely with internal teams and external professionals to ensure effective service delivery. This is an excellent opportunity for someone with experience in supported living, mental health, or a similar care setting who is ready to take the next step in leadership and contribute to the continued development of a high-quality service.

Role & Responsibilities

• Support the Coastal Housing Manager in the day-to-day running of the supported living service.
• Provide direct leadership, supervision and support to Key Workers, Support Workers, Relief Staff and Volunteers.
• Help ensure the service remains safe, effective, person-centred and recovery-focused.
• Undertake direct support duties where required to maintain continuity of care and safe service delivery.
• Ensure support plans, care plans, risk assessments and records are accurate, up to date and implemented effectively.
• Respond appropriately to incidents, emotional distress, crisis situations and changing levels of need.
• Support individuals with complex mental health needs, including those experiencing emotional distress, dual diagnosis or behaviours that challenge.
• Promote positive outcomes linked to wellbeing, recovery, independence and tenancy sustainment.
• Work in partnership with Local Authorities, Adult Social Care, housing partners, health professionals and other agencies.
• Contribute to referrals, assessments, admissions, reviews and move-on planning.
• Support housing management responsibilities, health and safety checks, maintenance reporting and general oversight of the service environment.
• Participate in recruitment, induction, probation, supervision, appraisal and performance management processes.
• Contribute to service development, quality improvement and implementation of policies and procedures.
• Take part in the out-of-hours on-call rota and provide operational support across other sites where required.

What We Are Looking For

• Level 4 or above in Health and Social Care, or equivalent.
• Experience of working within mental health services, supported living, or a related care environment.
• Experience of supporting individuals with complex mental health needs and responding to challenging situations appropriately.
• Previous experience of supervising or leading staff in a care or support setting.
• Good understanding of person-centred practice, recovery-focused support, risk management and professional boundaries.
• Strong communication, leadership, record-keeping and organisational skills.
• Ability to work flexibly and respond to service needs.
• Willingness to travel to other sites as required.
• Enhanced DBS required.

Desirable

• Level 5 qualification in Health and Social Care, or equivalent.
• Experience of undertaking assessments, support planning and multi-agency working.
• Knowledge of approaches such as WRAP, SMART, ENR and Positive Behaviour Support.
• Previous experience in a Deputy Manager or similar leadership role within supported living or mental health services.
• Driving licence and ability to travel independently for work purposes.

If you are a motivated care professional with leadership experience and a passion for high-quality mental health support, we would welcome your application. Please send an updated CV along with an Expression of Interest.