Deputy Manager - Autism Specialist Supported Living Service, London, E5

Contract: full time, permanent

Hours: 38 hours per week

Salary: £32,294

Location: Hackney, E5, London

About Outward. For 50 years, Outward has been providing high-quality support and care services to vulnerable people across London, predominantly in North‑East London. Established by families seeking alternatives to institutional care, we’ve grown into a respected provider of person‑centred support for adults with learning disabilities, autism, mental health needs, and complex needs. We support over 1,000 people across nine boroughs, guided by our core values: engage, enable, and empower.

About the Role

We are looking for a proactive and passionate, committed and energetic Deputy Manager to join our autism service and dedicated team supporting adults with a range of needs, including learning disabilities, autism, mental health challenges, and behaviours of distress. The role of Deputy Manager offers a unique opportunity to combine direct care responsibilities with service coordination and leadership duties. As a Deputy Manager, you will play a key role in empowering the people we support to live independent and fulfilling lives. You’ll provide high‑quality care and support, while also managing elements of service delivery such as support planning, key working, rota oversight, and staff guidance. You will work closely with the Team Manager as well as the other Deputy Manager and play an active role in ensuring our services are person‑centred, well‑managed, and aligned with Outward’s core values of engage, enable, and empower.

Your Responsibilities

• Provide direct, person‑centred support
• Provide strong day‑to‑day leadership within the supported‑living service, ensuring high standards of care and support for adults with autism and complex needs.
• Support the Team Manager with the overall running of the service, including staffing, rota management, audits, and compliance with regulatory standards.
• Carry out key working responsibilities including providing line management and supervision to support staff
• Engage, enable and empower people to achieve their goals and ambitions within a person‑centred approach, promoting individual choice, independence and self‑confidence.
• Build and maintain strong relationships and a partnership approach with families and involved professionals and stakeholders.
• Develop, coach and mentor a positive and resilient team of support workers to deliver high quality and personalised support and embed a culture of positive behaviour support.
• Ensure support is delivered innovatively, flexibly and on a person‑centred basis to meet the needs and outcomes of the people supported.
• Ensure the service is safe, effective, caring, well‑led and responsive, meeting CQC essential standards to at least a good level with an aim of outstanding achievement.
• Follow the PBS principles and support all people according to their needs in communication or sensory, giving them choices and the opportunity to develop new skills and become more independent.
• Work flexibly, including evenings and weekends, to support consistent service delivery.

Essential Criteria

• Good understanding of safeguarding and risk management in a care/support setting
• Experience in working in an autism service; Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) is especially valuable, as our approach focuses on understanding each person’s unique needs and creating supportive environments where they can thrive.
• Supervising staff and acting as a good role model, coaching and mentoring
• Ensure accurate record‑keeping and documentation, maintaining high standards of professionalism and regulatory compliance.
• Knowledge of health and safety issues within supported housing or care environments
• Understanding of confidentiality, GDPR, and data protection principles
• Staff must have access to a smartphone capable of receiving SMS messages and installing authentication apps for secure systems access
• Right to Work in the UK; note that Outward will not provide visa sponsorship.

Desirable Criteria

• NVQ Level 2 or 3 in Health and Social Care (or equivalent)
• Additional training in PBS, safeguarding, or housing‑related legislation

How to Apply

The above is not an exhaustive list of requirements for the role. If you think you are who we are looking for, please submit a CV and statement detailing how you feel your experiences meet the requirements of the role by referring to the Job Responsibilities and the Person Specification. There is no specific closing date for this advert. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a sufficient number of suitable applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible. It would be great to hear from you.

Outward is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults at risk and expects all staff to share this commitment. If the post you apply for involves working with or having access to adults at risk and/or their records, we will require a DBS for successful candidates.

Benefits package

• 25 days Annual Leave excluding Bank Holidays (pro rata for part time)
• Comprehensive Learning & Development Programme
• Cycle‑to‑Work Scheme
• Death in Service Benefit
• Health Assured – Employee Assistance Programme
• Eye care Vouchers
• Flu Jab Reimbursement
• Pension Scheme
• Purchase Additional Annual Leave
• Refer‑a‑Friend Scheme

Diversity and Safeguarding at Outward

We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Outward applies its Equal Opportunities Policy at all stages of recruitment and selection. Shortlisting, interviewing and selection is carried out without regard to gender, sexual orientation, marital status, colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, age or trade union membership. As an employer who aspire to become Disability Confident Committed, we aim to ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this position will be offered an interview. Please indicate clearly at the beginning of your supporting statement if you have a disability (as defined by the Equality Act 2010), and you wish to be considered for an Offer Of an Interview (OOI). Please note that the OOI is available to disabled candidates only. Regrettably, any false declaration of disability in order to secure an interview will impact on your overall application.