🌟 Service Manager – Supported Living Lowestoft
đź“Ť Lowestoft, Suffolk
đź•’ 22.5 hours per week
📅 Fixed Term – Approximately 9‑month Maternity Cover
💼 Employee‑Owned Organisation
We’re looking for a committed and steady pair of hands to provide maternity leave cover for our Supported Living service in Lowestoft. This is a vital role focused on maintaining consistency, supporting the team and ensuring our well‑established systems and processes continue to run smoothly.
Join Leading Lives, a not‑for‑profit, employee‑owned social enterprise where staff are empowered and customers are at the heart of everything we do.
About The Role
đź’ˇ The Role
As a Service Manager providing maternity cover, your focus will be on:
* Ensuring the smooth day‑to‑day running of the service by maintaining existing ways of working
* Supporting and guiding Team Supervisors and Support Workers
* Upholding our current quality standards, regulatory requirements and internal processes
* Managing operational tasks such as rota oversight, audits, safeguarding and health & safety
* Maintaining positive relationships with families, professionals and partners
* Providing stable, consistent leadership to keep the team confident and supported during the cover period
This role is ideal for someone who can step in, pick things up quickly and keep the service running effectively without the expectation to implement new systems or develop long‑term initiatives.
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🌱 Why Join Us?
* Award‑winning training & development opportunities
* Become part of our employee‑owned organisation
* Up to 8% employer pension contribution
* Health & wellbeing support, including an Employee Assistance Programme
* Cycle to Work scheme, retail discounts and more
* A rewarding role where you can support a great team and maintain high‑quality care
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🔧 Key Responsibilities
Maintain Service Quality & Operations
* Continue established processes for audits, incident reporting and quality monitoring
* Ensure compliance with safeguarding, CQC requirements, GDPR and health & safety standards
* Monitor existing service budgets and maintain accurate reporting
Provide Supportive Leadership
* Offer clear guidance and practical support to Team Supervisors and staff
* Conduct supervisions, appraisals and return‑to‑work meetings as required
* Maintain strong communication and a positive team culture
Ensure Stability & Continuity
* Keep established systems and service approaches running consistently
* Manage referrals and maintain appropriate occupancy levels
* Liaise with families, carers and external professionals to ensure ongoing customer wellbeing
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✅ What You’ll Need
* Level 5 qualification in Social Care
* Experience leading teams in a social care setting
* Strong organisational, communication and problem‑solving skills
* Experience supporting people with learning disabilities
* A calm, consistent, person‑centred approach
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🚀 Your Journey With Us
You’ll receive a supportive, structured induction and work closely with the wider management team to ensure a smooth transition into the role.
Employment is subject to enhanced DBS and safer recruitment checks.
Required Criteria
* Level 5 in Health and Social Care
* Experience in Managing a Care Team
Skills Needed
About The Company
Company Culture:
* Values-Driven: Leading Lives not only talks about their values but actively embodies them in their daily operations.
* Employee Testimonials: The company encourages feedback from employees like Anna, an experienced support worker, to showcase the positive impact of their values on staff.
* Authenticity: Leading Lives emphasizes authenticity in their values, highlighting that they are not just empty words but a lived reality within the organization.
Company Culture
We’re a Disability Confident Committed employer
We are happy to make reasonable adjustments whenever possible. Please do let us know if you need any support/ adjustments with your application and the process.
Company Benefits
Benefits offered by Leading Lives
* Holiday entitlement that works for you - Our holiday package increases with service, and you have the opportunity to purchase additional hours
* Peace of mind should you fall ill - We offer occupational sick pay as well as statutory sick pay. We also have an Employee Assistance Programme
* We pay generous sleep-in rates - Sleep-in shifts are available for some of our support worker or team leader roles. The pay rate for these are ÂŁ65 per shift
* Award-winning, in-house training - Our award-winning, bespoke, in-house training, will ensure you are confident and effective in your role
* Travel benefits for you & the planet - We provide a generous mileage rate of 45p per mile, and a cycle purchase scheme to help you go green!
* Owned and run by our employees - We’re employee-owned & not-for-profit. Surpluses are re-invested into our community.
* We offer a welcome aboard bonus - You could qualify for a welcome aboard bonus worth of ÂŁ250
Vacation, Paid time off, Paid sick days, Employee development programs, Sabbatical leave, Casual dress, Free parking, Cycle to work, Referral bonus, Hybrid Working, Culture of recognition, Progression opportunities, Bereavement leave
Salary
Starting from ÂŁ18.55 per hour