Area Manager

Recovery Focus; North Devon; Hybrid; GBP 43,000 - 58,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 days annual leave

Pension scheme

Life assurance (3× salary)

Enhanced sick pay

Birthday leave

Job summary

Waythrough is seeking an Area Manager (Devon) to oversee services supporting people with mental health needs and substance misuse in Devon. This role is hybrid, with 3 days in the office, and will lead teams to deliver high quality, person-centred support.

Based across Barnstaple, Exeter or Newton Abbot, the position is 37 hours per week, fixed term for 14 months, with a salary of £45,000–£55,000. You will drive excellence, safeguarding and outcomes for service users.

Qualifications

• Strong leadership and management skills to inspire, develop and support teams.
• Knowledge and experience in mental health and substance misuse services.
• Strategic and operational awareness for resource management and delivering improvements.
• Understanding of Local Government Reorganisation and its impact on health and social care services.

Responsibilities

• Model organisational values and leadership behaviour across the organisation.
• Create a culture of excellence, care, and collaboration across services.
• Lead development, learning and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Horizon scan for growth opportunities and new developments.
• Ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, and safeguarding responsibilities.

Skills

Leadership

Team development

Strategic planning

Regulatory compliance

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

Area Manager (Devon) Location: Devon, from one of our Devon Hubs. (Barnstable, Exeter or Newton Abbot). This role is hybrid, with 3 days in the office. Working Hours: 37 Hours (full time) Contract Type: Fixed Term (14 months) Salary: £45,000 - £55,000

Make a real difference in your community Are you passionate about helping others live safer, healthier and more independent lives? Join Waythrough, one of the UK’s leading mental health and social support charities, and make a lasting impact every day. We support over 125,000 people each year through our 200 services, empowering individuals to overcome challenges around mental health, housing, and substance use.

About the Role

As an Area Manager, you’ll oversee a range of services supporting people with mental health needs and substance misuse challenges, including drugs and alcohol. Our portfolio goes beyond traditional drug and alcohol services, covering mental health housing, recovery, and employment support. Your leadership will ensure that each service delivers high quality, person-centred support that helps people build stability, resilience, and independence. You’ll lead and develop teams to create a culture of care, learning, and continuous improvement. By modelling our organisational values, you’ll promote excellence and collaboration across all services, ensuring we meet our legal, regulatory, and safeguarding responsibilities. Success in this role means achieving positive outcomes for the people we support, empowering staff to thrive, and driving consistent, high quality service delivery across your area.

What You’ll Do

Model our organisational values and leadership behaviour that sets the tone for leaders/managers across the organisation. Create a culture of excellence and care which is collaborative and actively demonstrates our commitment to the people we support, and our core purpose. Demonstrate and lead a culture of development, learning and continuous improvement so that everyone can thrive. Maintain constant awareness of both the external and internal landscape, horizon scanning for growth opportunities and new developments.

To Succeed in This Role, You’ll Need:

• Strong leadership and management skills - the ability to inspire, develop and support teams, promoting a culture of excellence, learning, and collaboration across multiple services.
• Knowledge and experience in mental health and substance misuse services - understanding the challenges faced by individuals and how to deliver person-centred, recovery-focused support within housing and community settings.
• Strategic and operational awareness - confidence in managing resources, maintaining compliance with legal and regulatory standards, and driving continuous improvement to achieve positive outcomes for both staff and service users.
• Understanding of Local Government Reorganisation - an awareness of the current and emerging local government landscape, including the implications of Local Government Reorganisation for health, social care, housing, commissioning and community-based services. The ability to horizon scan, understand changing local authority structures and priorities, and identify opportunities to develop effective partnerships and respond to changes in commissioning and service delivery.

About Waythrough

Waythrough was formed in 2024 following the merger of Humankind and Richmond Fellowship. Together, we've created one of the largest mental health and social support charities in England. Every year, we support around 125,000 people through nearly 200 services - and it's all made possible by our 3,500 brilliant staff and volunteers.

Make a real difference in your community Are you passionate about helping others live safer, healthier and more independent lives? Join our team at Waythrough and support people facing challenges around mental health, substance use, housing or domestic abuse. This is more than just a job - it's a chance to build meaningful relationships and create lasting change.

What We Offer

We value the people who make a difference every day. Alongside meaningful work, you’ll enjoy a comprehensive benefits package:

• 27 days' annual leave, rising to 32 after 1 year (plus bank holidays)
• Pension scheme with 4.5% employer contribution, matched up to 6.5%
• Life assurance (3× annual salary)
• Enhanced sick pay and family-friendly pay
• Birthday leave and the option to buy up to 5 extra days' annual leave
• Professional fee reimbursement for relevant qualifications
• 24/7 online GP access and Employee Assistance Programme
• Recognition and long service awards via our Way to Go and Aspirations portals
• £500 Recommend a Friend bonus
• Cycle to Work scheme and Credit Union membership
• Discounts via Blue Light Card, Charity Discounts, Extras and Tickets for Good
• Free will writing service and wellbeing initiatives throughout the year
• Inclusion and accessibility Waythrough is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and communities, especially those with lived experience of the issues we support.
• We have signed up to the Disability Confident Scheme - all applicants are welcome, and adjustments can be made to enable fair participation.
• If you need adjustments or support to apply, please email our recruitment team: [e-mail]

Closing Date: 2026-10-01

Waythrough launched in October 2024 following the merger of Humankind and Richmond Fellowship. In April 2026, Aquarius, our former subsidiary partner, merged with Waythrough. Our vision is to break down the barriers that stop people getting the support they need to live a life they value. We tackle poverty and disadvantage in communities, through mental health, drug and alcohol, housing and related support. We have 260 services around England - and nearly 3,500 amazing staff and volunteers who run them. Every year our services support around 130,000 people.