Regional Director (Social Care)

About the Role

The Orchard Care Group is a wholly owned Irish company that provides services to children and young adults in the care and disability sectors. Operating nationwide the group comprises of Orchard Community Care, Orchard Fostering and Orchard Residential Care.
Orchard Community Care operates across Ireland providing residential, respite, outreach and day services to both children and adults with medium to profound disability including those with life limiting conditions. We have both children’s and adult’s residential homes in the community and also offer both children’s and adults respite. 
Due to an internal promotion, this key senior management role, based in the North West of Ireland, is an amazing opportunity for the successful candidate to help  build brighter futures for the people we support and our teams.
Our multidisciplinary team includes social care workers, nurses and healthcare assistants who are supported by a range of other professionals including psychologists, behavioural therapists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists.

Our Vision at Orchard Care Group is that the people we support live meaningful lives through, our high-quality model of excellent care, within our positive, collaborative, values-based culture.  Our Values are 

• Advocacy
• Integrity
• Excellence
• Collaboration 
• & Human Rights.

In this role you will: 

• Explicitly focus on continuous quality improvement initiatives, setting specific quality benchmarks, implementing best practices, and regularly reviewing service outcomes to enhance satisfaction of the people we support, whilst ensuring that all services provide the highest-quality care and best outcomes for the people we support. 
• Build and maintain relationships with a broad range of stakeholders, going beyond traditional CHO areas. You will foster a network of support and collaboration, including forming strong working relationships with HSE Disability Managers, Case Managers, and Social Workers within relevant CHO areas. 
• Develop and implement strategies for creating high-performing teams tailored to the unique challenges of expansion. This includes targeted training, mentoring, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement to recruit and manage the team, providing person centred services in these settings. 
• Optimise operational efficiencies and ensure compliance with regulatory standards. By fostering strategic partnerships and leveraging resources effectively, you will drive sustainable growth and profitability. You will also ensure a rights-based approach in service delivery placing the supported individual at the centre of all decision making. Aligned with the vision mission and values of Orchard Care group and contributing to building brighter futures for the people we support. 
• Drive innovation in care solutions and actively explore opportunities to develop new services, emphasising creative approaches to service development and adaptation, aligning with the Group's innovative aspirations to meet unique needs. 
• As agreed with the Group CEO and Senior Management Team, lead the strategic expansion plan. This includes overseeing the setup and ongoing management of services and developing and implementing a specific vision for expansion. Focus on detailed planning, goal setting, and measuring success against strategic milestones to guide the initiative. 
• Meet financial targets related to the opening of new houses and effectively managing house cost centres, ensuring the financial aspects of service expansion are strategically planned and executed, aligning with the organisation's objectives for growth and sustainability.  This includes budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning to support the strategic expansion plan and operational setup of new services. 
• Emphasise operational efficiency and resource optimisation, adopting person centred management practices, technology integration, and process improvements to ensure all services comply with and exceed relevant regulations and standards. 
• Highlight the importance of adaptability to regional needs and challenges as you lead expansion in new areas. Act as the primary point of contact for referrals to the service, ensuring that appropriate assessments are completed for those accessing services.

The Ideal Candidate will:

• Have a social care, healthcare or equivalent primary degree to honours level that meets the criteria to be registered as a Social Care Worker with CORU
• Have a minimum of four years’ experience, at least senior management level
• Will ideally have an additional management or business qualification
• The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in the disability sector, including residential care, which may be in the public, voluntary, or private sector. 
• They will possess management experience, ideally at a regional level, and will have a proven track record of managing teams of staff. 
• Experience in service set-up and communication with HSE Community Healthcare Organisation (CHO) personnel is highly desirable. 
• Will be proactive and independent and have strong follow up skills
• Will be competent in combining the challenges of day-to-day service provision with developing and implementing a strategic direction for the service
• The candidate will be highly motivated by quality of service and committed to the expansion plan. 
• Will have experience of working with HIQA and evidence of building positive working relationships and stakeholders
• Will hold a full driving licence with full eligibility to drive in Ireland, and have access to a car
• Have full eligibility and availability to work with us without restriction

Core Competencies 
The following technical and behavioural competencies are essential to the role. 
Human-Rights Focussed .Technical Competencies • Quality Management & Compliance • Strategic Financial Management Behavioural Competencies • Leading & Deciding • Organising & Executing • Analysing & Interpreting • Adapting & Coping • Collaboration & Person-centre

For informal enquires please contact Yvonne Brannigan, Group Director of Human Resources at Yvonne.brannigan@orchardcare.ieIND

Benefits to working with Company

• Competitive compensation package
• Company Pension
• Income Protection
• Hybrid working
• Generous annual leave
• Orchard Values Champion Awards
• Orchard Learning Academy
• Enhanced Maternity Allowance
• Excellent staffing ratio’s
• EAP Scheme
• Dedicated team and access to a knowledgeable Multidisciplinary team