what is a care home manager?
As a care home manager, you are responsible for running a care home following the standards and regulations of the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Your role is mainly administrative, but you are also in charge of the facility's daily operation. For instance, you visit the residents to ensure they receive the best care.
Whether you are running a private care home or government residential facility, you need to ensure the facility has enough residents to remain in operation. That means you are the financial controller and the human resource manager. You prepare the budget and ensure the facility can pay its bills. You also manage the recruitment and career development of your staff.
Care home managers work in different health care settings. Some work in nursing homes that take care of the elderly, while others work in supported housing facilities providing shelter and support services for children and adults. If you love helping kids, you should find a care manager job in children's homes. Care home managers with a medical background can work in hospices that care for patients with life-limiting conditions.
Would working as a care home manager suit your passion for providing people-centred care? Then read on to find out what competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in a care home manager role.
average salary of a care home manager
According to National Careers, a care home manager's median salary ranges from £25,000 to £55,000 per year. Your earnings will range from £25,000 to £28,000 annually at the start of your career.
If you work in a National Health Service (NHS) trust, established pay bands determine your salary. As a care home manager, you will earn a Band 6 salary between approximately £32,000 and £40,000 per year. If you have top-level experience and specialised training, your salary falls under Band 7, which ranges from £40,000 to £45,000 annually.
Most care homes in the UK are private, and the salaries aren't regulated. That means your earnings will depend on your experience and qualifications. If you have minimal experience, your starting salary is £32,000 a year, while care home managers working in challenging work settings earn over £60,000 annually.
In addition to your salary, your role includes benefits like pension and medical insurance. Some employers will give you a company car and share options. If you want to increase your salary, improve your skills, work experience and educational qualifications. The type of facility also affects your pay. For instance, if you work in a hospice, your earnings are higher than working in a children's home.
types of care home managers
Types of care home managers depend on the roles and facilities. Common types of care home managers include:
- residential care home managers: your job is to ensure residents receive the best care and support. In residential care homes, residents don't need specialised care, and you ensure they are assisted with daily activities like personal care and nutrition.
- nursing home managers: as a nursing home manager, you assist people with different medical conditions or disabilities. You need to ensure patients continue with their treatment plans and improve their quality of life.
- hospice care home managers: hospices care for patients with terminal illnesses and provide end-of-life medical care. Your job is to ensure the facility is equipped to deal with patients with specific needs. You also offer emotional support to patients and their loved ones.
working as a care home manager
As a care home manager, you provide emotional and physical support to patients or residents under your care. Let's explore a care home manager's specific duties and work settings.
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care home manager job description
Specific responsibilities of a care home manager include:
- supervising daily operations: as a care home manager, you ensure the day-to-day operation of a care home runs smoothly. That involves creating schedules for the workers to ensure someone constantly monitors patients. You also ensure prompt response to emergencies and facilitate programmes in the residential care home.
- creating budgets and monitoring finances: your job is to ensure the care home can pay its bills. That means you create a monthly budget and monitor expenses in the facility. You also manage the income streams of the care home. For instance, you monitor the number of beds occupied and ensure residents are up-to-date with payments. You also budget for donations and allocate funds for intended projects.
- recruiting and managing staff: as a care home manager, you are in charge of hiring and firing workers. You organise training and development programmes to ensure all workers are properly trained. In a small care home without a deputy care home manager, you prepare the staff rota and handle payroll. You also ensure there is a qualified employee on shift at all times to provide appropriate care. In palliative care homes, you will need a doctor or nurse to monitor patients.
- maintaining health and safety standards: you regularly audit the care home to ensure adherence to CQC guidelines and quality care standards. That involves testing food quality, general hygiene and safety standards.
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work environment
As a care home manager, you work in residential or nursing care homes. Sometimes, you work in mental health facilities or children's residential care. You can work for the NHS trust, local council facilities or not-for-profit organisations offering care home facilities. You are likely to spend many hours in the office completing your administrative duties. You also visit residents and staff in the care home setting. Some roles come with a live-in requirement, especially if patients need 24/7 care. Your work environment is usually physically and emotionally demanding.
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who are your colleagues?
Depending on your employer, your colleagues might include deputy care home managers, nurses and doctors. A deputy care home manager assists you with administrative duties in large care homes. Medical practitioners ensure that residents stick to a treatment plan to improve their quality of life. You may work closely with psychiatrists, physiotherapists and other specialists like social workers, care assistants, care home inspectors, and regional managers.
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work schedule
A care home manager e works between 39 to 41 hours a week on a full-time schedule. Most care home managers work traditional office hours, but you are always on call. You will usually work evenings, weekends and bank holidays in care homes with a live-in requirement. Part-time positions are rare since care home managers are involved in daily operations. Your job involves minimal travelling for training or conferences. If you supervise more than one residence, you will travel between the two facilities.
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job outlook
A career as a care home manager is fulfilling and rewarding. You help patients and residents when they are vulnerable. If you work for a big charity organisation with a group of care homes, you can become the regional manager or take up other executive roles in not-for-profit organisations. An experienced care home manager can progress to a consultant role in the care home industry or become a government care home inspector.
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advantages of finding a care home manager job through randstad
Finding your care home manager job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:
- a wide variety of training and development opportunities
- an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
- a range of opportunities in your area
- get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
- temporary and permanent contracts
Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a care home manager is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too!
education and skills
Various routes of becoming a care home manager include:
- a vocational qualification: you can start a care home management career with a higher national diploma, foundation degree or undergraduate degree. You can pursue university courses in social care or health before joining a graduate trainee programme. You need up to 3 A-Levels to access most degree courses.
- apprenticeship: some companies provide apprenticeship programmes for young people, children and adult care homes. You will also find opportunities in care leadership and management like the adult care higher apprenticeship. When you complete on-the-job training, you can work as a trainee.
- experience: when you have previous social work or nursing qualifications, you can join the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care training and transition to care home management roles.
skills and competencies
Some of the skills of a care home manager include:
- leadership skills: as a care home manager, you monitor the performance of a care team. Your leadership skills unite all employees and ensure they strive towards providing the best care. You will lead by example and inspire and motivate employees to improve their performance.
- strategic thinking: you will devise strategies that improve patients' care and ensure new processes are implemented well. Strategic thinking skills also help you in financial control roles. You set budgets, fill the residential beds and ensure the staffing levels reflect patients' needs.
- organisational skills: as a care home manager, you will organise your schedule and know when to delegate. Organisational skills also help you monitor projects in the facility.
FAQs
FAQs about working as a care home manager
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what does a care home manager do?
A care home manager manages and supervises the daily operations of a residential care home or facility. They perform administrative duties and ensure operational efficiency in the facility.
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what qualifications are necessary for a care manager?
You need a degree or higher national diploma in social care or health-related courses to become a care home manager. You can also join an apprenticeship programme.
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what qualities does a care home manager need?
A care home manager needs leadership and communication skills to motivate workers and share accurate information with stakeholders.
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how much does a care home manager earn in the UK?
A care home manager in the UK earns between £25,000 and £55,000 per year, depending on experience and educational qualifications.
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is being a care home manager a stressful job?
A care home manager role is emotionally demanding; sometimes, juggling multiple tasks can also be physically demanding.
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how do I apply for a care home manager vacancy?
Applying for a care home manager job is easy: submit your cv and we will get in touch. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here!
