COMPANY OVERVIEW

Iris Care Group is the largest independent health and social care provider in the South West of England and South Wales. Formed in May 2023 from the merger of Holmleigh Care and Ludlow Street Healthcare, we bring over twenty years of specialized experience in supporting individuals with a variety of needs, including learning disabilities and complex mental health conditions.

ABOUT BEECHWOOD COLLEGE

Beechwood College is a specialist independent college and part of Iris Care Group, delivering bespoke educational and residential services for young adults aged 18–25 with Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or learning disabilities. Our stunning coastal campus in the Vale of Glamorgan offers a rich and inclusive environment, focused on enabling each learner to achieve meaningful, long-term outcomes.
We are currently seeking a forward-thinking and experienced Operations Manager to join our senior leadership team. This is a pivotal role requiring strategic oversight, safeguarding leadership, and high-level operational delivery across the college.

ABOUT THE ROLE

As Operations Manager, you will lead on the development and delivery of robust operational systems that ensure Beechwood College continues to meet high standards of safety, care, and efficiency. You will oversee a wide portfolio, including HR processes, facilities, administration, staffing, compliance, and employee engagement.
A key component of this role is strategic auditing—you will be expected to design, implement, and monitor audit systems across departments to ensure operational integrity, staff compliance (e.g. training and supervision), and service quality. You will use data-driven approaches to evaluate performance and drive continual improvement.
You will also hold a joint responsibility as Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) for the college, ensuring our safeguarding culture is proactive, consistent, and compliant with all statutory guidance. You’ll manage concerns, lead investigations, liaise with external safeguarding bodies, and ensure frontline staff are confident in safeguarding processes and responsibilities.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead and manage HR-related processes (recruitment, absence management, investigations, appraisals).
• Oversee college-wide administration, reception, housekeeping, and catering operations.
• Develop and implement strategic audit tools to evaluate compliance, supervision cycles, staffing use, training uptake, and interdepartmental communication.
• Ensure full oversight of mandatory and developmental staff training in partnership with the Training Manager.
• Maintain and monitor budget lines for staffing and operations, ensuring effective agency usage and value for money.
• Champion effective employee engagement, communication, and team culture across all departments.
• Maintain a safe and high-quality environment, working closely with the estates and health and safety teams.
• Act as one of the Designated Safeguarding Leads, responding promptly to concerns, managing referrals, recording safeguarding activity, attending strategy meetings, and championing safeguarding awareness throughout the college.