Deputy Manager

Deputy Manager, Learning Disabilities

Support people with learning disabilities to live full, happy lives.

What you’ll be doing:

Do you want to make a meaningful difference? Southdown is a not-for-profit provider of accommodation, care and support for 160 adults with learning and physical disabilities in our 23 supported living services and 4 residential care homes across Sussex. As a Service Manager, you’ll manage a deputy and a team of support workers delivering high quality care to residents.

Service Description:

Windebanks is a vibrant supported living service in Chichester. All the clients are supported to have maximum choice and control so they can live their best life in the least restrictive way possible.

Windebanks is a supported living service for five people with learning disabilities. The accommodation is a detached property in a pleasant area of Donnington. It has five self-contained flats spread over two floors with the staff office located downstairs. Chichester town centre is within reasonable distance.

We support five women, all with learning disabilities and behaviour that can challenge. Some require support to access the community and carry out cooking, cleaning and tasks around their home. Providing personal care is an important part of our work, as is promoting the individual’s emotional well-being. The service users communicate with facial expressions, gestures, vocal sounds and some verbal communication. All have clearly indicated that consistent and encouraging support is essential for their wellbeing as well as being motivated with a positive and fun approach.

The team comprises of support workers, a senior support worker, a deputy manager and is managed by a Service Manager. Team meetings take place fortnightly, and supervision is provided monthly to all staff.

Key Responsibilities

Support clients with daily living tasks including personal care, health, and medication, to enable them to live independent lives.

Create a calming and supportive environment to ensure clients have choice and control and to promote emotional well-being.

Ensure clients get the right support by participating in client referrals, assessments, and care plan updates.

• Support clients with their finances by supporting benefits applications and managing client spending and assessments.
• Support staff by working with the SM to oversee staff performance and good practice, training compliance, disciplinary procedures, and professional development.
• Develop an excellent team by participating in recruitment and support the SM with inductions, appraisals, and supervision.
• Support the SM to complete financial audits and reporting, timesheets, mileage returns, and manage rotas, staff sickness and staff well-being.
• Manage health and safety within the service by supporting the SM to oversee checks, risk assessments, fire compliance, as well as DoLS applications, and service audits.
• Collaborate with external professionals to ensure appropriate client care, tenancy, and benefits management.
• Provide cover in the SM’s absence.
• Be prepared to lead on areas of focus in the service, e.g. PBS, practice, compliance, quality etc.

Be prepared to lead on areas of focus in the service, e.g. PBS, practice, compliance, quality etc.

• You’ll maintain an excellent standard of practice and are brilliant with people, ensuring our clients and staff thrive.
• Clients may present with challenges or have complex health needs – you’ll support and lead staff to work professionally and compassionately.
• Ensure the service provides excellent support and maximises choice, independence and inclusion for all clients.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

What you need for the role:

• Previous experience working in a management role (as a deputy manager or above) within a Learning Disabilities service or care home, including safeguarding, risk management and health and safety.
• Experienced working with clients with learning disabilities who may present with challenges, following positive behaviour support principles.
• A passion for leading teams in the provision of outstanding care.
• Policy understanding, staff management, legal frameworks (Care Act, MCA CQC), budget management, multitasking, and IT Skills.
• Knowledge of organisational guidelines, particularly around safeguarding, risk management and health and safety.
• Supervising and managing staff, including conducting appraisals, performance reviews.
• Ensuring compliance with CQC standards, including preparing for inspections and managing audit processes.
• Desirable Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care (or equivalent) and work towards a Level 5 Diploma in leadership in Health and Social Care (or equivalent).
• A Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, which will be paid for by Southdown.

What would be nice:

• Experience managing an operational service budget, including resource management to ensure staffing levels meet client needs while keeping within budget constraints.
• Experience managing a learning disabilities service with a good or outstanding CQC rating.

Training:

You will receive ongoing training and coaching from your manager, as well as specific training courses throughout the year to help you develop your management skills and foster upwards career progression. Support will be provided for you to gain your Level 5 Diploma in Health and Social Care.

Benefits

• Health cost cash-back scheme: access to our health insurance scheme which covers dental, optical, physical therapies and other medical treatments with the option to add greater levels of cover.
• Interest-free loans: assistance with larger costs that arise such as tenancy deposits, season travel tickets or buying a car.
• Access to the Easit Network: discounts and incentives on train, bus and car journeys such as 15% off eligible daily and season rail tickets.
• Blue Light card: access to discount services for the social care sector with savings across thousands of online shops, restaurants, and high-street vendors.
• Free advice and counselling service: confidential emotional support and practical guidance from our independent telephone service.
• Paid bank holidays: or paid time in lieu for any bank holidays worked.
• Unsociable hours uplift: extra £4.20 per shift for waking nights
• Sleep-in shifts: £61 per sleep-in shift (11pm-7am).

How to apply:

We’re a psychologically informed organisation where the well-being and happiness of our employees matter, and that’s why we’re committed to creating a compassionate work environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and inspired to do their best. If you share our values and want to work for an organisation that helps change lives for the better, we want to hear from you!

Please click on the ‘Apply Now’ button and fill out our simple one-page application form.

Please note, if we receive a large number of applications then this position may close before the advertised application closing date. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible.

We welcome applications from candidates with previous experience in roles such as Service Manager, Care Home Manager, Deputy Manager or Senior Support Worker Learning Disabilities, Assistant Manager Learning Disabilities, CQC Registered Manager.

About Southdown

Contact information:

Our online careers page has a list of helpful FAQs that you can view here. If you have any further questions, please get in touch with recruitment via email at jobs@southdown.org

We are a Disability Confident Employer and are fully committed to supporting Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) and welcome applications from all candidates that meet our job specifications. If you feel there is a barrier that potentially prevents you from applying, do get in contact with us, as we are always happy to discuss (or arrange a discussion with the recruiting manager) to explore if any reasonable adjustments can be made to support your application.