Deputy Service Manager in Truro

We are hiring a Full-Time Deputy Service Manager.

Salary: £40,000 per annum

Closing Date: 5pm 22nd March 2026

Interview Date: 30th March 2026

Are you passionate about helping others and making a real difference? Do you want to be part of a team where your work truly impacts your community, the environment, and the future of healthcare? Then Smile Together is the place for you!

Smile Together Dental is one of the UK's leading employee-owned healthcare organisations. We exist to improve oral health, reduce inequality and ensure everyone in our communities can access high-quality care regardless of their background or circumstances.

The Deputy Service Manager is responsible for supporting the Service Manager in the effective operational management of Smile Together's clinical services. Your purpose is to ensure that each practice delivers outstanding patient care, meets contractual and business objectives, runs safely and efficiently, and contributes positively to the health of the communities we serve.

You will play a key role in translating organisational strategy into practical action, ensuring our practices are resilient, well-led and focused on improving access, quality and patient experience.

We are looking for a compassionate, commercially aware and people-focused leader who is motivated by purpose as well as performance.

You will ideally have:

• Proven experience leading multiple sites or teams in healthcare, social care, dental, or another regulated environment
• Strong operational and financial management skills, including budgets, productivity and performance
• A passion for patient experience, equality of access and high-quality care
• A supportive leadership style that develops others and builds trust
• Confidence managing change, improvement and challenging situations
• The ability to balance financial sustainability with social purpose

About us

Why Join Us?

We’re committed to doing business differently for the benefit of our people, the communities we serve, and our planet. From reducing our environmental toothprint with sustainable practices, to playing an active role in improving oral health across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, our mission goes beyond dentistry: we change lives and we’d love you to be part of that!

What Makes Us Unique?

• Employee-Owned: Be more than an employee - become a co-owner, shaping the future of Smile Together.
• B Corp Certified: We use business as a force for good, socially, environmentally and ethically.
• Community Focused: Every day, we work to improve the health and wellbeing of Cornwall's residents, with special attention to vulnerable and underserved communities.
• Mentorship and Professional Development: We’ll help you develop your skills with access to our Smile Together Training Academy, including a paid subscription to Agilio for continuous professional development, mentorship opportunities, and unique chances to work across Cornwall, including in our Mobile Dental Unit.
• Workforce Benefits Package: Occupational pension scheme, 27 days paid annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata), National Living Wage Employer, and an extra paid day off to celebrate your birthday!

Job responsibilities

The Deputy Service Manager is responsible for supporting the Service Manager in the effective operational management of Smile Together's clinical services. Your purpose is to ensure that each practice delivers outstanding patient care, meets contractual and business objectives, runs safely and efficiently, and contributes positively to the health of the communities we serve.

You will play a key role in translating organisational strategy into practical action, ensuring our practices are resilient, well-led and focused on improving access, quality and patient experience.

Key accountabilities:

• Leading and Supporting Practices
• Line manage, coach and support our Practice Managers to deliver safe, effective and compassionate dental services, whilst meeting contractual and business objectives
• Build strong relationships with clinicians, ensuring they feel supported, engaged and able to focus on patient care
• Create a culture of openness, learning and continuous improvement across your practices

As Deputy Service Manager, you will hold responsibility for the effective line management of the Call Handling team. You will ensure the call centre delivers a safe, responsive and patient-focused service, managing both inbound and outbound calls and associated administrative processes that enable patients to access care efficiently.

This will include:

• Line management and performance oversight of the Call Handling Team
• Ensuring inbound calls (including urgent, routine and referral enquiries) are answered promptly, professionally and in line with Smile Together standards
• Overseeing outbound calling activity including waiting list management, appointment booking, recalls, follow-ups and patient communications
• Ensuring call handlers accurately record patient information, referrals and outcomes within the Practice Management System
• Managing call centre workflows, rotas and capacity to meet demand and minimise delays for patients
• Ensuring administrative duties linked to patient access, referrals, waiting lists and appointment management are completed accurately and on time
• Using call, waitlist and booking data to identify pressures, improve access and support service planning

You will hold responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Out of Hours service. This will include:

• Recruitment and retention of OOH team including Dentists, Dental Nurses and Administration Team members
• Utilisation of clinical time
• Ensure consistent patient experience, safety, and quality standards across all sites
• Delivering High-Quality Patient Care
• Support practices to reduce inequalities and improve access to NHS and community dental services
• Support the Practice Managers in monitoring patient feedback, complaints and outcomes, ensuring learning is shared and improvements are made
• Hold responsibility for budgets, productivity, and financial performance across your area
• Ensure services are staffed appropriately, clinics are well utilised, and resources are used efficiently, across your area
• Work with Professional Support teams to support contract delivery, activity levels and long-term sustainability
• Develop, coach and retain high-performing Practice Managers and teams
• Promote wellbeing, inclusion and psychological safety
• Support learning, training and career development across your areas

Governance, Compliance & Risk

• Support the Practice Managers to ensure all practices meet CQC, NHS and organisational standards
• Maintain strong governance, audit and risk management processes
• Act quickly and confidently when issues arise, always putting patient safety first

Change & Improvement

• Lead service improvement, digital change and new ways of working
• Support new service launches, practice growth and service redesign
• Help Smile Together Dental continue to innovate in how we reach and serve
• Be an ambassador for the company’s vision, mission and values and demonstrate related behaviours
• To professionally represent Smile Together as an ambassador for the company in this role, leading by example
• Maintain and develop your continuing professional/personal development according to agreed training needs via our Smile Together Training Academy
• Able to work independently and travel across the county as required
• On occasions you may be required to visit and work from other locations where you would need to integrate as part of the local team
• Undertake other reasonable duties as requested by your line manager and the Smile Together Management Team

Line Management and Leadership:

• Recruitment and selection of candidates for vacant roles in the team in line with company procedures to ensure high quality intake of staff into Smile Together in the appropriate numbers
• Manage the performance and development of team members in line with company procedures to achieve effective performance against their job description accountabilities
• Manage attendance and wellbeing of the team in line with company procedures to maximise wellbeing and attendance levels
• Monitor and manage conduct issues in the team in line with company procedures, to ensure a positive work culture and adherence to the Code of Conduct for GDC and Smile Together
• Handle grievances and complaints from the team promptly and empathetically, to ensure satisfactory resolution of employee concerns
• Actively work with the management team to meet company objectives

Person Specification

Experience and knowledge of general dentistry practice management, including patient experience development frameworks.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.