Head of Learning & Development
Salary: £72,500 plus bonus (inclusive of car allowance)
Location: Colten House, Ringwood BH2 3FE
Employment type: Full-time, 40 hours per week
We are an award-winning care home provider committed to delivering outstanding care and creating an exceptional place to work for our teams to develop their careers. We are seeking an experienced and ambitious Head of Learning and Development to continue to shape the future of our people’s growth and drive a culture of continuous improvement across our organisation.
Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, you will lead a dedicated L&D team of seven, focusing on the development of staff across our homes. Colten Care has 21 homes across Dorset and Hampshire, with approximately 1800 care home based employees. This is a high-impact role where you’ll design and deliver the development frameworks that help us grow talent, strengthen capability and ensure our people feel engaged, supported and empowered.
What you’ll be doing
* Leading the overall Learning & Development function, ensuring our training offer is effective, engaging and aligned to business goals.
* Creating and embedding long-term L&D strategies that build capability, support career progression and position us as an employer of choice.
* Delivering high-quality training through a mix of platforms including face-to-face learning, e-learning, workshops and coaching.
* Building strong, influential relationships with internal leaders and external partners to champion best practice and innovation.
* Managing the L&D budget, ensuring resources are used effectively and deliver measurable value.
* Driving a high-performance culture by promoting continuous learning, professional development and operational excellence.
About you
You are currently operating at L&D Manager level and ready for the next step. You bring a genuine passion for developing people and teams, and you thrive on seeing others grow. With a strategic mindset and hands-on approach, you know how to turn business needs into engaging learning solutions that make a real difference.
You’ll be confident leading a team, working collaboratively with senior stakeholders and influencing positive cultural change. Experience in a multi-site environment or the care sector is beneficial, but above all, you’ll be motivated by the opportunity to shape a learning culture that supports both individual aspirations and organisational success.
Why join us?
This is a rare opportunity to lead the development agenda for a caring, values-led organisation where people truly matter. You’ll have the scope to innovate, the support of an engaged leadership team and the chance to impact the careers of hundreds of dedicated colleagues.
About us
Colten Care is an expanding family-owned business with 21 beautifully appointed nursing homes across Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire and West Sussex.
We have 7 rated services as ‘Outstanding’ with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and we provide luxury residential, general nursing, dementia and short-stay care.
We are an award-winning healthcare provider that champions the latest approach to person-centred care. At the National Care Awards 2025, we won the Care Home Group (Medium) of the year Award. Each of our homes has a distinct character while retaining that all-important sense of ‘home.’
If you’re ready to take the next step in your L&D career and help us build a stronger future, we’d love to hear from you.