Career Profile – Registered Care Home Manager

The work

Care home managers are responsible for the day-to-day running of residential care homes. They oversee all activities within the home and make sure the quality of the service and care provided meets the National Minimum Standards for their type of home.

As a care home manager, you would usually specialise in working with one specific client group such as:

• older people
• people with mental health problems
• people with learning disabilities
• young adults
• the terminally ill
• people with physical disabilities.

Your key duties relating to residents would include:

• developing ways to promote their rights and responsibilities
• providing information, advice and support to residents, their families and carers
• arranging stimulating activities and encouraging residents to get involved
• creating the opportunity for residents to contribute to the local community and access local services.

Your role is also likely to include running a business, which would involve monitoring business performance, fundraising, negotiating contracts, working with a budget and developing clear policies and practices regarding quality standards. You would also recruit, train and supervise the care assistants and domestic staff working within the home.

A children’s home manager, or deputy, is responsible for the daily management of residential establishments for children looked after by local authorities. Direct work with children will depend on the size and function of the home but would usually include:

• providing support to children and their families
• being accessible to children
• facilitating access to local education, health and other services
• responding to complaints from children or their families
• promoting the rights and responsibilities of children
• contributing to care planning, statutory case reviews and case conferences
• developing programmes to promote positive behaviour and responding to children’s misbehaviour or disciplinary issues
• responding to child protection concerns and reports.

The National Minimum Standards for care homes and managers are issued by the Department of Health and can be found on the Care Quality Commission website. For children and young people these are issued by the Department for Education.

• Care Quality Commission
• Department for Education

Hours

You would usually work 35 to 40 hours a week, which may include shifts, weekends, and some on-call duties (in the event of an emergency).

For some jobs you may need to live-in. This work can be emotionally and physically demanding.

Income

Starting salaries can be between £20,000 and £30,000 a year. With several years’ experience this could go up to £45,000. Depending on the employer, a range of extra benefits can be included in a salary package, such as private healthcare, company car, bonus and share options.

_{Figures are intended as a guideline only.}

Entry requirements

You would need relevant qualifications and management experience to become a care home manager, for example you might move up from a deputy manager’s position.

If you are new to the job, it is recommended that you start the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care and Children and Young People’s Services within three months of taking up your role, with a view to completing it within two to three years.

The Diploma has six pathways to choose from, depending on the service your organisation offers:

• Management of Adult Services
• Management of Adult Residential Services
• Practice in Adult Services
• Management of Children and Young People’s Services
• Management of Children and Young People’s Residential Services
• Practice in Children and Young People’s Services.

The two qualifications previously required for this role are no longer offered by training providers but are still valid and can be used to work as a care home manager. They are the Registered Manager’s Award and the NVQ Level 4 in Leadership and Management for Care Services.

If you already have these two awards, you would not normally be expected to take the Level 5 Diploma as well, although some organisations may offer it as part of professional development training.

You would be expected to already have qualifications relevant to the care services your home provides, for example:

• NVQ Level 4 in Health and Social Care
• nursing, physiotherapy or occupational therapy qualification and registration
• social work qualification and registration.

See the Skills for Care advice on meeting workforce regulations for more details.

• Skills for Care – workforce regulations

When you apply for a manager’s post, your employer will request background checks by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). See the DBS for more information.

• Disclosure and Barring Service

Skills, interests and qualities

To be a registered care home manager you should have:

• strong ‘people’ skills and communication skills
• good observational skills
• experience of assessing an individual’s care and support needs
• the ability to negotiate and manage a budget
• the ability to maintain accurate records
• knowledge of relevant legislation, local services and resources
• a good understanding of the medical conditions affecting service users
• the ability to build effective working relationships with residents, their families, staff and other professionals.

More information

Skills for Care (England)
West Gate
6 Grace Street
Leeds
LS1 2RP
Tel: 0113 241 1275
www.skillsforcare.org.uk

Care Quality Commission

Opportunities

You could work in a variety of settings within the public, private, voluntary and charitable sectors. There is a growing number of opportunities for qualified managers with private care companies providing services (especially for the elderly) as well as local authorities.

With experience, you could progress to a regional manager post within a large healthcare company or charity. You could also move into consultancy work on a freelance basis or become a care home inspector, checking that national standards are being followed.

If your background is in nursing, social care or social work, experience as a care home manager could give you the opportunity to move back into those areas at a management level.