Deputy Care Manager

St Albans £28,000 to £32,000 a year, plus mileage at the full HMRC rate of 55p (for office duties) and a wellbeing package paid for in full by us – your own 24/7 private GP, counselling, physiotherapy, life coaching and over 1,500 everyday discounts. Full Time, Permanent.

A premium home care service, and a team looked after to the same standard. Starling Homecare is a new, family run, independently owned homecare provider in St Albans, bringing good old-fashioned values back into care. We are building the service that families in Hertfordshire ask for by name – the carer who turns up when they said they would, knows the client by name and by habit, and does the small things properly. Our founders spent more than a decade building and running an award-winning homecare service in this county before starting Starling Homecare, and we hold high standards because people deserve the best. We believe the people who deliver that standard deserve it too. So, the wellbeing package we offer is not a discount card. It is a private GP when you need one, someone to talk to when you need that, and support for your health and your everyday life, paid for by us, in full.

The Role

You will work directly with the Registered Manager to shape how the service runs – the culture, the expectations and the standard of care people come to rely on. We are new, we are growing and we are in demand, which means real input, real responsibility and the space to do things properly. We are family run, so you will be supported from your first day, in a team that takes learning seriously and backs its people to develop.

As Deputy Care Manager you will:

• Review care plans, risk assessments and audits, and support the care team to deliver them well.
• Solve problems, cover gaps and respond calmly to the unexpected.
• Get out into the community, building relationships and representing the service.
• Take your share of the on-call rota.
• Work with the Registered Manager on standards, culture and quality.

What You Get

Pay and progression: £28,000 to £32,000 a year, depending on experience. Mileage at the full HMRC approved rate of 55p per mile for management and office work in the community, using your own car. Where you cover care visits, mileage is paid at the care team rate. Company pension. Support towards your Level 5 in Leadership for Health and Social Care if you are working towards it. Real opportunities to progress as we expand across Hertfordshire.

Your wellbeing package, paid for in full, from six months:

• 24/7 on-demand private GP with video, phone and text appointments.
• Up to eight counselling sessions per issue each year with accredited Therapists.
• Unlimited digital physiotherapy.
• Confidential one to one life coaching.
• Menopause health support and online eye health screening.
• Digital gym with weekly live classes, and discounted membership at over 4,000 fitness centres.
• 24/7 legal and debt helplines.
• Over 1,500 savings and discounts on everyday shopping, refreshed weekly, plus cashback.
• Cinema tickets at up to 60% off.
• Free vehicle accident recovery.
• Complimentary will writing and storage.
• 24/7 pet health service with qualified Vets.

Where This Role Can Go

We are an expanding group. Demand for what we do is high, and we are planning continued expansion throughout Hertfordshire, with new offices to follow this one. If you want to be an excellent Deputy Care Manager and stay one, there is a proper long-term role here for you. If you have the ambition and the ability to go further, Registered Manager roles will open up as we grow, and we will back the people who want them with the support and development to get there.

What We Ask Of You

We should be honest. We are an early-stage organisation, and everyone steps in when the service needs it. The people we support do not need us only between nine and five, so there will be evenings and weekends when things do not go to plan and you will need to think on your feet and support your team. It is not for everyone, and we would rather say so now. We ask it because the reason we are here is bigger than the business – we want people in our local area to get the care they deserve, at home, from people who genuinely care about them.

Who We’re Looking For

Someone who stays calm when it gets busy, takes initiative rather than waiting to be told, supports their team while holding the standard, and cares about doing things properly. You are probably a Senior Coordinator, Supervisor or Deputy Manager in domiciliary care now, ready to step up into a service where your judgement counts.

Essential:

• Leadership experience in homecare;
• A strong understanding of CQC standards and care delivery;
• Confidence with care plans, risk assessments and audits;
• Level 3 in Health and Social Care;
• Full UK driving licence and your own car;
• Willingness to take part in on call;
• Right to work in the UK.

Desirable:

• Level 4 or 5 in Leadership for Health and Social Care, completed or in progress.

This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references. We are not accepting agency applications or enquiries at this time. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and walks of life. What matters most is your values, your reliability, and your heart for care.