Domiciliary Care Service Manager

Purpose of position

·      To take joint responsibility with the registered provider as the person-in-charge for day-to-day running of the care service.

·      To promote a caring environment for service users through high standards of professional practice which are conducive to the physical, emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual needs of the service users.

·      To ensure that each service user receives care appropriate to their individual need and are fully safeguarded.

·      To implement the requirements of all relevant current regulations and to achieve the fundamental standards of care as defined by the legislation.

·      To keep improving the service so that it achieves the highest Care Quality Commission (CQC) quality rating possible.

Principal responsibilities (adapt as necessary)

Day-to-day running of the service

·      Managing the day-to-day running of the service.

·      Providing all relevant information to prospective new service users and visiting them in their home for a discussion.

·      Arranging and assessing trial visits.

·      Deciding whether or not the service is able to meet the personal care needs of any prospective service user and negotiating an appropriate fee with the purchasing authority, or the client or client’s family if not in receipt of local authority assistance.

·      Ensuring that each new service user receives a written copy of the terms and conditions of engagement and that each service user and, where appropriate, their representative or carer, understands them.

·      Investigating complaints, taking appropriate action and reporting to the person-in-control and/or the CQC.

·      Liaising with and co-operating with CQC inspectors and inspections.

Service user care

·      Ensuring that the safety, emotional, spiritual, physical, medical and material needs of the service users are recognised, assessed and met.

·      Supporting service users in the taking of decisions in matters which affect their lifestyle.

·      Making or contributing to the assessment of need of each service user in conjunction with the service user, care commissioners, relevant professional agencies and, where appropriate, the service user’s family, and developing a service user’s plan which provides a satisfactory quality of life for that person.

·      Promoting relationships which enable each service user to participate in the life of the local community to the maximum of their ability.

·      Ensuring the provision of healthcare arrangements which may include the ordering, recording and, where appropriate, the administration of prescribed medication.

·      Being responsible as required for meeting the dietary needs of service users and ensuring that good standards of presentation and food hygiene are maintained.

·      Ensuring the provision of care including which may be provided by a competent and caring relative and which may include terminal care, under the direction of the GP and with the support of the community nursing service.

Staff matters

·      Assisting the registered provider with recruitment, appointment and deployment of all staff.

·      Assisting the registered provider to ensure that there is good communication with and between staff and arranging staff meetings.

·      Ensuring that effective induction, supervision and assessment of staff is carried out and that training needs are identified and met.

·      Ensuring that employment protection legislation is implemented.

·      Arranging staff rotas.

Responsibilities concerning premises

·      Advising the registered provider of any malfunction of the heating, lighting or emergency systems and ensuring the security of the premises.

·      Ensuring that the fire regulations are complied with and advising the responsible person if there are areas of risk.

·      Ensuring that legislation and regulations concerning environmental health, infection control, building control, planning and health and safety are complied with, and advising the responsible person accordingly where action is required.

·      Assessing service users’ homes with regard to health and safety and infection control issues and providing advice to staff regarding safe and healthy working practices in the field.

Finance

·      Being responsible for the monitoring and control of day-to-day expenditure within the limits prescribed by the care provider.

·      Ensuring that service users are, wherever possible, supported in retaining responsibility of their own money and financial arrangements.

·      Ensuring that, where a service user is assessed as incapable of handling their own financial affairs, their money is handled properly and with the utmost probity and that records are kept of all financial transactions.

Person specification — essential criteria

The following qualities are considered essential for the post of service manager:

·      at least two years’ experience in a senior management capacity within the previous five years

·      a recognised management and care/nursing qualification

·      the ability to take responsibility

·      leadership skills

·      self-motivated

·      organised

·      flexibility

·      caring

·      sensitivity to the needs of others and to the sick or infirm

·      an active team player but also able to work on own initiative

·      a good communicator

·      commitment to high standards

·      commitment to training.

All staff are required to respect the confidentiality of all matters that they might learn in the course of their employment. All staff are expected to respect the requirements under the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation.

All staff must ensure that they are aware of their responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work, etc Act 1974.