Peripatetic Managers

Lifeways Group; Greater London; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Lifeways Group is seeking an experienced Peripatetic Manager to provide operational leadership across the South East region. You will drive service turnarounds, support mobilisation of new services and coach leadership teams, while partnering with Regional Directors and Quality, HR and Health & Safety to deliver outcomes.

Travel across the region is required, with two managers per region. This role offers variety, autonomy and exposure to senior leadership within Lifeways, and a clear path for

Qualifications

• Significant experience as a Registered Manager or Service Manager.
• Experience leading teams through change or service improvement.
• Strong knowledge of quality, compliance and regulatory requirements.
• Excellent people leadership, coaching and mentoring skills.
• Ability to make decisions and work independently.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Resilient, adaptable and solution-focused.
• Passion for delivering high-quality, person-centred support.

Responsibilities

• Lead service turnaround, stabilisation and improvement activity.
• Provide interim Service Manager or Area Manager leadership.
• Support mobilisation of new services, contracts and acquisitions.
• Coach and mentor Service Managers and leadership teams.
• Drive improvements in quality, compliance and service performance.
• Support services through periods of change or growth.
• Build strong relationships with commissioners, families and stakeholders.
• Share best practice and develop future leadership talent across the region.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Coaching

Education

Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care

Job description

We are recruiting for an exciting new role—A Peripatetic Manager—to provide operational leadership and support across the South East region, stepping into key business priorities wherever your experience can make the greatest difference. This is a varied and highly visible role. You could be leading a service turnaround, stabilising a team, providing interim Service or Area Manager cover, supporting the mobilisation of a new service, coaching an existing management team or driving quality improvement. No two assignments will be the same! You will work closely with Regional Directors, Operational Leaders and senior support functions including Quality, Compliance, HR and Health & Safety, giving you valuable exposure across the wider Lifeways business. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced care leader who enjoys variety, autonomy and challenge, whilst looking to broaden their operational experience and take the next step in their leadership career.

Assignments

• Leading service turnaround, stabilisation and improvement activity.
• Providing interim Service Manager or Area Manager leadership.
• Supporting the mobilisation of new services, contracts and acquisitions.
• Coaching and mentoring Service Managers, Deputies and leadership teams.
• Driving improvements in quality, compliance and service performance.
• Supporting services through periods of change, growth or operational challenge.
• Building strong relationships with commissioners, families and professional stakeholders.
• Sharing best practice and developing future leadership talent across the region.

We are looking for someone who can quickly understand a situation, build trust and credibility, identify what needs to change and confidently deliver results. There are two Peripatetic Managers within each region, supporting services across both the North and South of the region. Travel is an important part of the role. Whilst we will always aim to minimise unnecessary travel and take individual circumstances into consideration, you should be comfortable travelling across the region and occasionally supporting services at short notice.

Why Lifeways?

• Work across a diverse range of services and operational environments.
• Lead transformation, mobilisation and improvement projects.
• Gain exposure to senior operational leadership.
• Develop your experience across the wider Lifeways business.
• Coach and develop future leaders.
• Build valuable experience to support your own career progression.

And this isn't just a theoretical opportunity—two previous Peripatetic Managers have gone on to secure promotions within Lifeways.

Qualifications & Experience

You will be an experienced operational leader within health and social care, with a strong track record of leading teams and improving services. Ideally, you will have:

• Significant experience as a Registered Manager, Service Manager or equivalent.
• Experience leading teams through change, challenge or service improvement.
• Strong knowledge of quality, compliance and regulatory requirements.
• Excellent people leadership, coaching and mentoring skills.
• The confidence to make decisions and work independently.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• A resilient, adaptable and solution-focused approach.
• A genuine passion for delivering high-quality, person-centred support.

Essential

• Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care or equivalent experience.
• Full UK Driving Licence.
• Enhanced DBS.

If you're an experienced care leader looking for a role where every assignment brings a new challenge, your expertise is valued, and you can genuinely influence services and outcomes across a region, we'd love to hear from you.