Director of Care

Are you an experienced Director of Care looking for the opportunity to build and lead a specialist service from the ground up? We are seeking a commercially driven and operationally focused Director of Care to establish and grow a new division within an established healthcare group. This is a rare opportunity for a Director of Care to take ownership of a standalone business unit, shape its strategy, secure registration and drive sustainable growth.

As Director of Care, you will be responsible for securing regulatory registration, developing commissioner relationships, generating referrals and building a high-performing service delivering support to individuals with complex mental health, learning disability and autism needs.

• Lead the successful establishment of a specialist mental health, learning disabilities and autism division.
• Secure regulatory registration, including preparation and submission of all required documentation and evidence.
• Build and convert relationships with commissioners, brokerage teams, local authorities, healthcare partners and referral sources.
• Generate and mobilise referrals across crisis, urgent and community support services.
• Develop strong governance frameworks covering safeguarding, incidents, medication management, audit, positive behaviour support and compliance.
• Personally assess, price and mobilise care packages during the start-up phase.
• Recruit and develop a core team as service growth demands.
• Take full ownership of divisional performance, budgets and profitability.
• Report regularly against agreed business objectives and growth plans.

• Demonstrable experience securing and managing regulatory registration within mental health or learning disability services.
• Registered Manager experience within a regulated care environment.
• Existing relationships with commissioners, social work teams, brokerage services and referral partners, with a proven ability to generate new business.
• Strong understanding of crisis support packages, hospital discharge pathways, community support services and complex care provision.
• Commercial experience managing budgets, financial performance and service growth.
• Hands-on leadership style with the ability to support operational activity during the initial growth phase.

• Clinical qualification such as RMN, RNLD, Social Work or similar professional background.
• Experience developing supported living services.
• Understanding of Section 117 aftercare, Continuing Healthcare (CHC) and joint funding arrangements.

• Opportunity to build and lead a specialist healthcare division.
• Significant autonomy and influence over service development.
• Attractive bonus and incentive structure linked to business performance.
• Long-term progression opportunities within a growing organisation.
• Support from an established group infrastructure including recruitment, compliance, finance and operational systems.

If you are a strategic and commercially focused Director of Care with the drive to build a successful specialist service, we'd love to hear from you.