Operational Manager

Job Details:

Job Reference: HCC624521

Salary Range: £48,948 - £54,423 per annum

Work Location: Public Service Plaza, Havant (Hybrid Working)

Hours per week: 37

Contract Type: Permanent

Closing Date: 29 July 2026 

The Role:

Joining our countywide Reablement Service as an Operational Manager Clinical Lead, you’ll use your expertise and leadership skills to line manage Occupational Therapists and Sensory Workers in the South Hants Hub, while overseeing clinical management for the service. Our service is undergoing an exciting transformation, and this is a unique opportunity for you to help shape and drive positive change.

We want you to feel supported, challenged and rewarded. You’ll work closely with Operational Managers across the service to share learnings, provide guidance and promote effective multi-disciplinary working to deliver an outstanding reablement service for Hampshire residents.

What you’ll do:

• Clinical oversight & supervision: Ensure clinical and peer supervisions are delivered appropriately, with strong links to Advanced Practitioners and countywide clinical leads.
• Service management & allocation: Manage allocation of Occupational Therapy and Sensory cases, monitor length of stay and allocation rates, and maintain performance against KPIs.
• Demand & resource planning: Identify trends in waitlists, collaborate with triage and quality leads to optimise Occupational Therapy and sensory resource use, and proactively manage service demand.
• Stakeholder engagement: Build and maintain relationships with District & Borough Councils, healthcare professionals, consultants, and Lead Occupational Therapists to ensure integrated service delivery.
• Professional development: Oversee Continuing Professional Development (CPD) processes, prioritising appropriate activity and ensuring due process for CPD requests.
• Governance & standards: Oversee professional memberships (HCPC, RCOT, RWPN or equivalent) and ensure consistency and equity in service provision across the county, including risk and priority care management.

What we’re looking for:

• Qualified: Hold an Occupational Therapy or Rehabilitation Officer of Visual Impairment (ROVI) qualification, and registration with the relevant professional body.
• Proven leadership: Experienced in leading or managing others, role modelling best practices, fostering a positive reputation and developing and embedding a growth culture. 
• Relevant experience: Proven track record of working as an Occupational Therapist or Sensory Worker, with a sound knowledge of the resources available to people with reablement needs and how to access them. 
• Strong team player: Establish and promote joint working with peers, healthcare professionals and local networks.
• Effective decision-maker: Able to use your negotiation and influencing skills to make difficult decisions.
• Flexible and agile: Able to work the on-call rota as we deliver reablement support every day of the year.

Take a look at our Candidate Pack for more information about the Operational Manager Clinical Lead role, team and our values.  The section ‘About you’ explains what specific knowledge, skills and experience we want you to tell us about. Make sure you explain how you meet these requirements and demonstrate our values, in your application.

Why join us?

• Make a Difference: Work in collaboration with organisations across Health and Social care to maximise independence, prevent hospital admissions, and facilitate rapid discharge from hospital to improve outcomes for the people of Hampshire. For further information please visit our Reablement website.     
• Supportive environment: Work in a friendly and collaborative team who feel proud of the work they do to support people in our community. 
• Professional growth: We invest in your future. With ongoing development opportunities, you’ll have the chance to enhance your skills and advance your career in social care.
• Employee Support: Access to Health Assured's comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme to support your physical and mental wellbeing, including 24/7 telephone support, a suite of online resources, and legal and financial advice. 
• Competitive Benefits Package: Including generous annual leave entitlement, occupational sick pay, and access to the Local Government Pension Scheme. Find more information here.

Our Service runs 7 days a week, 365 days of the year. You’ll be required to participate in both the out of hours on-call rota (working once every 20th week), and the weekend/bank holiday rota (working a rotational 1:10 basis), for which enhancements are paid in line with the HCC salary policy. 

Please note: We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role and therefore it is essential that you already have the right to work in the UK before applying. 
 
Other roles you may have experience of may include: Reablement Manager, Reablement Lead, Team Manager, Deputy Manager, Assistant Team Manager, Occupational Therapist, Sensory Worker, Sensory Services Officer, Sensory Services Lead.

Travel Requirements:

You may be required to visit other locations within Hampshire and therefore need to have the ability to travel, as necessary.

Values Based Recruitment:

We recruit for attitudes and values in Adults’ Health and Care. We invite you to evidence how you demonstrate our 5 core values in your application. For more information on our values, please refer to the candidate pack.

Additional Information:

Operational Manager (Clinical Lead) Candidate Pack 

Vetting Requirements:

This post is subject to a Criminal Records Check.

Contact Details for an Informal Discussion:

For general enquiries, please contact care.careers@hants.gov.uk 
For an informal chat about the role, please contact Sara Plested, Service Manager on sara.plested@hants.gov.uk

Hampshire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment.
 

In order to combat discrimination, no unnecessary conditions or requirements will be applied which could have a disproportionately adverse effect on any one group. All sections of the population will have equal access to jobs. No applicant or employee will receive less favourable treatment because of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership and pregnancy or maternity, unless a Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR) applies.
 

We are a Disability Confident Employer - committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection process is inclusive and accessible.