Manager Learning Disability Services Preston Drove

Job introduction

Are you a hard-working, passionate and committed individual with management and leadership skills in learning disability services?

Do you have experience of working in a care setting where you have to think on your feet, lead, manage service-users in both challenging and rewarding situations?

Do you have effective communication, interpersonal, and time management skills?

If so we would like to hear from you!

Fixed Term Contract for 9 months

Closing Date:  8 June 2025

Interview Date: TBC 

Before applying, please ensure you have read the Secondment policy to ensure you are eligible to apply. In accordance with the policy, please ensure you have the written approval of your line manager before applying. Evidence of this must be included with your application.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO CANDIDATES:
As this job is being advertised internally only, in order to complete your application, when prompted to setup an account you must use your Brighton & Hove City Council email address.

About the role

Preston Drove is part of Brighton & Hove City Council’s learning disability provider service. 

It provides accommodation for adults with learning and physical disabilities, in a long-established home in the Preston Park area of Brighton.

Preston Drove provides a service to five people in Brighton. The service works closely with social workers and clinical professionals in the city’s Specialist Community Disability Service to achieve the best outcomes for the people it supports.

We are currently seeking a 37 hour a week deputy manager, to be part of the management team leading the team of care and support workers with one other deputy manager and the care home manager. You will have good leadership skills, an ability to problem solve, make decisions under pressure and respond to the needs of the people using the service as and when required.

Our service users have complex care and support needs, in areas such as health, communication and behaviour needs. We use a range of communication methods, Positive Behaviour Support and need to follow clinical guidance provided medical professionals.  

Some key skills are:

• Effective communication and people skills are essential as you will be required to work in partnership with other health care professionals, families, friends, partnerships, external agencies and a large staff team from all diverse backgrounds.
• Able to manage, motivate and develop a team with tact, respect and diplomacy.
• Deal with difficult situations in a calm, sensitive and sympathetic manner
• Complete a range of written documentation, these include: risk assessments, support plans, specific guidance relating to service-users service provision, referrals and incident reporting/follow-up.    
• Complying with relevant legislation, policies and procedures.

Previous management and leaderships experience in a care setting is required and you will need knowledge of recent legislation related to providing adult social care.

Good resource and budget management skills are also desirable.

Approximately half the working week will be spent working on shift directly supporting service users and undertaking domestic tasks alongside team members. You will work across the 7-day week, working a mixture of; late, early, sleep-in and mid shifts. You will be flexible at times of short staffing regarding coming off management/admin duties to work on shift and to respond to emergencies, alongside the other two managers on the team.  

Please read our Apply for a job at the council (brighton-hove.gov.uk) pages carefully. They give you all the guidance you need to complete your application as well as information on what will happen after you’ve submitted your application and at interview.

As part of your application, you will need to complete your education and work history and provide answers to some shortlisting questions. Your answers to the shortlisting questions are the most important part of your application as they will be used in the shortlisting process to assess whether you meet the essential requirements for the role that are set out in the person specification and to decide whether you should be offered an interview. Before you start your application, please read our guidance here (Shortlisting questions guidance (brighton-hove.gov.uk) as this gives important advice which will increase your chance of success in the shortlisting process.

Additional information

Your starting salary will be pro rata if the above position is less than 37 hours or term-time only.

We are a workplace that supports flexibility and employee wellbeing in the way we work whilst providing the best service for our customers. Team and service working arrangements are designed to support both employee work life balance and team collaboration. These would be part of your individual working arrangements alongside any personal preference agreed with your manager in advance of joining. Your contractual location will be the designated council office for your team and travel to and from your contractual location would be at your own expense.

For more information about our values and the benefits of working at the council, visit Why work for us

Company information

Encouraging a diverse workforce

Our city is known and loved for its diversity. Not only is the mixture of people, culture and skills vital to the economic and social development of the city, it's what makes Brighton & Hove such a great place to live, work and visit. We are committed to developing and retaining a workforce that is representative of the diverse communities we serve so we welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds. In order to achieve our aims of proportionate representation, we particularly encourage applicants from a BME or White Other background as well as those who identify as disabled, male or trans.

Find out more about our commitment to being a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone can achieve their potential by reading about our fair and inclusive actions, our anti-racism strategy and How we create a fair and inclusive workplace.

Please note that this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, and is subject to a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) Check.