On Socialcare.co.uk today, care manager jobs are the most advertised vacancy type. We take a look at some of the many different types of care manager jobs and list the qualifications and experience required to apply. Words by Sarah Gill.
19th September 2011
Anyone working in the social care or nursing professions has the opportunity to become a care manager at some point in their career. It’s a job type that will always be advertised in the social care sector, and suitably qualified candidates are hugely desirable. We’re going to take a look at some of the different types of care manager jobs currently being advertised and the qualifications you need in order to get one of these vacancies.
Domiciliary Care Manager
Salary - usually between £27K - £40K
Typical job responsibilities
- Be an excellent team manager, able to motivate and manage a team of care staff
- Ensure CQC standards are maintained in accordance with safe working practice
- Able to put together care plans and individual service user assessments
- Ensure a person-centered care approach in all the delivery of all care procedures
Care Home Manager
Salary - usually between £27K - £48K
Typical job responsibilities
- Overall responsibility for managing day to day running of the care home
- Responsibility for managing staff training, recruitment and development
- Applying current healthcare policy to every day situations
- Ensuring dignity, independence and wellbeing is maintained for residents
Nursing Home Manager
Salary - usually between £32K - £55K
Typical job responsibilities
- To be a registered nurse, either RGN or RMN, taking clinical lead in nursing care
- Focus on quality of care and ensure highest quality in accordance with CQC standards
- Develop the nursing and care teams by offering training, mentorship and professional development
- Perform quality management audits when required and monitor safe working practice
Children’s EBD Home Manager
Salary - usually between £30K - £40K
Typical job responsibilities
- Able to deliver high quality, appropriate care to children within a wide age range
- To be accountable for all procedures and policies to ensure safe working practice
- Mentor and develop all staff to give the best care possible
- Work towards a positive outcome for every child
Head of Dementia Care
Salary - £30K - £40K
Typical job responsibilities
- To ensure clinical excellence and dignity for all throughout the facility
- To be committed to person-centered care and ensuring staff deliver care in this way
- To lead, manage and develop staff by offering training and mentorship
- To be the clinical lead nurse, so a current NMC registration and nursing experience are required, often in mental health or dementia settings.
While every care manager job is different, you will notice there are some common responsibilities that appear in each instance. To be an effective leader, to implement standards and to manage a team of nurses, care assistants and domiciliary carers. Care manager jobs exist in all parts of the health and social care sector - voluntary, private, public and charitable. While the common job responsibilities will always be specified, all these different organisations require care managers with different specialisms, such as care of the elderly, children, dementia care or mental health services.
How can I get a care manager job?
Becoming a care manager is not just as simple as getting a few years experience in social care and then taking a chance on applying for a care manager job. You need to be committed to your professional development in order to obtain the necessary qualifications. To apply for a care manager job you will need to have the following:
- A nursing qualification (branch depends on what kind of care manager job you’re applying for)
- A current NMC qualification
- Several years nursing experience, including recent supervisory experience
OR
- Several years experience as a care assistant, senior carer or support worker
- Recent supervisory experience
- A NVQ 3 in Health and Social care or the newly created QCF Diploma in Health and Social care Level 3
AND ONE OF THE FOLLOWING
- A leadership or management qualification such as the RMA award, NVQ 4 in Leadership and Management for Care, or the newly created QCF Diploma in Leadership Level 5
- A Masters Degree in Leadership and Management in Health Care
Unfortunately if you don't have the required qualifications, a recruiter won't be able to accept your application. Make sure you read the criteria carefully before applying for a care manager job, because you may be wasting your time if you can't show you have the relevant professional development qualifications.
You can view all the most recent care manager jobs here or for a care manager job in a specific location, go to the social care job search page and enter the job title in the keywords box.