Job Description
Head of People | Domiciliary Care Provider
Harrogate (Office Based with Some Travel)
Salary: £40,000 – £50,000 + Mileage + Benefits
Are you an experienced HR professional ready to step into a broad, strategic leadership role within a growing care organisation?
Do you enjoy bringing structure, alignment, and clarity across multiple people functions while still being hands-on when needed?
Are you looking to join a high quality, values led provider where you can directly influence culture, performance, and growth?
Then this could be the opportunity for you.
We are working in partnership with a premium home care provider to appoint a Head of People in a newly created, central leadership role. This position has been created to bring together all people-related functions across the organisation, supporting continued growth while maintaining exceptional quality standards.
The Opportunity
This is a pivotal, organisation wide leadership role reporting directly to the Managing Director.
The Head of People will take ownership of recruitment, HR, learning & development, and performance management, ensuring these functions operate cohesively and effectively across all branches.
You will oversee an established but evolving team, including:
* Recruitment & Community Managers across multiple branches
* A developing HR function
* A Regional Training Manager
This is not a purely strategic role. The organisation is seeking someone who can balance leadership and oversight with hands-on delivery where required, particularly during periods of change and development.
Key focus areas include recruitment performance, refreshing HR frameworks, and embedding a consistent, high-quality employee experience across the business.
About the Provider
This is a highly regarded domiciliary care provider with a strong reputation for quality and innovation.
All branches have achieved Outstanding ratings from the CQC, alongside national recognition.
The organisation operates across four branches with clear ambitions to scale further.
They pride themselves on a collaborative, people-first culture and are seeking a Head of People who can enhance this while introducing the structure required for continued growth.
Key Responsibilities
Recruitment & Workforce Strategy
* Lead and coordinate recruitment across all branches
* Manage and develop branch-based recruitment teams
* Improve time-to-hire, candidate experience, and onboarding processes
* Implement a more centralised and strategic recruitment model
Learning & Development
* Oversee and support the L&D function
* Ensure training is aligned with wider organisational goals
* Drive consistency and quality across all branches
Performance Management
* Introduce structured performance and supervision frameworks
* Support performance management of the central support team
HR Leadership
* Lead a full refresh of HR policies, procedures, and contracts
* Oversee HR operations with support from internal resource
* Ensure compliance and consistency across the organisation
Culture, Engagement & Retention
* Develop and drive employee engagement strategies
* Strengthen organisational culture across multiple locations
* Improve retention and overall employee experience
Strategic Integration
* Align all people functions into a cohesive, centralised structure
* Act as the central link between HR, recruitment, L&D, and operations
The Ideal Candidate
You will be a confident and pragmatic people leader, capable of operating across multiple functions while building strong relationships across the organisation.
Essential:
* HR qualification (CIPD or equivalent)
* Strong generalist HR background, including policy and process development
* Experience in recruitment and workforce planning
* Ability to operate across multiple functions in a growing organisation
* Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills
Desirable:
* Experience within care or home care settings
* Exposure to learning & development leadership
* Experience in multi-site environments
You will be organised, commercially aware, and able to introduce structure in a balanced and practical way, without losing the organisation’s people-focused culture.
Package & Benefits
* £40,000 – £50,000 per annum (dependent on experience)
* 25 days’ annual leave + bank holidays
* Mileage reimbursement (45p per mile)
* Opportunity to shape a newly created senior role
Location & Working Pattern
This role is primarily office-based near Harrogate, with an expectation of 5 days per week on-site.
There is some flexibility for occasional home working, alongside travel to branch locations as required.
Interview Process
First Stage: Initial interview (Teams)
Second Stage: Face-to-face interview with the Managing Director
Summary
This is a new unique opportunity for an ambitious HR professional to step into a broad and impactful Head of People role within a high-performing care organisation. Offering autonomy, influence, and the chance to shape people strategy from the ground up, this role is ideal for someone looking to make a meaningful impact in a growing, values-led business.
Application Process:
To apply or request further information, contact Charlie at Compass Associates for a confidential discussion.
01619381185
cwilliams@compassltd.co.uk
Recommendations
Compass Associates Ltd acts as a Recruitment Consultancy for this permanent vacancy. Successful referrals receive £500 in vouchers or a £500 charity donation.