Head of Care

We are looking for a Head of Care who has run supported living services for people whose needs are genuinely complex and who knows the difference between a service that looks compliant on paper and one that is actually good. Unicare is a CQC-registered, nurse-led provider operating across Surrey, Sussex, Berkshire and South London. We support adults with autism, learning disabilities, mental health needs and behaviours that others find challenging, across nine supported living services, a community outreach and home care operation, SEND services, and a complex care division delivering nurse-delegated interventions in peoples own homes. Many of the people we support came to us after placements elsewhere broke down. Holding those placements is what we are for, and it depends on the quality of our Registered Managers and the teams beneath them. That is what this role is really about.

You will hold operational and quality accountability across all three arms of the care business, with the Registered Managers, the Area Manager and the Care Managers reporting to you. You will have Co-CEOs above you who are close to the business, clinical support from a Clinical Director, Clinical Lead and Advanced Practitioner, a separate housing and facilities function, and an in-house training team. What we need you to bring is grip.

What you will do:

• Lead the care operation across supported living, home care and complex care, with the Registered Managers, Area Manager and Care Managers reporting to you.
• Own the standard of care and be able to evidence it, not merely assert it.
• Drive CQC performance across our registered locations, including readiness for the move to sector-specific assessment frameworks.
• Develop your Registered Managers into leaders who can run their services without needing rescuing.
• Reduce restrictive practice year on year, and make sure every restriction that remains is lawful, planned, recorded and reviewed.
• Embed positive behaviour support and trauma-informed practice as the way we work, not as training topics.
• Hold the numbers: occupancy, agency usage, rota efficiency, retention and service-level financial performance.
• Mobilise new services as the portfolio grows, and stabilise any service that is not where it should be.
• Be the credible senior voice with commissioners, local authorities, ICBs, safeguarding partnerships and families.

What you will bring:

• Substantial experience leading supported living services for adults with autism, learning disabilities, mental health needs and complex behaviour at multi-site level.
• A track record of line-managing Registered Managers, not only staff teams.
• Real depth in positive behaviour support and trauma-informed care, and in reducing restrictive practice.
• Strong working knowledge of CQC regulation, the Mental Capacity Act and safeguarding.
• Commercial grip: occupancy, agency, rota cost and package funding.
• Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Adult Care, or equivalent; current or previous CQC registration is an advantage.
• A full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle.

What we offer:

• A senior role in a business small enough that what you decide actually happens, and growing fast enough for it to matter.
• A nurse-led structure: clinical judgement sits alongside operational management here, not underneath it.
• Clinical support from a Clinical Director, Clinical Lead, Advanced Practitioner and Clinical Complex Case Manager.
• A separate housing and facilities function, so you are leading care rather than chasing repairs.
• Direct access to the Co-CEOs, and a genuine say in how the organisation is run.

We are especially interested in people who have taken a care operation from adequate to good and can describe exactly how they did it. To apply, send your CV and a short covering note. Unicare Complex Care Specialist Ltd is an equal opportunities employer. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check with Adults Barred List, satisfactory references, and the fit and proper persons requirements of Regulation 19. We are committed to safeguarding adults and children.