Career Profile: What Does a Care Home Manager Do?
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Every care provider needs to have a registered manager. Find out what this leadership role involves in our guide to what a care home manager does.
What are the duties of a care home manager?
A care home manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of a care home. It’s a varied role, with a wide range of duties involved.
Typically, the duties of a care home manager include coordinating care, managing staff and recruiting new staff. This can include the provision of staff training and development. Administrative tasks, such as budget management and paperwork, are also a significant part of the job.
As a care manager, you will be responsible for ensuring that standards are met (e.g. CQC standards in England) and that high-quality care is being provided. You will often be liaising with residents’ families and problem-solving if any issues arise.
For successful running of the care home, you will need to make strategic decisions and may need to come up with new ideas, e.g. to optimise the care being provided, to improve occupancy rates and to boost your home’s reputation. You will need to build and maintain relationships with organisations such as local hospitals and GP services.
What skills do you need to be a care manager?
To be a good care home manager, you need to have:
- Strong leadership skills, with the ability to motivate people
- Interpersonal skills for effective communication with staff, residents, families and more
- Problem-solving skills
- Writing skills, relevant to writing reports and more
- Numeracy skills for budget management
- Planning and organisational skills
Personal qualities such as compassion, empathy and patience are also essential for care managers.
What qualifications do you need to be a care manager?
To become a care manager, you ideally need to have experience working in social care, or in a related field such as nursing. Many people progress from deputy manager or a team leader position to being manager.
The most important qualification for a CQC registered manager to have is the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management in Adult Care. This is equivalent to a one-year degree course. If you don’t already have this qualification when you start working as a care home manager, you will typically be expected to complete this while working.
Do you need to be a nurse to manage a care home?
You don’t need to be a nurse to manage a residential care home. Many care managers have backgrounds in nursing, but this isn’t a specific requirement for the job.
Is being a care home manager stressful?
Working as a care home manager can be stressful. It’s a demanding job, involving a lot of responsibility and often requiring you to juggle multiple different tasks at once. However, despite the challenges, being a care manager can also be incredibly rewarding.