Do you inspire and motivate others? Are you an encouraging, supportive supervisor with the skills to lead, develop and empower a dedicated team to achieve excellent outcomes for the individuals we support? Hawthorn House is a Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated Outstanding Service providing respite / short break care and is looking to recruit an Operational Supervisor for an exciting new development within the scheme. WHAT IS INVOLVED? Hawthorn House offers dual provision with its respite/short break service and the new, innovative Bluebell Apartments. Bluebell Apartments support adults with learning disabilities who are experiencing challenges at home and require specialist assessment and care, without needing hospital admission. The service delivery model at Bluebell Apartments is based on a partnership with between Durham County Council County Durham Care and Support and Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust Intensive Support Team. As part of the management team, you will support the Registered Manager to ensure the smooth running of the service by: Overseeing day-to-day operational delivery, ensuring the service meets CQC standards and organisational policies. Key responsibility for scheduling work, monitoring and review of documentation and quality audits Supervising and managing staff Managing incident and safeguarding reporting and conducting staff debriefs Leading and contributing to multi-disciplinary meetings Working with Care Co-ordinators and other professionals Working collaboratively with the Intensive Support Team and other professionals to deliver service provision at Bluebell Apartments. The role is Monday to Friday and there is an excellent support system in place from the management team and great opportunities for training and professional development. The successful applicant will receive a full induction and regular supervisions. We encourage you to contact Kelly Davidson, County Durham Care and Support Development Officer via email at kelly.davidson@durham.gov.uk to arrange an informal discussion about the role. WHAT WILL I NEED? We are seeking candidates who have: NVQ / Diploma Level 3 in Social Care and/or Management or relevant degree / Nursing qualification or Social Work qualification. Significant experience working with individuals with learning disabilities, complex needs and behaviours that challenge together with supervisory / management experience. Strong leadership and communication skills to guide the teams, coordinate support, and ensure high quality, person-centred care. Knowledge and understanding of Positive Behaviour Support principles. Knowledge of Care Quality Commission Inspection Framework. Ability to remain calm under pressure and adapt to changing needs. A commitment to safeguarding, dignity, and promoting independence. Ability to build positive relationships with staff, service users, and external professionals. Please refer to the attached Person Specification for the full criteria. If successful, you will be required to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure. OUR COMMITMENT TO SAFEGUARDING Durham County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore if successful in your application, an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be sought inclusive of a check of the Adults Barred List, due to the position working in regulated activity. Applicants should be aware that the DBS check will disclose both spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings, in line with current legislation and will confirm whether an individual is barred from working with adults. INTERVIEWS Interviews will be held Week Commencing 13th April 2026. We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran. OUR OFFER TO YOU We offer a competitive rewards package that includes attractive salaries, a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years’ continuous local government service), membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme, and a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable. Explore the full range of rewards and benefits on our website Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions. EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement. We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled people and offer support throughout the recruitment process. HOW TO APPLY Please note, we do not accept CVs. All applications must be submitted online via the Northeast Jobs portal. Use the ‘Person Specification’ section of the form to clearly demonstrate how you meet the essential (and where possible, desirable) criteria. Applications that do not evidence the essential requirements will not be shortlisted. Please visit our website to understand our position on using AI to support to your application and for guidance on completing your application. If you require assistance when applying for this role, please contact our Recruitment Helpdesk on 03000 26 27 27, or via email RecruitmentAHS@durham.gov.uk. All correspondence relating to your application will be sent from donotreply@northeastjobs.org.uk. Kindly check your spam/junk folder regularly to ensure you don’t miss any updates. CONNECT WITH US Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook Visit our website VPRS/161