The role
We are looking for an experienced Female Team Leader to lead the staff teams at either of our Surrey supported living services — Guildford Avenue in Surbiton or Oakview House in Caterham.
This is a hands-on leadership role. You will be on shift with your team, modelling the standard of support you expect, and you will also be the person who holds the detail together: the rota, the records, the risk assessments, the referrals, and the day-to-day quality of life of the people we support.
The adults living in these services have autism, learning disabilities and mental health needs, and some present behaviours that others find challenging. What they need is not a service that manages them, but a team that understands them — that reads distress accurately, that gets the environment right, and that stays consistent on the difficult days as well as the easy ones. Your job is to build and hold that team.
About Unicare
Unicare Complex Care Specialist Ltd is a CQC-registered, nurse-led supported living and complex care provider. We support adults with autism, learning disabilities, mental health needs and complex behaviours across nine supported living properties in Surrey, Sussex, Berkshire and South London, alongside community outreach and SEND services.
Nurse-led means what it says. Our clinical leadership is close to the front line, our positive behaviour support is clinically informed, and our team leaders are supported rather than left to work things out alone.
What you will be doing
Leading the team
- Leading shifts within the service, working alongside support workers and setting the standard by example.
- Supervising, coaching and developing your team — regular one-to-ones, spot checks, observations and honest, specific feedback.
- Inducting new staff and making sure they are competent and confident before they work unsupervised.
- Planning and managing the rota so every shift is covered by someone who knows the person they are supporting.
- Supporting your team after difficult incidents — debriefing properly, not just moving on.
Supporting the people who live there
- Making sure support is delivered the way each person’s support plan and positive behaviour support plan says it should be — every shift, by every worker.
- Working with the clinical team to review and update support plans, risk assessments and PBS plans as people’s needs change.
- Championing choice, independence and community access — the point of supported living is a life, not a placement.
- Supporting people to manage their own health, medication and appointments as far as they are able.
- Reducing restrictive practice: fewer restrictions, better understood, properly recorded and regularly reviewed.
Keeping the service safe and compliant
- Acting as a safeguarding lead on shift — recognising concerns, reporting them the same day and never investigating them yourself.
- Overseeing medication practice, including administration, records, audits and staff competency.
- Completing accurate, timely records that stand up to scrutiny from the local authority and the CQC.
- Reporting and reviewing incidents, and using the pattern rather than just closing the paperwork.
- Working with families, social workers, care managers, health professionals and commissioners.
What you will bring
Essential
- In-depth experience supporting adults with mental health needs, autism and learning disabilities. Not a passing familiarity — real, sustained experience of supporting people whose needs are complex.
- Experience supporting people who present behaviours that challenge, and the judgement to see behaviour as communication rather than defiance.
- A working understanding of Positive Behaviour Support — you have followed PBS plans, contributed to them, and can explain the function of a behaviour to a new member of staff.
- A trauma-informed approach to the people you support and to the staff you lead. You understand why a person reacts as they do, and you understand that supporting people through distressing incidents affects your team too.
- Supervisory or senior support worker experience — you have led shifts, supported colleagues and been the person others turn to.
- Confident with records — support plans, risk assessments, daily notes, MAR charts and incident reports.
- Sound knowledge of safeguarding adults, the Mental Capacity Act and DoLS in practice, not just in theory.
- A full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle.
- Flexibility across the rota, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays, and willingness to join the on-call rota.
Desirable
- PMVA, MAPA, Team Teach or equivalent training in the prevention and management of violence and aggression. Certified training is provided where the role requires it — experience of a recognised approach is welcomed but not essential at application.
- NVQ or QCF Level 3 in Health and Social Care, or working towards it.
- Experience of the Mental Health Act, community treatment orders or working with community mental health teams.
- Medication administration training and competency assessment.
- Experience of CQC inspection and local authority contract monitoring.
What we offer
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
TERMS AND SUPPORT
- Full paid induction and mandatory training subject to terms
- PMVA training delivered in house by our own certified trainers, against the Restraint Reduction Network Training Standards
- The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism, Tier 2, delivered in house
- Medication training with practical competency assessment
- Funded progression to Level 3 and Level 5 for the right candidate
- A genuine route into deputy and registered manager roles as we grow
- Regular supervision and reflective practice, not just an annual appraisal
- Clinical support from our nurse-led team, including access to PBS advice
- Structured debrief after significant incidents
- Company pension scheme
- Paid annual leave
Why this role, and why now
The service is settled and both have a stable core of people we support. What they need is a leader who will stay, who knows this client group properly, and who will hold a consistent standard across two houses rather than firefighting one at a time.
If you are a strong senior support worker ready to lead, or a team leader who has been left to manage complexity without clinical backing, this is a service where you will be supported to do the job properly.
Pay: £16.00-£17.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Paid training
- Sick pay
Work Location: In person
