Registered managers in adult social care

September 13, 2018

New research from Skills for Care reveals more about registered managers in adult social care.

Skills for Care’s research was conducted by Research Partners UK Ltd and collected data through an online survey of 860 registered managers. The research aimed to form an idea of who registered managers are and what they do on a day-to-day basis.

The report reveals new insights into the role, highlighting that the job is both rewarding and challenging. According to the research, it is an evolving role which requires greater recognition within the sector and robust, ongoing support.

The research shows that most registered managers are committed, running a number of services and feel that the job offers great personal rewards, with many managers talking about their role as a ‘passion’ not just a job.

The study also found that:

  • Almost 80% of managers felt that their role had changed since they first started. 73% of these managers said their role was more varied, while 83% also acknowledged it was more pressured.
  • 70% of registered managers in adult social care were offered their first registered manager post by an existing employer; most had not planned to become a manager before the opportunity had arrived.
  • Managers were typically splitting their time between day-to-day operations, working with families and relatives, working with external partners, leadership, and business strategy.
  • Over a third of respondents perform tasks not in their job description.
  • Just 20% of registered managers in adult social care felt that the role had become better recognised over time.

In addition to this research, Skills for Care says that, as of June 2018, 92% of providers rated ‘good’ and 100% of services rated ‘outstanding’ overall were also rated as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ for ‘Well-led’. It suggests that ensuring the 20,000 registered managers in England are supported is therefore key to providing quality care.

Oliver French, Project Manager at Skills for Care commented, 'Our latest research gives us a better understanding of the registered manager role, how it‘s evolving and what support and recognition is needed to recruit and retain this group of managers.

'We already know that the turnover and vacancy rates for registered managers are 23% and 11% respectively, and we expect as many as 10,000 registered managers to retire in the next 15 years. This needs to be addressed by the sector.'

Skills for Care’s research identifies that a clear pathway is needed for the registered manager role. Career planning is an important part of supporting managers and leaders for the long-term future of adult social care.

Oliver concludes, 'We’re working hard to ensure that registered managers receive the praise and professional recognition they deserve through a number of initiatives. These include our professional membership body, networks where managers can connect at a local level and our succession planning pilot programmes that are testing models of support for aspiring and new managers.'


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