Assistant Manager

Suffolk County Council; Ipswich; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

LGPS

Flexible working

Career development

Volunteer days

Leave entitlement

Job summary

Suffolk County Council’s Home First team in West Suffolk is seeking an Assistant Manager to join the management team. This role combines operational leadership, service development and transformation to shape Home First services and ensure high-quality support and outcomes.

You will lead Team Leaders, oversee reablement delivery, drive continuous improvement and collaborate with health and social care partners to improve integration and results.

Qualifications

• Experience within health, social care or a related setting, with a commitment to person-centred practice and promoting independence.
• Experience leading or managing teams, supporting performance, wellbeing and development.
• The ability to lead through change while maintaining high standards of quality and service delivery.
• An understanding of reablement, CQC requirements and continuous improvement principles.
• Strong decision‑making, problem‑solving and organisational skills.
• Excellent communication and relationship‑building skills, with the ability to work effectively across organisations and professional disciplines.
• A proactive, innovative approach and a passion for achieving positive outcomes for the people we support.
• Ideally, a Level 4 qualification in Health and Social Care, Leadership and Management, or a related subject, although relevant experience and transferable skills are equally valued.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership, support and line management to Home First Team Leaders.
• Support the delivery of services in line with reablement and assessment principles.
• Act as Deputy to the Registered Manager when required, supporting compliance with CQC regulations and standards.
• Lead quality assurance activities, audits and continuous service improvement initiatives.
• Coach and mentor managers and frontline staff, promoting best practice and high standards of care.
• Support workforce development, including recruitment, training, succession planning and performance management.
• Work collaboratively with health, social care and provider partners to strengthen integrated working and improve outcomes.
• Support the implementation of Home First transformation programmes and service developments.
• Champion digital solutions and innovative ways of working that enhance service delivery and user experiences.
• Help ensure the effective management of service capacity, resources and operational performance.

Skills

Team leadership

Change management

Reablement knowledge

CQC understanding

Decision making

Communication skills

Innovative approach

Level 4 qualification

Education

Level 4 Health and Social Care Leadership

Job description

• Suffolk County Council
• Address: West Suffolk House, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3YU - Hybrid
• Salary: £40,777 per annum (pro rata for part time)
• Hours: 37 hours per week, flexible working options available
• Contract: Permanent

At Home First, we're passionate about helping people regain, maintain and maximise their independence. Every day, our teams support people to recover following illness, injury, crisis or a stay in hospital, enabling them to live safely and confidently in their own homes.

We're looking for an Assistant Manager, to join our Home First Management Team. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in supporting an outstanding rated CQC provision of reablement, integration with health colleagues, and quality improvement across Home First.

Reimagine the possibilities

Your role and responsibilities

This West Suffolk based role offers an exciting opportunity to combine operational leadership, service development and transformation. Working closely with the Registered Manager and wider operational and assessment teams, you will play a key role in shaping and developing Home First services, ensuring high-quality support and positive outcomes for those who use our services.

You will:

• Provide leadership, support and line management to Home First Team Leaders.
• Support the delivery of services in line with reablement and assessment principles.
• Act as Deputy to the Registered Manager when required, supporting compliance with CQC regulations and standards.
• Lead quality assurance activities, audits and continuous service improvement initiatives.
• Coach and mentor managers and frontline staff, promoting best practice and high standards of care.
• Support workforce development, including recruitment, training, succession planning and performance management.
• Work collaboratively with health, social care and provider partners to strengthen integrated working and improve outcomes.
• Support the implementation of Home First transformation programmes and service developments.
• Champion digital solutions and innovative ways of working that enhance service delivery and user experiences.
• Help ensure the effective management of service capacity, resources and operational performance.

You will need

• Experience within health, social care or a related setting, with a commitment to person‑centred practice and promoting independence.
• Experience leading or managing teams, supporting performance, wellbeing and development.
• The ability to lead through change while maintaining high standards of quality and service delivery.
• An understanding of reablement, CQC requirements and continuous improvement principles.
• Strong decision‑making, problem‑solving and organisational skills.
• Excellent communication and relationship‑building skills, with the ability to work effectively across organisations and professional disciplines.
• A proactive, innovative approach and a passion for achieving positive outcomes for the people we support.
• Ideally, a Level 4 qualification in Health and Social Care, Leadership and Management, or a related subject, although relevant experience and transferable skills are equally valued.

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (JPP) , which you can find in the How to apply' section towards the bottom of this advert.

The team

Home First provides short‑term assessment and reablement services across Suffolk, supporting people to regain independence and remain living safely at home. This role sits within the West Home First Management Team and works closely with locality operational teams while supporting countywide transformation and integration initiatives.

You will be supported by the Registered Manager for West Suffolk Home First and will work alongside Team Leaders, Assessment Staff, Occupational Therapists, health professionals and wider Adult Social Care colleagues. The role offers a unique opportunity to influence both operational delivery and future service development across Home First.

The service embraces flexible and hybrid working, although regular travel across Suffolk will be required to support teams.

Empowering Everyone

We're big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We're always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report .

For more information

Please contact Rachel Sadler for a casual conversation. You can reach them by calling 03456066174 or emailing [e-mail]

In return, you'll enjoy:

• up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
• membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
• performance‑related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost‑of‑living pay increase
• training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
• a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
• diverse and active staff networks
• flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day

Plus lots more!

If you want to know more about our benefits, values and equality commitments please visit our Suffolk County Council careers website (careers.Suffolk.gov.uk) .

Closing date: 11.30pm, 31 August 2026.

This is part of the HFS (Home First Service) wider job family.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts. #LI-Hybrid

As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We're driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.