How to identify future registered managers

In adult social care, the unexpected resignation of a registered manager without a planned successor can disrupt care quality and stability. It’s crucial for care providers to develop a steady stream of future leaders within their teams. By spotting potential leaders early and providing them with the right training opportunities, organisations can prepare them to take on important roles like deputy or registered managers.

Succession planning is vital for maintaining excellent care. It strengthens your team by supporting current managers and preparing for future needs. Every care service needs to invest in training future managers to ensure they continue to deliver consistent, high-quality care. This approach not only helps in smooth transitions but also secures the service’s future.

In this blog, we’ll explore how you can spot potential future registered managers, and how to develop them in your team to ensure you have a clear pipeline of planned leadership.

What is a Registered Manager?

A Registered Manager is responsible for the quality and level of care in your care setting and the safety and well-being of your employees and service users. Registered managers can work in a variety of settings within the social care sector, including:

• Care homes
• Supported living facilities
• Community-based settings or local authorities

The specific duties of a registered manager can vary depending on their workplace and the level at which they operate but generally include:

• Overseeing the overall operation of a care service
• Managing staff to ensure they can perform their duties safely and effectively
• Handling budgets and contracts to keep the service financially sound
• Making strategic decisions to foster the growth and improvement of the care service
• Leading special projects or clinical areas, such as launching a new care service

How to identify potential Registered Managers

Finding future Registered Managers in your staff is one of the most important things you can do to build a strong leadership pipeline in social care settings. It’s possible that many people on your team could become good qualified managers, care managers, and deputies if they were given the right training and support. It’s important to remember that not everyone starts their job wanting to be a manager. Giving people a lot of chances to try out different parts of care management can be a great way to get them ready for leadership roles.

Developing leaders by putting leadership skills into every level of your organisation is a strategic way to do it. Assigning more tasks to your employees will not only give them more capabilities but will also make their jobs more satisfying and prepare them for possible management positions. Employees can show that they are ready for more advanced jobs by taking on more responsibility over time.

Check to see if anyone on your team has a mix of personal traits and professional skills that could help them become a registered manager. People who are good candidates usually have a strong desire to give real, person-centred support. They are great at making care plans that are tailored to the wants and needs of the people they help, and they know how to handle tough situations with grit and flexibility. Also, these team members usually know a lot about legal standards, like those set by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and they may have dealt with inspections before.

Employees who want to be leaders in social care should also be good at business. One part of this is knowing how to handle money when handling care, like sticking to a budget and making good use of resources. Additionally, they should be good at managing staff and be able to keep team spirit high and encourage staff to keep getting better. Strong IT skills, the ability to communicate clearly, and a dedication to ongoing professional growth are also very important.

People who are interested in becoming managers should show that they involve service users in decision-making, along with their families and other important people, in planning and improving services. They should be able to handle issues and problems well and use these as chances to improve service quality.

Follow our checklist below on what to look for in future registered manager potential:

• A genuine drive to offer helpful, well-thought-out support and the ability to succeed well in a person-centred setting
• Knowledge of how to do person-centred reviews, which put the needs and wants of each person in the middle of planning and making decisions
• Someone on the staff who is self-motivated, strong, organised, and reliable
• They can work well under pressure and can adapt to the needs of the people they help
• Know the rules and standards set by the CQC and have been a part of an inspection by the CQC
• Business growth skills, such as knowing how to make money and how much it costs to run a business by sticking to a budget
• Ability to make staff schedules work with individuals’ preferences, making sure they are used well and their skills and knowledge are utilised to the fullest
• Ensures that standards for safe practice and policies and methods for protecting people are followed
• Proven skills in handling complaints and incidents well, including looking into the quality of the service and using what they find to make things better
• Dedicated to include the people they provide support for, along with their families, friends, supporters, and outside stakeholders, in how the service grows and changes in the future
• Ability to communicate with professional groups, with experience in all parts of assessments, audits, and medicine management
• Being able to make, track, review, and change care plans
• Friendly and easy to work with, but they can also be assertive while remaining professional
• Able to keep complete and correct records and reporting methods that follow legal requirements
• Strong IT skills, including knowing how to use specialised tools and systems for care management
• Experience in managing care and support staff, with knowledge of how to build and keep a highly driven team
• To stay up to date on laws, best practices, and changes in health and social care, committed to ongoing professional growth
• A good speaker both in writing and in person
• Knowledge of how to recruit, guide, supervise, coach, and train staff
• Understanding of risk assessments and their role

How to develop future Registered Managers

When individuals in your team show ambition, drive, and potential, it’s essential to support their growth with targeted learning programs, induction standards, and specific qualifications. Establishing formal development programs for those aiming to become new managers or deputies can significantly boost their confidence and skill sets.

Implementing a development program can provide your aspiring leaders with a thorough understanding of what it means to be a manager. They will learn about the responsibilities associated with management roles, the extensive influence they will have, and the scope of their duties. A well-structured leadership program should offer clear learning outcomes, encourage interaction among learners, support reflective practices, and enhance skills and confidence alongside knowledge. Additionally, a completion certificate can validate the learning experience.

Signs of an effective development program often include noticeable increases in confidence, more independent decision-making, and a greater willingness to delegate tasks as individuals’ capabilities grow.

For those preparing to step into registered managerial roles, we highly recommend the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Adult Care. This advanced qualification is perfect for deputies and aspiring managers who aim to become registered managers. It provides a comprehensive understanding of leadership and management practices crucial in an adult social care setting. Building upon the foundations laid by the Level 4 Certificate, the Level 5 Diploma includes additional assessments of workplace competencies, ensuring that learners not only acquire knowledge but can also demonstrate their abilities effectively.

The diploma covers a broad range of topics including leadership and management, governance, communication, person-centred practice, professional development, and more. It’s designed to solidify the learner’s previous experiences and standardise their knowledge and competencies. With a variety of assessment methods such as direct observations and witness testimonies, this competency-based qualification confirms practical skills in real-world scenarios.

To complete the Level 5 Diploma, participants need to be actively involved in care management duties, although employers can provide flexibility through task delegation, secondments, and other development opportunities to help cover the full scope of the qualification. This diploma applies to a wide range of settings, from residential and domiciliary care to day services and community-based services, offering a versatile tool for career advancement in social care.