As a registered manager you’ll need to be able to keep many plates spinning all at once – day to day running of a premises, budgeting, dealing with staff and meeting strategic goals are just a few of the things you need to do. It’s also a job that can provide plenty of career satisfaction, working in a care setting and ultimately helping people who need it most such as the elderly, young adults with learning difficulties, in hospice care in supported housing.
Day to day work
The work of a registered manager is pretty varied and you’ll spend a fair amount of time in your office planning and organising. On any given day you could be recruiting staff, balancing a budget, ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of a care home, training or making sure health and safety policies are implemented and adhered to.
The rules and regulations in care homes are numerous so a key part of the role will be ensuring staff are following best practice, adequate numbers of staff are on duty and that residents’/customers’ needs are fully met in a considerate and dignified manner.
Qualifications and experience needed
Employers generally like to see a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a relevant subject such as health and social care along with several years’ experience working in similar settings. Some employers will accept NVQ Level 5 Diploma in health and social care with experience.
Most employers will expect at least two years’ experience in a relevant setting and if you don’t have the full qualifications required you may be able to work towards them.
Skills
You’ll need to be a whizz at multitasking because you will be dealing with many different people and situations. Strong leadership skills are a must because you’ll be working with care staff as well as interacting with residents and families. Your communication skills need to be tip top too and if you’re managing budgets you’ll need decent accounting and numeracy skills.
Personality
A registered manager is a role which involves a lot of interaction with others so you’ll need to be personable. Being compassionate and able to empathise with others is also important. It’s possible you will at times deal with quite tough or distressing situations and you need to be able to cope emotionally with that whilst still maintaining leadership and control.
Opportunities
The vast majority of registered manager roles tend to be in social care services where you could work in residential or nursing homes. The annual salary ranges between £25,000 and £40,000 though the average is around £33,000. Some experienced managers within private settings can earn up to £70,000.
As you progress you could move onto further senior management roles within a company or across a series of homes. You could undertake further study and move into a specialist area such as dementia care or you may decide to work on a consultancy basis.