Are you an experienced, compassionate leader who’s passionate about delivering outstanding person-centred care?  We’re looking for a Deputy Service Manager (DSM) to join our Supported Living team — a dynamic, hands-on leadership role that combines people management, quality assurance, and practice leadership.

As a DSM, you’ll support the Registered Service Manager to oversee a group of Supported Living services, ensuring that the people we support receive high-quality, safe, and empowering care. You’ll also take a lead role on shift (minimum 20% of your working hours), providing mentorship, coaching, and leading by example to your team.

You’ll play a vital part in shaping the quality and culture of our services — promoting dignity, independence, and inclusion for every individual we support.

Hft is a charity that supports adults with learning disabilities. We believe in a world where anyone with a learning disability can live within their community with all the choice and support they need to live the best life possible. We are looking for people who are naturally caring and compassionate and align with our values.

What’s in it for you? 

At Hft, we believe our people are our greatest strength — that’s why we’re committed to supporting you every step of the way. From your first day, you’ll receive a comprehensive induction, full training and ongoing support to help you thrive in your role.

As a ‘Gold’ standard Investors in People accredited employer, we put colleague wellbeing at the heart of everything we do. You’ll also have access to TELUS Health, a free, confidential 24/7 counselling and support service available whenever you need it.

We’ll invest in your personal and professional growth through our Skills for Care accreditation and by fully funding your Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management within your first 12–18 months.

We offer:

• 33 days annual leave(including 8 statutory bank holidays)
• Fully funded apprenticeshipsand qualifications, including a Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management
• Award-winning training and developmentopportunities
• Wagestream– access your pay flexibly throughout the month and access financial wellbeing tools
• Aviva Digicare+ Workplace– health checks, Digital GP, and mental health support
• TELUS Health– free, confidential counselling and wellbeing service, available 24/7
• Discounted Vodafone mobile contracts– up to30% offthrough the Employee Advantage programme
• Care Friends app– earn cash rewards for referring friends to join Hft
• Free life assurance– worththree times your annual salary

 
 
 

About the role

As a Deputy Service Manager at Hft, you’ll play a vital part in ensuring the highest standards of care, support, and service delivery for the people we support. Working alongside the Service Manager, you’ll help to lead, motivate, and develop your team to deliver truly person-centred support that promotes independence, dignity, and choice.

You’ll take responsibility for the day-to-day management of the services — ensuring quality, safety, and compliance at all times. This includes supporting with audits, overseeing care delivery, and taking ownership of delegated management areas.

A key part of your role will be the supervision and line management of Support Staff, providing coaching, feedback, and guidance to help them perform at their best. You’ll lead by example — championing good practice, promoting positive risk-taking, and ensuring the people we support are happy, safe, and empowered to live their best lives.

You’ll also play an active role in continuous improvement, maintaining open communication with your Service Manager and ensuring feedback from both staff and the people we support helps shape how we work.

Flexibility is important in this role — you’ll take part in the on-call rota and spend around 20% of your weekly hours working on shift, ensuring you stay connected to frontline practice and can role model exceptional support.

About you

To be successful in this role, you’ll bring strong leadership, management, and organisational skills — along with a genuine passion for delivering high-quality support to people with learning disabilities.

You will have:

       Significant, recent experience* at a front-line management level within learning disability or regulated social care services.

       A solid understanding of legislation and guidance relating to adults with learning disabilities, CQC regulations, and Health and Safety* requirements.

       Good IT skills* and experience maintaining accurate and up-to-date records.

       A minimum Level 3 qualification*

       The ability to lead and manage people effectively, acting as a positive role model* in all aspects of leadership, communication, and performance.

If you’re passionate about enabling people with learning disabilities to live fulfilling, independent lives — and want to use your skills to make a real difference — we’d love to hear from you.