Deputy manager jobs and recruitment in care
A deputy manager is second in charge of a care service. They lead the team day to day, supervise staff, audit care records and step in for the registered manager when they are away.
We recruit deputies for care homes, nursing homes, home care, supported living and children’s homes, and some services book an experienced deputy for temporary cover.
Register for deputy manager roles Send a deputy manager vacancy
The deputy manager role at a glance
- Duties
- Supervising staff, rotas, audits, care plan reviews, training, safeguarding, and running the service when the manager is away.
- Shifts
- Weekday daytime hours, with some shifts on the floor, weekends and on-call.
- Checks
- All care staff checks, plus references from recent senior or management posts and qualification checks.
- Pay basis
- Usually salaried; hourly for temporary cover.
- Qualifications
- Usually a Level 3 care qualification or above, often working towards Level 5, with registration where the nation requires it.
What a deputy manager does
Deputies hold the service together between the manager’s office and the floor. They supervise and train staff, check that care plans and medicines are in order, and handle incidents and concerns as they arise.
In a nursing home the deputy is often a registered nurse, sometimes called the clinical lead. In a residential home or home care service, deputies usually come up through senior care roles.
Qualifications for deputy managers in each nation
Deputies are usually expected to be on their way to a management qualification:
- England
- Services often ask for the Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care and progress towards the Level 5 Diploma. In nursing homes, current NMC registration for clinical deputies.
- Scotland
- SSSC registration for the role, with its qualification condition.
- Wales
- Social Care Wales registration, with the qualification set for the role in the qualification framework.
- Northern Ireland
- NISCC registration, and in many services progress towards the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care.
Checks we run for deputy managers
For deputies we check everything we check for care staff, and also:
- references from their current or most recent senior post
- their qualifications, including any management qualification in progress
- NMC registration for nurse deputies
- their experience of supervision, audits and safeguarding
Hours deputy managers usually work
Deputies usually work weekday days, and many also work some shifts on the floor, including earlies and lates, so they know the team and the people they support.
- Day to
- Early to or
- Late to
How deputy manager pay is set
Most deputy posts are salaried, set by the service. Temporary deputies are paid by the hour at a rate agreed before the booking starts.
The National Living Wage, £12.71 an hour from 1 April 2026 for workers aged 21 and over according to GOV.UK, is the legal floor for every worker.
Services that employ deputy managers
Larger services and those that run around the clock usually have a deputy.
- Care homes Residential homes where people live with care and support around the clock.
- Nursing homes Care homes that provide nursing care, with registered nurses on the rota day and night.
- Home care Visits to people in their own homes to help with personal care, meals and medicines.
- Supported living People with their own tenancies and a support team who help them live the way they choose.
- Children’s homes Residential homes for children and young people who cannot live with their families.
Questions about deputy manager roles
Can a deputy be supplied on a temporary basis?
Yes, when a service needs cover for a deputy’s absence or while it recruits. We agree the scope of the role with you in writing first.
I’m a senior carer. Could I work as a deputy?
If you have led shifts, supervised staff and helped with audits, you may be. Talk to us about your experience and we will be honest about the posts that would suit you.
Deputy manager posts
Call the office to talk about a deputy post, or send your details or your vacancy in writing.