Job Description

Service Manager – Enhanced Care Pathways

Location: County Durham (multi-site working across the county)

Salary: £35,520 - £51,060 per annum

Hours: 37 hours per week, Monday to Friday between 9:00am and 5:00pm. Flexibility is required to meet the needs of the service

Contract: Fixed Term – 10 Months (Maternity Cover)

Please note: The salary listed reflects the full earning potential for this role. Starting salaries depend on experience and progression within the band.

About Waythrough

Waythrough was formed in 2024 following the merger of Humankind and Richmond Fellowship. Together, we’ve created one of the largest mental health and social support charities in England.

Every year, we support around 125,000 people through nearly 200 services – and it’s all made possible by our 3,500 brilliant staff and volunteers.

Make a real difference in your community

Are you passionate about helping others live safer, healthier, more independent lives? Join our team at Waythrough and support people facing challenges around mental health, substance use, housing or domestic abuse. This is more than just a job – it’s a chance to build meaningful relationships and create lasting change.

About the role

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced leader to join County Durham Drug and Alcohol Recovery Service (CDDARS) as our Service Manager – Enhanced Care Pathways.

In this rewarding role, you'll lead a dedicated team delivering high-quality services that support people affected by drug and alcohol use and related areas. Working closely with senior leaders, commissioners and partner organisations, you'll oversee service delivery, drive continuous improvement and ensure positive outcomes for the people we support.

You'll play a key role in managing service performance, maintaining high-quality standards and developing strong partnerships across the region, helping to ensure services remain responsive to local need while supporting your team to deliver person-centred care.

This role involves regular travel across County Durham to support multiple service locations, attend partnership meetings and work closely with stakeholders. Flexibility to travel is therefore an important part of the role.

If you're passionate about leading services that make a genuine difference and thrive in a collaborative, fast-paced environment, we'd love to hear from you.

What you'll be doing

As Service Manager, you will:

* Lead, motivate and develop a multidisciplinary team, creating a positive culture that supports high performance and continuous learning.

* Ensure the delivery of safe, effective and high-quality services that achieve positive outcomes for the people we support.

* Monitor service performance, contractual requirements and quality standards, using data and insight to drive continuous improvement.

* Build and maintain strong relationships with commissioners, partner organisations and key stakeholders.

* Oversee budgets and resources to ensure services are delivered efficiently and effectively.

* Promote innovation and best practice while ensuring compliance with safeguarding, governance and organisational policies.

* Represent Waythrough at partnership meetings and contribute to the ongoing development of services across the region.

About you

We're looking for an experienced and inspiring leader who is passionate about delivering outstanding services and supporting both people and teams to thrive.

You'll have:

* Leadership or management experience within substance misuse services.

* Experience managing and developing teams to deliver high-quality, person-centred services.

* A strong understanding of the needs of people affected by drug and alcohol use and related areas.

* Experience monitoring performance, managing quality standards and driving service improvement.

* Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of internal and external partners.

* The ability to manage competing priorities and perform confidently within a fast-paced environment.

A recognised management qualification (or equivalent experience) is essential, and a Level 3 qualification in Substance Misuse is desirable.

As regular travel across County Durham forms part of this role, a full UK driving licence and access to your own vehicle is desirable.

To view the full job description and person specification, CLICK HERE.

What We Offer

We value the people who make a difference every day. Alongside meaningful work, you’ll enjoy a comprehensive benefits package:

*

27 days’ annual leave, rising to 32 after 1 year (plus bank holidays)

*

Pension scheme with 4.5% employer contribution, matched up to 6.5%

*

Life assurance (3× annual salary)

*

Enhanced sick pay and family-friendly pay

*

Birthday leave and the option to buy up to 5 extra days’ annual leave

*

Professional fee reimbursement for relevant qualifications

*

24/7 online GP access and Employee Assistance Programme

*

Recognition and long service awards via our Way to Go and Aspirations portals

*

£500 Recommend a Friend bonus

*

Cycle to Work scheme and Credit Union membership

*

Discounts via Blue Light Card, Charity Discounts, Extras and Tickets for Good

*

Free will writing service and wellbeing initiatives throughout the year

Inclusion and accessibility

Waythrough is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and communities, especially those with lived experience of the issues we support.

We have signed up to the Disability Confident Scheme - all applicants are welcome, and adjustments can be made to enable fair participation.

If you need adjustments or support to apply, please contact our recruitment team