Team/ Service Manager - Autism Service, Chingford

Team/ Service Manager – Autism Service, Chingford

Contract: Full-time – 38 hours per week

Salary: £41,470 per annum

Location: London (NE area)

About Outward

For 50 years, Outward has been providing high-quality support and care services to vulnerable people across London, predominantly in North East London. Established by families seeking alternatives to institutional care, we have grown into a respected provider of person-centred support for adults with learning disabilities, autism, mental health needs, and complex needs. We support over 1,000 people across nine boroughs, guided by our core values: engage, enable, and empower.

About the Role

We are looking for a confident, compassionate and skilled Service Manager to lead and manage our service in Chingford, which supports adults with Autism. This is a key management role in a highly regarded service that provides tailored support to people living in their own flats in a supported living environment.

You will be supported by two Deputy Managers to lead a team of support workers and ensure the delivery of safe, effective and empowering support that reflects each person’s needs, aspirations and outcomes.

As Service Manager, you will :

· Oversee all aspects of service delivery and ensure compliance with CQC standards (aiming for Outstanding)

· Assess referrals, develop person-centred support and risk management plans, and monitor progress

· Lead and support staff to embed a Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) approach and a culture of continuous improvement

· Build and maintain strong working relationships with families, professionals, and commissioning teams

· Ensure services are delivered flexibly, creatively, and within budget to meet agreed targets and performance indicators

· Translate national policy and best practice into effective operational delivery, including safeguarding and the Mental Capacity Act

· Actively contribute to service development and support future growth across boroughs

What You’ll Bring

We are seeking someone who is enthusiastic, experienced and values-driven, with a passion for delivering high quality, person-centred services to autistic people and those with complex needs.

This is a Care & Support operational management role where your leadership will directly shape the quality of life for people with autism. You will bring strategic oversight to a large and diverse team, supporting them to deliver truly personalised, responsive services.

You will play a key role in:

· Embedding a culture of high standards, positive behaviour support, and continuous improvement

· Ensuring services are not only safe and compliant but also creative, strengths-based and led by the people we support

· Driving service development and growth, working with deputy managers and senior leaders to expand our impact

· Translating policy into day-to-day practice — from safeguarding and the Mental Capacity Act to outcome-focused support planning

· Building strong partnerships with families and professionals to ensure joined-up, respectful support

· Managing complex staffing and financial needs with accountability, transparency, and a person-first mind set

· This is a role for someone who can think both strategically and practically, thrives in a dynamic environment, and leads by example.

Requirements

Essential:

Experience and Qualifications

· Proven experience in delivering innovative, flexible, and person-centred support that is tailored to meet individual needs and outcomes, particularly for people with learning disabilities, autism, and complex needs

· Minimum 3 years’ experience delivering person-centred support to people with learning disabilities, autism, and complex needs, including behaviours of distress

· Minimum 1 years’ experience in a service management or team leadership role within a supported living or outreach care setting

· Demonstrable experience of managing a large staff team, including coaching, mentoring, performance management, and rota coordination

· Proven experience creating and reviewing support and risk management plans, particularly for individuals with complex needs or behaviours of distress

· Experience of conducting needs assessments and working collaboratively with health professionals, social workers, and family carers

· Experience in delivering the service within budget and within expected performance indicators including delivering on outcomes for the people supported

· Familiarity with CQC standards and experience delivering services rated ‘Good’ or higher

· Qualification in Positive Behaviour Support Coaching (BILD accredited), NAPPI Level 2, or a willingness to obtain these within the first 3 months of employment

· Staff must have access to a smartphone capable of receiving SMS messages and installing authentication apps for secure systems access

· Right to Work in the UK. Please note: Outward will not provide visa sponsorship

Skills and Knowledge .

· Strong understanding of the principles of safeguarding, the Mental Capacity Act, and person-centred planning

· Ability to lead and motivate others while embedding a culture of active support, inclusion, and continuous improvement

· Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, and the ability to engage confidently with a wide range of stakeholders

· Strong planning and organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise competing demands and respond to emergencies effectively

· Commitment to embedding Positive Behaviour Support approaches and person-led service delivery

· Demonstrated ability to model and promote professional conduct, dignity, and respect in all aspects of service delivery

Values and Attributes

· Passion for empowering people with learning disabilities and/or autism to lead independent, fulfilling lives

· Committed to delivering high-quality, safe, and responsive care services

· Collaborative and emotionally resilient, with a calm and proactive approach to problem-solving

· Willing to work flexibly in response to service demands, including occasional evenings and weekends

Desirable

· Knowledge and practical experience of managing a service budget

· Experience of co-producing services with people supported and their families

· A relevant health or social care qualification (e.g., Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health & Social Care or equivalent)

· Prior involvement in developing or delivering training related to autism or PBS

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults at risk and expect all staff to share this commitment. If the post you apply for involves working with or having access to adults at risk and/or their records, we will require an Enhanced Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Services. This will be fully subsidised by Outward.

Diversity at Outward

Outward applies its Equal Opportunities Policy at all stages of recruitment and selection. Shortlisting, interviewing and selection is carried out without regard to gender, sexual orientation, marital status, colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, age or trade union membership. Those with disabilities meeting the minimum requirements for the post will be shortlisted and reasonable adjustments will be made to ensure they are not disadvantaged during the interview process.

As an employer, who aspire to become Disability Confident Committed, we aim to ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this position will be offered an interview. Please indicate clearly at the beginning of your supporting statement if you have a disability (as defined by the Equality Act 2010), and you wish to be considered for an Offer Of an Interview (OOI) Please note that the OOI is available to disabled candidates only. Regrettably, any false declaration of disability in order to secure an interview will impact on your overall application

How to Apply

The above is not an exhaustive list of requirements for the role.

If you think you are who we are looking for, please submit a CV and statement detailing how you feel your experiences meets the requirements of the role by referring to the Job Responsibilities and the Person Specification.

There is no specific closing date for this advert. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a sufficient number of suitable applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible. It would be great to hear from you.

Benefits

We value everything our staff do for the people we support, so we provide a great benefits package:

• 25 days Annual Leave excluding Bank Holidays (pro rata for part time)
• Comprehensive Learning & Development Programme

• Cycle-to-Work Scheme
• Death in Service Benefit
• Health Assured – Employee Assistance Programme
• Eye care Vouchers
• Flu Jab Reimbursement
• Pension Scheme
• Purchase Additional Annual Leave
• Refer-a-Friend Scheme

Outward is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults at risk and expects all staff to share this commitment. If the post you apply for involves working with or having access to adults at risk and/or their records, we will require a Basic DBS for successful candidates. This will be fully subsided by Outward.

Please note : Outward has a number of Service Manager and Deputy Service Manager roles across a range of services in North and East London. While this advert is for a specific role within our Autism Outreach service, the overall job criteria apply across many of our services. As such, Service Managers may occasionally move between services based on organisational needs. If your experience aligns with the broader requirements of service management and complex needs support, but not necessarily every specific detail of this post, we still encourage you to apply. We will consider your application across similar roles within Outward