Quality and Ops Lead - Respite

Lead quality. Drive improvement. Shape the future of respite services in Southampton.

Are you an experienced adult social care leader looking for an opportunity to make a lasting impact?

Southampton City Council is seeking an ambitious and motivated Quality and Operational Lead to join our Kentish Road Respite Service, a CQC-regulated short breaks service supporting adults with learning disabilities, autism, neurodiverse needs and complex support requirements.

This is a pivotal leadership role within the service, working directly alongside the Registered Manager and acting as their deputy in the day-to-day leadership, oversight and development of the service. Combining operational leadership with responsibility for quality assurance, governance, referrals, assessments, reviews and continuous improvement, you will play a key role in ensuring the service remains safe, effective, responsive and well-led.

We're looking for a visible, values-driven leader who can support staff, drive high standards of practice and help create a positive culture focused on quality, innovation and continuous improvement.

This is a fantastic opportunity to help shape the future of respite provision in Southampton, influence practice and make a genuine difference to the lives of the people we support and their families.

Why this Role is different:

This is more than an operational management role.

As the Quality and Operational Lead, you will act as the Registered Manager's deputy, providing leadership across the service and helping to shape its future direction. You'll combine operational oversight with responsibility for quality assurance, governance, referrals, assessments, continuous improvement and workforce development, making a direct impact on both the service and the lives of the people we support.

About the Role:

Working closely with the Registered Manager, you will:

• Act as the Registered Manager's deputy and provide leadership oversight across the service.
• Support the effective day-to-day operational management of the service and provide visible leadership to staff teams.
• Lead on quality assurance, governance, auditing and service improvement activity.
• Support the service to maintain compliance with CQC regulations, safeguarding responsibilities and best practice standards.
• Monitor quality, identify improvement opportunities and implement change that enhances outcomes and people's experiences.
• Lead and oversee referral, assessment and review processes, ensuring timely and person-centred decision-making.
• Work with individuals, families and professionals to identify strengths, needs and desired outcomes.
• Support admission, transition and review processes, ensuring people receive the right support at the right time.
• Promote strengths-based practice and outcome-focused support that maximises independence and wellbeing.
• Provide supervision, guidance and professional support to staff, promoting a culture of accountability, learning and development.
• Build positive relationships with families, carers, social workers, health partners and wider stakeholders to achieve the best possible outcomes.

About You:

We are looking for someone with the passion, experience and leadership skills to help drive an ambitious service forward.

You will have:

• Experience working within a CQC-regulated adult social care service.
• Experience supporting adults with learning disabilities, autism, neurodiverse needs and complex support needs.
• Experience leading, supervising or coordinating teams.
• Experience of quality assurance, governance, auditing and continuous improvement.
• Experience of referrals, assessments, reviews and support planning within adult social care.
• A strong understanding of safeguarding, the Mental Capacity Act, DoLS and person-centred practice.
• The confidence, professionalism and credibility to deputise for the Registered Manager when required.
• Excellent leadership, communication and organisational skills.
• A proactive and solution-focused approach.
• A commitment to delivering high-quality support and achieving positive outcomes for people and their families.

Why Join Us?

Kentish Road provides an invaluable respite service for adults and families across Southampton.

As a member of the leadership team, you will have a genuine opportunity to influence practice, strengthen governance, support staff development and contribute to the ongoing development of an important local service.

You will join a team that is passionate about helping people achieve positive outcomes, promoting independence and ensuring people receive high-quality, person-centred support. If you are passionate about leadership, quality, continuous improvement and making a difference, we'd love to hear from you.

Working Pattern: Flexible rota covering Monday to Sunday

On-Call Requirement:

Participation in the service on-call rota is essential

What we can offer you:

Salary: The salary band for this role is £41,771 - £46,141,The starting salary is£41,771 with annual progression through the salary bands.

Here at SCC we have a range of different benefits, a few examples can be found below.

• Excellent local government pension with 15.2% employer contribution
• Death in service benefit of x3 salary, and optional salary sacrifice shared cost AVC (additional voluntary contribution)
• Generous holiday 25–31 days, based on role and service
• Flexible working options (role-dependent)
• Family-friendly policies - Maternity, Paternity, Adoption, Shared/Unpaid Parental Leave, Time off for Dependents
• Training and development, including coaching and mentoring
• Health and wellbeing support - Employee Assistance Programme, Menopause Pledge, Mental Health First Aiders and access to a variety of staff networks
• Veteran-friendly employer with the Armed Forces Covenant
• Retail discounts and savings through the Southampton City Council benefits platform
• Discounted memberships at local sports and fitness centres
• Sustainable travel benefits - low emission car scheme, cycle to work, season ticket loans
• Employee volunteering scheme with 2 paid days leave to volunteer

For further information on our benefits package please visit:

Employee benefits (southampton.gov.uk)

Interested in Finding Out More?

We'd love to hear from you.

Contact details for informal discussion:

For further information and details regarding the role, please contact Andrea Garden Registered Manager, Kentish Road Respite Service or call . Andrea will be happy to answer any questions and provide further information about the role and the service.

What we can offer you:

Recruitment contact details:

Email:

Tel:

For more information about SCC please visit

Southampton City Council

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