Relief Service Manager - North West

Lifeways Group; Manchester; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Lifeways Group seeks an experienced Peripatetic Manager to provide agile operational leadership across multiple Lifeways services in the North West. You will support business continuity and priorities wherever you are needed, leading turnaround, mobilisation and improvements.

You will work with Regional Directors, Quality, Compliance, HR and Health & Safety, driving quality and service performance while coaching leadership teams and building future leaders for the region.

Qualifications

• 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.

Responsibilities

• 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.

Skills

Operational leadership

Change management

Team leadership

Stakeholder management

Regulatory knowledge

Education

Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care

Job description

Location: Regional role with extensive travel across designated Lifeways services in North West England.

Reporting to: Regional Director

Salary: £45,000 - £55,000

At Lifeways, we provide high-quality supported living and specialist care for adults with diverse needs, helping the people we support live more independently and achieve their goals.

Job Description

The Opportunity

Looking for a role where you can make an impact across multiple services rather than being based in just one?

We are recruiting for an exciting new role - A Peripatetic Manager to provide operational leadership and support across the North West 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.

About The Role

As a Peripatetic Manager, you will provide agile operational leadership across Lifeways services, supporting business continuity and operational priorities wherever you are needed.

Your Assignments Could Include

• 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.

About You

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.

Location & Flexibility

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?

This isn't a role where you simply maintain the status quo.

It's a role where you make a difference.

You'll Have The Opportunity To

• 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.

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.