Job Title: Service Development Manager
Reporting to: CEO
Responsible for: Service Development, Performance and Service Delivery
Hours: Full time – 37.5 or (0.8 considered)
Salary: £40,000 - £46,000
Location: Witney, with regular travel to Hertfordshire and Gloucestershire and any other sites as required (future growth)
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE:
Guideposts is a UK based charity working with people in local communities to help them access the support, opportunities, and skills they need to overcome social challenges, improve their wellbeing and change their lives.
We run a range of services that are focused on helping people to achieve their potential regardless of their circumstances. We connect people together so that they can experience the joy that comes from friendship, activity, learning, purpose, and occupation. We love what we do, and we love seeing people flourish.
Many of the people we support come from the most disadvantaged groups in our society, including children and adults with additional needs and disabilities, people with mental health problems, older people with dementia and other neuro-degenerative conditions, and the families or carers of all these groups. We believe that all people should be equally valued and have an equal chance to live the best life possible, that is why we do what we do.
Together we are the Guideposts community, helping each other to achieve better wellbeing.
PURPOSE OF ROLE
To support the coordination, performance, and continuous improvement of services (RECOVER, GROW, CONNECT) across the organisation, ensuring effective programme management, governance support, and compliance monitoring, while providing structured operational support to the CEO and the Service Leads. To support and review service delivery and monitor financial performance in partnership with the Head of Finance and Development
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Service manager engagement and support
- Mentoring of service managers to explore how to strengthen collaboration, innovation and performance.
- Building on others’ ideas and including diverse perspectives towards shared outcomes.
- Build service managers engagement with GPT
- Build a collaboration and support mechanism across all services.
- Encourage knowledge sharing and community – people able to speak up (yet providing psychological safety)
- Develop and share best practice across the Guidepost services reusing skills and sharing solutions
- Create an agile and adaptable culture – staff being open to changing approach, adjusting mindsets, behaviours, plans and practice in response to changing circumstances
- GPT is a charity renowned for its exceptional quality of care – this needs to be continually improved through modern care practices – delivering meaningful outcomes with shared purpose, effective collaboration, learning , adaptability and disciplined execution – the successful candidate will take a leadership role in delivering against this ambition
Service Coordination & Oversight
- Support coordinated delivery of services across all locations
- Work with service leads to monitor performance, KPIs, and outcomes
- Identify risks, issues, and service gaps and escalate appropriately
- Support service development planning and improvement activity in conjunction with the CEO
Programme & Project Management
- Coordinate specified organisational programmes and cross-service initiatives
- Track delivery against plans, milestones, and risks
- Maintain programme documentation and reporting frameworks
- Support implementation of structured project methodologies
Quality, Governance & Compliance Support
- Support implementation and monitoring of governance frameworks
- Assist with organisational audits, quality systems, and compliance checks
- Monitor adherence to policies, safeguarding, and regulatory requirements
- Track and report organisational risks
Performance Monitoring & Reporting
- Coordinate KPI and performance reporting across services
- Produce monthly reports for CEO and Trustees
- Analyse service data and outcomes to support decision-making
- Support development of reporting structures and dashboards
CEO Operational Support
- Provide structured briefings, reports, and updates
- Support tracking of CEO priorities and actions
- Act as a coordination point between CEO and service teams
Stakeholder Coordination
- Support relationships with key partners (e.g. NHS, local authorities, funders)
- Assist with reporting and communications to external stakeholders
EXPERIENCE, QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, AND PERSONAL REQUIREMENTS
- Degree in relevant field or equivalent training (Health, Social Care, OT/Physio etc, or Business based if includes experience of working in client facing environment)
- Minimum Five years post qualification experience
- Training (or equivalent, transferable experience) in one or other - Mental Health/Learning Disability/Dementia Care
- Experience in Senior Management or Leadership
- Experience of working with boards or committees
- Proven ability to lead and motivate a team
- Experience of or training in Health or service delivery-based work, and evidence of management of clinical leadership, standards, and risk management
- Experience at a strategic and financially accountable, operational level, preferably in the voluntary health, or social care sector
- Proven experience of supporting senior colleagues and managing staff
- Proven experience of strategic and services planning
- Project planning and monitoring experience at a strategic and operational level
- Proven experience of dealing with partnership organisations and funding bodies
- Clinical experience in Mental Health, Learning Disability, or Dementia Care, with the ability to apply therapeutic principles to service design and delivery
- Proven ability to lead and manage services with clinical oversight, ensuring high standards of care, safeguarding, and risk management
- Experience embedding evidence-based clinical approaches across multidisciplinary teams, with a focus on measurable outcomes and continuous improvement
OTHER DETAILS
Hours of work: 37.5 hours per week (Mon – Fri)
Travel Requirements: Regular travel across all service locations is an essential part of this role. Applicants must hold a full UK driving licence and have access to a vehicle with appropriate business-use motor insurance.
All staff are ambassadors for Guideposts and as such may be required from time to time to assist managers and fundraising in the promotion of Guidepost and its work.
All staff have a responsibility to look after the Health and Safety not only of those people who use our services but for themselves and their colleagues and should follow Guideposts Health and Safety Policy and Procedures.
Guideposts is an Equal Opportunities employer.
This job description is not exhaustive but is provided to assist the post holder to know and understand the main duties of their role. Responsibilities may be subject to review and may be varied in emphasis depending on operational requirements. It may be amended from time to time in discussion with the post holder.
Please note: We are operating a rolling recruitment process and reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we identify the right candidate. We therefore encourage interested applicants to apply as soon as possible.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an informal conversation with our CEO, followed by a formal panel interview. Candidates who progress successfully will then have the opportunity to meet our Service Managers and members of the Board of Trustees as the final stage of the process. This gives both us and the candidate the chance to ensure the role and organisation are the right fit.
We appreciate that applicants may have existing holiday commitments. Interview dates and start dates can be arranged flexibly where possible to accommodate pre-booked leave and notice periods.
How to Apply
Please visit our website https://guideposts.org.uk/opportunities/ to view the full job description and complete an application form and email to [email protected]
Should you have any queries, concerns or would like further information please email us on [email protected]
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: £40,000.00-£45,996.00 per year
Benefits:
- Additional leave
- Company pension
- Health & wellbeing programme
- Referral programme
- Sick pay
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Witney OX28 4BH: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (preferred)
Licence/Certification:
- Right to work in the UK (required)
Work Location: In person
