Deputy Care Manager

Deputy Manager — Sunderland

Based at Admiral Way, Sunderland

Salary up to £35,000 plus performance bonus

This is a real step up — with genuine support to make it work.

We're looking for an experienced domiciliary care leader ready to move into management. As Deputy Manager, you'll own real responsibility for our Sunderland and Newcastle service — leading the team, managing commissioned packages, building commissioner relationships, and driving performance. You won't be doing this alone: you'll have direct mentoring from our Care Manager and senior leadership team, proper systems behind you, and the space to develop, if that's your goal.

This isn't a stepping-stone role that gets ignored. You'll be integral to how the service runs.

Routes Healthcare has been delivering high-quality homecare for over 15 years. We know what good management looks like, and we've built the infrastructure to actually support our managers — centralised teams, recruitment handled, training in place. Your job is to lead the service and grow your team, not to plug gaps and fight for resources.

What you'll have behind you

• Direct mentoring from our Care Manager and senior leadership team
• Centralised HR, payroll, quality and marketing teams
• An in-house recruitment function with zero agency use
• Ongoing training and development through Routes Academy
• Regular access to senior leadership
• Digital care plans and dedicated IT support

What the role involves

You'll manage commissioned care packages and maintain commissioner relationships. You'll lead day-to-day operations alongside the Care Manager, own accountability for team development and performance, manage budgets against contract terms, cover the Care Manager when absent, and maintain CQC compliance. You'll work with commissioners, service users and families as the visible leadership of the service.

What we need from you

• Extensive experience in domiciliary or community homecare — either in a similar management/lead role, or senior care work ready for this step
• Proven experience managing commissioned care packages and working with commissioner relationships
• Good working knowledge of CQC regulations and standards
• Experience managing or supporting care packages across a geographic area
• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle
• Calm under pressure, solutions-focused, and genuinely invested in the people you support

What you'll get

• Salary up to £35,000 depending on experience, plus performance bonus
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays plus your birthday off
• Buy and sell holiday scheme
• Pension scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme

If you've got extensive homecare experience and you're ready to step into real management with the backing to actually succeed, we'd like to hear from you.

Apply now.

Routes Healthcare — part of your journey