Job Description

Medway Council is seeking a dynamic and motivated Operations Manager to join our Adults Occupational Therapy Team. This role is a six month fixed term contract, and will be pivotal in providing effective leadership and ensuring the delivery of high-quality social care services. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing a service area, developing a confident workforce, and ensuring statutory responsibilities are met.

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership and Management:

Provide motivational leadership to support positive outcomes for people across Medway. Manage and develop a competent workforce, promoting a culture of continuous learning and development.

Service Delivery:

Oversee the delivery of effective and efficient services, ensuring compliance with statutory responsibilities and high-quality social care practices.

Budget Management:

Manage the service area within the designated budget, ensuring all expenditures are accounted for and align with council policies.

Stakeholder Engagement:

Liaise with internal and external stakeholders to promote the One Medway Council Plan and embed our values and behaviours.

Performance Improvement:

Identify, monitor, review, and improve service delivery, performance, and efficiency. Lead and contribute to service-related projects and initiatives.

Safeguarding:

Provide guidance on complex safeguarding and high-risk situations to ensure effective action is taken to manage and reduce risks.

Qualifications and Experience:

A recognised professional qualification in Social Work, Occupational Therapy, or Nursing. SWE or HCPC registration. Extensive knowledge of adult social care resources and relevant health and social care legislation. Proven experience in managing a service area within a health and/or social care setting. Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and develop a team. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Why Join Us?

Impactful Work:

Make a real difference in the lives of adults with care and support needs.

Professional Development:

Opportunities for continuous learning and career progression.

Supportive Environment:

Work within a collaborative and supportive team.

Flexible Working:

Hybrid working arrangements available.

In return we will offer you:

Generous annual leave entitlement Generous local government pension scheme package Access to wider training and development qualifications Flexible working scheme Travel plan discounts Access to CAREFIRST advice & counselling service Employee discount scheme for national and local retailers

Career Progression Frameworks (CPF) have been introduced for all roles at Medway Council. These frameworks provide a mechanism for employees to take ownership of their development within their post and be rewarded accordingly. This means that the salary you will be offered will be at level A unless, based on an assessment against the CPF criteria, you demonstrate that you are meeting the criteria of level B or C. There will be further opportunity once in post to progress from level A to B, and B to C.


When writing your application, it is important to ensure you identify your suitability against the requirements of the job profile, as this information will be used for shortlisting and may contribute to the CPF assessment. Your application may be rejected if the minimum required criteria is not met. Further information relating to the requirements for this role can be found in the CPF Guidance document attached.


The person specification of a job profile is split into three levels:



Level A details the essential criteria that all applicants must be able to demonstrate through their application and interview.


Level B details the developed competencies that an individual who is practised in this role would be able to demonstrate and will be a progression of knowledge, experience and skills from level A.


Level C requires the highest level of competence and applicants would need to fully meet and demonstrate all aspects of the job profile, including qualifications, knowledge, skills and experience.


You can demonstrate knowledge, experience and skills to allow you to perform within this role. You will identify, through application, how you meet the elements detailed within the person specification, at either Level A, B or C. You will be supported to develop in your role through induction, probation and a supportive Performance Appraisal and Career Conversation. Through your induction you will be introduced to the Career Progression Framework (CPF), which will help you to identify your areas of strength and any development needs.

Our organisation:

Medway is a unitary authority in the South East of England, made up of the towns of Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham and more rural areas, including the Hoo Peninsula.


Situated in Kent in the South-East of England, the area has plenty of green spaces, excellent facilities and easy access to the national motorway and rail networks, facilitating superb transport links to London.


We provide all local Government services for a quarter of a million people, looking after education, environment, social care, housing, planning, business and much more - everything from frontline services such as rubbish collection and events like the Dickens Festival to work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure services in Medway run smoothly and cost effectively.


Working at Medway Council means that you get to be part of this journey working alongside talented, professional colleagues to drive forward change to transform the lives of our residents and the communities they live in.

Important Information-

Applicants must be able to demonstrate all essential requirements as listed in the job profile

Equal Opportunities Commitment Statement

Medway Council is committed to creating an inclusive work environment with a diverse workforce. All appropriately qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or age


For further information please refer to the Medway information pack available as a download or to view online


Please be advised that if you are not contacted within 3 weeks of the advert closing date then you have not been shortlisted. All recruitment correspondence, including interview letters and contracts of employment will usually be sent out via email.


Please visit http://www.mindfulemployer.net/ for information on how Medway Council put good practices in place to ensure employees and job applicants who declare mental health issues receive the right level of support.


We reserve the right to close this vacancy at any time prior to the closing date.


If you are not contacted within 3 weeks of the advert closing date then you have not been shortlisted.


All recruitment correspondence, including interview letters and contracts of employment will usually be sent out via email, if you require documentation/correspondence in different format such as braille or large print, please contact the Resourcing Team on 01634 332878.