Operations Manager - Care Sector (Adult Services)

Looking for a new challenge?

Work with Sense and make a real difference to the lives of the people we support and their families.

We are now looking for our new Operations Manager to join our great team, covering our Adult Services from Carrickfergus to Dunmurry. The main office is based in Newtownabbey, but your role will involve regular travel to all services within your area. The work base will be discussed at the interview stage.

Sense are offering a Level 3 Operations Manager £46,040 per annum.

This is a fantastic position for an exceptional manager within the Care sector, an opportunity to work flexibly, be creative with solutions and take on a great challenge to contribute to our success. You will have continued strong support from our Operations team, working alongside the Head of Northern Ireland and the Operations Manager for our Children’s services.

Our services are based from Carrickfergus to Dunmurry. For this reason, we need you to be able to work flexibly, be able to travel and be a good role model. We are looking for someone with good leadership qualities and strong emotional intelligence, with the ability to listen to the people we support. At Sense we work in a co-production model, so the views of families and significant others are important to us.

This role will be a challenge, exciting and never be dull, with all complexities of working for a vibrant values-based organisation, but it will be truly rewarding for the right Operations Manager. It is an exciting time to join us with lots of opportunities to help support services and playing an active role in the development and growth of the area, with our new Hub opening next year!

• Committed to listening to and valuing diverse views.
• Solution focused - creative with a can-do attitude
• Level 5 Leadership and Management in Health & Social Care Diploma or equivalent.
• Excellent communication, leadership and interpersonal skills.
• A strong compliance and quality assurance background
• The ability to engage families, people we support, professionals and staff effectively
• 3 to 5 years of similar industry experience, with at least 2 years’ experience at Health and Social Care Level 2.
• Good networking capabilities with extensive knowledge of referrals, contracts and commissioning levels in Health Trusts and PHA.
• Working knowledge and experience of working closely with regulatory bodies such as the RQIA and NISCC.
• Use of non-verbal communication methods such as British Sign Language are also desirable for this role.

Here at Sense, we support people with complex disabilities to live the life they choose. Your priority will be empowering the people you support to live an independent life.

Our Sense services in Northern Ireland are varied, from Registered Residential Care Homes, Supported Living services, a Day Centre, Respite Services, Sense Nursery and Play, Community Support and our new Hub coming 2025! Ranging across Adults to children with a wide variety of differing needs, we see every person we support as a unique individual with unique dreams, aspirations and support needs. We want everyone we support and their families to rate us as Outstanding in service delivery, responsiveness and being focused on supporting people to achieve their dreams and the outcomes they want.

• Regular travel mainly in the local area but could be to the UK with overnight stays involved.
• Supporting professional and organisational development whilst managing a large and dynamic workload.
• To contribute to ensuring that policy, guidelines and standards are consistently high across all services.
• Deputising for the Head of Operations in their absence.
• Being responsible for the Lead Signatory for Access NI and responsible as the Lead Endorser for NISCC.
• Having a good oversight at all times of a range of services, including day service, residential and supported living and being confident that they are being managed in line with RQIA standards.
• Managing RQIA registration for a range of services including day service and supported living.
• Generating referrals and managing the follow up to these efficiently.
• Being on-call is also likely.
• Please view our Job Description attached for more detail.

You will need to be able to challenge stereotypes and ensure everyone we support has an ordinary life with extraordinary outcomes - whatever they aim for.

Everyone we support is an individual, so their care is as unique as they are.

For everyone living with complex disabilities. For everyone who is deafblind. Sense is here to help people communicate and experience the world. We believe that no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, should be isolated, left out, or unable to fulfil their potential. Sense are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer.

Working at Sense can be incredibly rewarding; we offer the opportunity to work in a large, diverse and successful charity where people can develop their skills, knowledge and careers in a supportive and flexible environment. In addition, we have excellent training and development, the opportunity for you to join our Group Personal Pension scheme and a generous annual leave entitlement.

• 24 days’ holiday + bank holidays; increasing with length of service
• Free Access NI Check
• Headspace app - free access for all employees to mindfulness application
• Free leadership and management development
• Free access to over 100 online and face to face training including the care certificate.
• On-going development opportunities, including free BSL lessons.
• Flexible working and family friendly policies
• Employee referral scheme
• Health and well-being support
• Pension Scheme.

Please use the link below to complete your application. Managers will use your supporting statement to shortlist candidates for interview; in relation to the Personal Specification. Therefore, it is very important you complete this section thoroughly. We would recommend that you read the candidate guidelines, job description and person specification (found at the base of this advert) before applying.

Please note to avoid disappointment, we advise you to submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close posts at any time.

No agency submissions please: any submissions without prior authorisation from the Sense Recruitment Team will be treated as our own and as such no fee will be payable.

If you require any further assistance, please contact the Recruitment Team on or

Sense is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable children and adults and expects all employees to share this commitment. Therefore, all offers of employment, where appropriate, are subject to an enhanced DBS check.

For this role we particularly welcome applications from candidates from underrepresented ethnic minority backgrounds and candidates with disabilities. Sense is committed to equality of opportunity, and to promoting and celebrating the diversity of staff, volunteers and the people we work with. Everyone's contribution is valued and we ensure they're given the opportunity to realise their potential. We welcome applications from talented people from all sections of the community who share our values and belief that no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, should be isolated, left out, or unable to fulfil their potential. For more information please visit: https://www.sense.org.uk/jobs/equality-diversity-and-inclusion-in-recruitment/