Local services manager

About The Role

Are you looking for a leadership role where you can make a real difference to dementia services across Somerset?

Do you have the skills to manage contracts, lead a team, and work collaboratively within a multi-agency pathway?

We’re excited to offer an opportunity as Local Services Manager for Somerset. This is a home-based role, but you’ll need to travel regularly across the region for meetings, engagement activities, and partnership work. Mileage claims will be paid from the Somerset border. This is a large, rural county with poor transport links, so access to your own vehicle is required.

Somerset is a unique area for Alzheimer’s Society, with services delivered through a grant‑funded contract with supportive and innovative commissioners. The Somerset Dementia Adviser Service is also an active participant in the Somerset Dementia Partnership, and has supported delivery of conferences and activities. The local ICB has recently clustered with Dorset and BANES, Swindon and Wiltshire, connecting you to colleagues within your ICB and the wider South West.

You’ll work closely with another Local Services Manager to oversee delivery across the region. Your responsibilities will include managing contracts and groups, leading a team of Dementia Advisers, our valued volunteers and ensuring services align with our Help and Hope strategy and organisational values.

About you

You will have:

• Experience in managing or supporting service delivery, ideally within health, social care or community settings or transferable experience from related sectors.
• Experience in leading geographically dispersed, community‑based teams and managing contracts, with a focus on quality and safe delivery of a high performing service.
• You will be confident using IT systems and managing and reviewing information through computerised recording systems. You will also be able to confidently navigate relationships through virtual means, including Teams.
• Passionate about continually improving services for people affected by dementia and informed by their experiences. You will be committed to our values, and have a focus on meeting the needs of the diverse communities of Somerset, driving forward equity and accessibility in our service.
• Comfortable working independently and collaboratively across a dispersed team.
• Have organisational and relationship‑building skills, with the ability to engage stakeholders and monitor performance.
• Be able to travel regularly across Somerset and maintain a strong local presence.

Please don’t be put off from applying if you don’t meet every single requirement listed. We recognise the value of transferable skills and lived experience, and we’re keen to hear from candidates who can demonstrate potential, capability and a willingness to learn.

Key Responsibilities

• Managing, monitoring and reporting on the requirements of the contract to the ICB and Dementia Partnership.
• Leading and supporting a team of Dementia Advisers and volunteers. You will also be responsible for group delivery across the county.
• Working closely with another Local Services Manager to ensure seamless delivery across Somerset. You will also be part of the South West Regional Management Team, with occasional face‑to‑face meetings outside of the immediate area.
• You will be responsible for quality monitoring, performance and team culture of the Somerset team.
• Building relationships with local authorities, the health board, and pathway partners, including presenting to diverse audiences and advocating for people with dementia and the service. This may also include occasional requests for media interviews.
• Identifying opportunities to strengthen services and improve outcomes for people affected by dementia.

About Alzheimer’s Society

Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer. One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime.

At Alzheimer’s Society, we’re the UK’s leading dementia charity and the only one to tackle all aspects of dementia by giving help and hope to people living with dementia today and in the future. We give vital support to people facing the most frightening times of their lives, while also funding groundbreaking research and campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be.

Together with our supporters, we’re working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives.

Our commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We need to ensure the voices around our table better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment or health condition or individuals who identify as Black, Asian or from another minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under‑represented at Alzheimer’s Society.

We want everyone we work with, as a colleague, volunteer, supporter, or someone we support, to feel included and that they belong at Alzheimer’s Society.

Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy here along with our internal employee forum and Employee Lived Experience network groups help us promote inclusion and belonging, becoming an engaged and inclusive organisation for all our people.

Benefits

Our employees work hard every day to make a true difference in people’s lives. We are proud to support them with a range of benefits, recognition and many options for working agilely, all contributing to a strong work life balance. We also have various learning programmes to support you in your development and help you grow to realise your potential and shape a career with Alzheimer’s Society.

You can also visit our Working for Us pages, which give you more information about what it’s like to be an employee at the Society.