At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and manage day services for individuals with learning disabilities and complex needs.
- Company: Join Southampton City Council, a supportive and community-focused organisation.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, generous holidays, flexible working, and health support.
- Other info: Opportunity for career growth and professional development in a dynamic environment.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in people's lives while developing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Experience in adult social care and strong leadership abilities required.
The predicted salary is between 43150 - 47664 £ per year.
About the role:
Are you an experienced adult social care professional who understands what good day services should look and feel like for people with learning disabilities, autism, neurodiversity and complex support needs? We are looking for an experienced and motivated Quality and Operational Lead to join Southampton Day Services. This is a hands-on operational management role with responsibility for the day-to-day running of the service. Working alongside the manager, you will provide visible leadership to the staff team, coordinate the effective delivery of the service and ensure that people receive safe, high-quality and person-centred support.
A key part of the role is deputising for the manager, taking responsibility for operational decision-making and providing leadership and direction to the service in their absence. You will need to understand what high-quality day services are about. Our services should be about much more than providing somewhere for people to spend their day. We want the people we support to have access to meaningful and purposeful activities and opportunities that reflect their individual strengths, interests, needs and aspirations. This means supporting people to develop and maintain skills, increase independence, build confidence, make choices, develop relationships and participate in their local communities.
The role combines operational leadership with quality oversight. You will help ensure that good standards are translated into everyday practice, that staff are supported and accountable, and that issues affecting the safe and effective running of the service are identified and addressed.
What you will be doing:
- Take responsibility for the effective day-to-day running of the service, ensuring staffing, resources, support arrangements and operational priorities are managed effectively.
- Deputise for the Manager, providing leadership, direction and operational decision-making in their absence.
- Provide visible leadership and support to staff, ensuring safe, consistent and person-centred service delivery.
- Support, supervise and develop staff, promoting good practice, accountability and professional growth.
- Ensure activities and opportunities are meaningful, purposeful and linked to individual outcomes.
- Promote independence, skills development, choice, inclusion and community participation.
- Ensure care and support plans remain relevant and are translated into high-quality day-to-day support.
- Support the effective management of staffing and resources to meet people's needs safely and effectively.
- Monitor service quality, identifying areas for improvement in standards, practice and outcomes.
- Contribute to quality assurance, audits, reviews and continuous service improvement.
- Support effective safeguarding, risk management and safe working practices.
- Build positive relationships with people who use services, their families, carers, colleagues and partner professionals.
- Contribute to the ongoing development of Southampton Day Services, ensuring services remain responsive to changing needs and aspirations.
About you:
We are particularly interested in hearing from people who have practical experience of leading, supervising or coordinating within adult social care services and understand the realities of managing a service on a day-to-day basis. You will have experience of working with people with learning disabilities, autism, neurodiversity and/or complex support needs and understand how good services can promote people's strengths, independence and individual outcomes. You will be able to balance the practical demands of running a busy service with the need to maintain high standards of support. You will be comfortable providing direction to staff, prioritising competing demands, addressing issues when they arise and stepping up to provide operational leadership when the manager is unavailable.
You will be:
- A confident and visible operational leader.
- Understands what good-quality adult day services look like.
- Able to lead and support staff while maintaining clear expectations and accountability.
- Demonstrates a strong understanding of person-centred and strengths-based practice.
- Passionate about delivering meaningful activities, developing skills and promoting independence.
- Able to organise and prioritise effectively in a busy service environment.
- Recognises when practice or service delivery needs improvement and takes appropriate action.
- Communicates confidently and positively with individuals, families, carers, staff and other professionals.
- Committed to making a positive difference to both the people using services and the teams delivering them.
Why this role matters:
The Quality and Operational Lead is an important link between the manager, staff team and the people who use our services. You will have a key role in making sure the service works well every day, supporting the manager with operational leadership while ensuring that the people who attend Southampton Day Services receive meaningful, safe and high-quality support. Ultimately, this role is about turning plans, standards and people's individual outcomes into good everyday practice. If you have experience of operational leadership in adult social care and share our ambition to provide meaningful day opportunities that enable people to develop, participate, achieve and be as independent as possible, we would like to hear from you.
What we can offer you:
Salary: The salary band for this role is Grade 9 43,150 - 47,664. The starting salary is 43,150 with annual progression through the salary bands. Here at SCC we have a range of different perks and benefits, a few examples can be found below.
- Excellent local government pension with 15.2% employer contribution.
- Death in service benefit of x3 salary, and optional salary sacrifice shared cost AVC (additional voluntary contribution).
- Generous holiday 25–34 days, based on role and service.
- Flexible working options (role-dependent).
- Family-friendly policies - Maternity, Paternity, Adoption, Shared/Unpaid Parental Leave, Time off for Dependents.
- Training and development, including coaching and mentoring.
- Health and wellbeing support - Employee Assistance Programme, Menopause Pledge, Mental Health First Aiders and access to a variety of staff networks.
- Veteran-friendly employer with the Armed Forces Covenant.
- Retail discounts and savings through the Southampton City Council benefits platform.
- Discounted memberships at local sports and fitness centres.
- Sustainable travel benefits - low emission car scheme, cycle to work, season ticket loans.
- Employee volunteering scheme with 2 paid days leave to volunteer.
For further information on our benefits package please visit: Employee benefits.
Contact details for informal discussion: Please contact Beccie Dries, Service Manager.
For more information about SCC please visit Southampton City Council.
Quality and Operations Lead in Shirley employer: Southampton City Council
Southampton City Council is an excellent employer, offering a supportive work culture that prioritises the well-being of both employees and the community. As an Emergency Telecare Advisor, you will benefit from comprehensive training and development opportunities, ensuring your growth in a role that makes a meaningful impact on the lives of vulnerable residents. With a commitment to teamwork and resilience, you'll find a rewarding environment that values compassion and quick decision-making in a dynamic 24/7 service.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Quality and Operations Lead in Shirley
✨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 Southampton City Council.
✨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 Southampton City Council!
✨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 Southampton City Council, 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 Southampton City Council 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 Quality and Operations Lead in Shirley
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 Southampton City Council:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to Southampton City Council! 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 Southampton City Council
✨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.
