Service Manager – Learning Disability & Neurodiversity

Care Support Scotland

We are a charity with decades of experience supporting people across Scotland, providing those who need us with support that ranges from Mental Health, Learning Disability and Neurodiversity, Youth and Adult Homelessness and Older People services. Guided by our values of Respect and Compassion, we empower both the people we support and our colleagues to Thrive every day

Why Work With Us?

At Care Support Scotland caring isn’t just a job — it’s who we are. Join our dedicated team and help transform lives while growing your own career.

• Pension contributions matched up to 6%

• Financial Flexibility – Access your wages as you earn them with our Earned Wage Access benefit.

• Employee Assistance Programme through HSF

• Contribution to HSF Health Plan – supporting your everyday health needs

• Generous annual leave – 33 days including public holidays, increasing with service

• Supportive absence policies to help when you need time off

• Death in Benefit Cover – 2x annual salary

• Support with funded qualifications

• Career development and progression opportunities

Terms of Contract: Full time

Location: Head Office base in Edinburgh, EH8. Service Portfolio & other sites to be discussed during interview.

Reports to: Head of Service

Registration: This post is required to be registered with the Care Inspectorate and the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) as the Manager of the Service

Role Purpose

Combine a thorough knowledge of social care practice and processes with values-based leadership, to support a diverse staff team in delivering personalised, innovative, best value, high quality, socially inclusive social care services. Be responsible and accountable for the delivery of services within your portfolio, ensuring they are managed and developed effectively, are financially viable, and are externally facing – engaged with a range of stakeholders.

About the Service

At Care Support Scotland we support people with a diverse range of care needs. Our service users include people with learning disabilities, autism, mental health conditions, acquired brain injuries and mobility issues. Because there is so much diversity among the people we support, we provide different levels of care.

Key Responsibilities

Service Delivery

• Offer and maintain a comprehensive, procedurally correct, high standard and forward thinking service, which meets health and social care standards requirements;

• Provide vision, creativity and a multi-disciplinary approach to service delivery;

• Manage the selection process for all applicants, supervise the management of each tenancy support / care package’s delivery ensuring collaboration with all relevant parties and facilitate regular reviews;

• Ensure all work undertaken is based on the assessment of need and risk to the people your service is providing support to, staff and yourself;

• Recognise change as an integral part of the delivery of support and personal care and implement thoughtfully;

• Lead your staff team to meet the aims and objectives of the Service;

• Preserve the rights of all the people you support in your Service;

Service Management

• In collaboration with finance team, ensure the Service’s invoice management is timeous and effective.

• Ensure all support delivery provided by staff, including direct support, indirect support, group work, cancelled support, travel, third party notes and telephone calls is accounted for administratively and systematically.

• Ensure the provision of support is monitored, analysed and reported on a weekly basis, and that any contract variations are reported timeously.

• Monitor the Service’s progress against the agreed business plan including evaluating work and implementing changes to improve results;

• Manage the provision of monitoring reports internally and externally as required;

• If appropriate, manage and audit the delivery of all eligible services as defined by the Housing Benefit Service Charge;

Participation and Integration

• Facilitate the people you support lifestyle choices, rights and communication needs;

• Develop participatory methods to enable the opportunity for people we support to be involved in the overview, development, and evaluation of their Service and Care Support Scotland

• Enable access to independent advocates;

• Play an active role in ‘neighbourhood’ opportunities with partner agencies ensuring flexible, local solutions are driven by the needs and priorities of the people we support and their communities;

• Ensure personalised services seek to enable the people we support to make informed choices to live within sustainable communities in their own homes.

Service Development

• Develop services in partnership with the Developments Team by pursuing local growth through Spot Purchase of non-core care at home and supporting people, trusts / grants or block grant.

• Support and lead key elements of service development, this could include the opening of new services, or the expansion of current services.

• Play an active role in developing relationships with HSCP’s and Partners to explore new business opportunities. • Develop constructive relationships with national and local statutory, voluntary and community agencies to ensure appropriate resources, support and understanding of the service;

• Participate as a member of Care Support Scotland’s management team by sharing information and attending meetings with other members of the team and wider organisation as required;

• Develop, implement and monitor action plans for any team-led changes or external recommendations from the Care Inspectorate, Quality Assurance or Business Assurance;

• Develop and distribute marketing materials to publicise the Service and any significant changes to the service;

Staff Management

• Manage, lead and motivate staff by ensuring an innovative and dynamic support service;

• Work in partnership with People and Culture to ensure best practice in the application of people policies and in leadership add management.

• Facilitate training that is either statutorily required or required to ensure the positive development of staff;

• Provide an outcome orientated approach for self, individuals and the Service team.

General

• Write reports, as required, for both internal and external bodies;

• Determine, in consultation with Finance team, each year’s budget and ensure the financial targets are met;

• Participate in the on call service.

Diversity

• Represent and protect diversity through valuing everyone’s contribution, by integrating diversity into all that you do and promoting its core values.

Self-Management

• Strive to be a values-led leader, practicing values-based decision-making.

• Abide by the Health and Social Care Standards and Scottish Social Services Councils code of conduct in all work undertaken;

• Undertake ‘Continual Professional Development’ through taking personal responsibility for your self development and to life long learning;

• Be aware of current Health and Safety policies procedures and take responsibility for your own safety, and that of others who may be affected by any act or omission on your part;

• Undertake such additional duties as would reasonably be expected of someone at this grade; These duties may be undertaken at the post holder’s principal place of work, or at any other relevant office;

• Apply Care Support Scotland values (Respect, Compassion, Thrive) to all aspects of your work;

Person Specification

Essential qualifications:

• A relevant practice qualification (at least SCQF level 9 or above) recognised by the SSSC, in the category of managers of a Housing Support Service

• A relevant management qualification (SCQF level 9 or 10) recognised by the SSSC, in the category of managers of a Housing Support Service.

Desirable qualifications:

• A postgraduate qualification (SCQF level 11 or above) in a relevant field, for example, social work, social care, nursing, or leadership and management.

• A Positive Behaviour Support, or Trauma Informed Practice qualification or accreditation.

Essential knowledge and experience:

• Previous demonstrable experience working as a manager within an adult social care setting

• Understanding of, and previous experience of liaising with, the Care Inspectorate during inspections

• Knowledge of Care Inspectorate Core Assurances and Service Audit and Improvement planning

• Previous budget management experience o Strong ICT skills and the ability to write reports, case notes and care plans to a level that inspires confidence and can develop others around you

• Knowledge and experience of service development activities – how to improve service delivery and grow or develop services

• Demonstrable experience of staff management, including support and supervision and development of individuals and teams.

• Commitment to the values and mission of Care Support Scotland, and to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion

Desirable knowledge and experience:

• Previous experience as a registered manager of an adult social care service

• Previous experience delivering accredited training to teams

• Experience of fundraising, income generation, or business development

• Prior experience of working within, and the ability to articulate, trauma informed practice

• Prior experience of implementing Positive Behaviour Support within a social care setting.