Service Development Lead

Glenholme Healthcare; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in the United Kingdom is seeking a committed Service Development Lead. This hands-on role focuses on improving care home performance through direct support and leadership. The ideal candidate has significant experience in senior healthcare roles, a Level 5 Diploma, and a proven track record in delivering quality care. This position offers an opportunity to make a direct impact by enhancing operational standards and ensuring compliance with regulations.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in a senior care home role.
• Proven success in turning around underperforming services.
• Strong knowledge of CQC regulations.

Responsibilities

• Drive operational improvement and embed effective practice.
• Support quality and compliance based on CQC standards.
• Monitor progress with measurable outcomes and documentation.

Skills

Operational Improvement

Leadership

Coaching

Communication

Problem-solving

Education

Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health & Social Care

Tools

Nourish

Job description

Are you a hands‑on operational leader with a proven track record of improving care home performance? Do you thrive in services that need strong, practical support to stabilise, strengthen, and succeed? If so, we want to hear from you.

We are seeking a committed and proactive Service Development Lead to join our Operations Team. In this regional role, you will work directly within our senior living care homes, providing on‑site support, driving improvement, and ensuring that high‑quality, person‑centred care is consistently delivered.

This is a hands‑on role, ideal for someone who is not afraid to roll up their sleeves, work alongside teams, and personally model best practice to bring about sustainable change.

What you’ll do

As our Service Development Lead, you will:

• Drive Operational Improvement – Lead and personally deliver development and turnaround plans, resolve issues on‑site, and embed effective practice.
• Strengthen leadership and governance through on‑site coaching and support.
• Improve care planning, risk management, medication processes, and daily operations, and enhance the quality and use of electronic care planning systems across homes.
• Support Quality & Compliance – Act swiftly on quality assurance findings with practical, on‑ground solutions; work intensively with homes requiring improvement; promote safe, evidence‑based practices meeting CQC standards; ensure documentation and care planning are accurate, person‑centred, and compliant.
• Develop and support teams – Identify training needs through direct observation, deliver hands‑on coaching, model good practice, support new or underperforming managers, and train staff in electronic care planning systems such as Nourish.
• Provide stability and operational support – Step in with temporary leadership where services need stabilisation, strengthen staffing structures, rotas, and workforce planning, build positive team culture, communication, and cohesion, and lead by example in safeguarding, dignity, respect, and person‑centred care.
• Monitor progress and report clearly – Maintain focused development plans with measurable outcomes, track progress using audits, KPIs, observations, and staff/resident feedback, report risks, progress, and themes to senior leadership, and ensure accurate documentation through electronic systems.

Qualifications

• Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health & Social Care or an equivalent qualification (e.g., nursing or social work degree).
• Significant experience in a senior care home role (Registered Manager, Deputy Manager, Quality Lead, etc.).
• Proven success in turning around underperforming services.
• Strong knowledge of CQC regulations, safeguarding, and compliance.
• Experience using electronic care planning systems, ideally Nourish.
• Excellent communication, coaching, and problem‑solving abilities.
• Confidence in analysing data and driving action plans.
• Willingness to travel regularly and work on site across multiple homes.

Desirable

• Training or competency assessment experience.
• Experience supporting multiple homes within a group.

Why join us?

This is an exciting opportunity to make a direct impact on the quality of care across our group. You’ll work closely with our leadership teams, influence change, and play a key role in ensuring our services provide the highest standards of care.

If you are motivated by improving lives, strengthening services, and leading by example, we would love to speak with you.