Service Manager

Posted Wednesday, 2 September 2026 at 00:00 | Expires Friday, 11 September 2026 at 23:59 Location: Home-based Contract: Permanent Hours: Part-time 24.5 hours Salary: £21,616 per annum About Rethink Mental Illness We are on a mission to ensure that everyone severely affected by mental illness has a good quality of life. Every day, we work alongside people, families and communities to provide expert support, challenge stigma and create lasting change. At Rethink Mental Illness, our values are at the heart of everything we do. We are passionate, committed, open, hopeful, expert, understanding and equitable. About the Service Release the Pressure is a 24/7 mental health helpline and webchat service supporting people aged 16+ across Kent and Medway. The service provides confidential emotional support, practical guidance, crisis de-escalation, signposting and access to wider community resources for people experiencing mental distress, as well as their carers, families and professionals. Operating around the clock, 365 days a year, the service handles thousands of contacts annually and plays a vital role in helping people access support at the moment they need it most. About the Role This is an exciting opportunity to lead a dedicated team delivering a life-changing service to people experiencing mental distress. As Service Manager, you will provide leadership, direction and support to Helpline Workers, bank staff and volunteers, ensuring the delivery of a safe, high-quality and person-centred service. You will champion continuous improvement, drive operational excellence and create a culture that empowers your team to deliver outstanding support and outcomes. You will work closely with commissioners, partner organisations and stakeholders across Kent and Medway, helping to strengthen local mental health pathways and promote the impact of the service. This role combines operational management, people leadership and service development. While much of your work will take place during office hours, some evening and weekend working will be required to support quality monitoring, service oversight and staff development. What You'll Be Doing Leading and inspiring a dispersed team of staff and volunteers. Driving quality, performance and continuous improvement across a busy 24/7 service. Ensuring safeguarding, compliance and governance requirements are met. Supporting and developing colleagues through supervision, coaching and performance management. Managing resources effectively, including staffing, rotas and budgets. Building strong relationships with commissioners, community partners and statutory services. Monitoring service outcomes and using data to improve performance and demonstrate impact. Promoting co-production and ensuring the voices of people with lived experience influence service development. Identifying opportunities for innovation and service enhancement. About You We are looking for a passionate and experienced leader who understands the importance of accessible, responsive mental health support. You will bring: Experience managing services within health, mental health or social care. Experience leading, motivating and developing staff teams and volunteers. Strong knowledge of mental health, recovery-focused practice and safeguarding. Experience managing performance, quality and compliance. Excellent communication and relationship-building skills. The ability to manage competing priorities within a complex operational environment. Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Office. A relevant qualification or significant experience within mental health, social care, counselling, advocacy, occupational therapy or a related field. It Would Be Great If You Also Have Experience managing 24/7 services. Helpline or crisis support experience. Trauma-informed practice knowledge or training. Suicide intervention training such as ASIST or Suicide First Aid. Experience supporting young people. Personal lived experience of mental illness. What We Offer By joining Rethink Mental Illness, you'll become part of an organisation that genuinely values its people and the difference they make every day. You'll have the opportunity to shape a vital service, support the development of an exceptional team and make a meaningful difference to the lives of people experiencing mental distress. Be Part of Something Meaningful If you're an experienced leader with a passion for mental health and a commitment to delivering high-quality services, we'd love to hear from you. Apply today and help us ensure that no one faces mental illness alone. Who are we? Rethink Mental Illness is a leading charity supporting people severely affected by mental illness. We work to improve lives through services, information, advocacy and campaigning, helping people access the support, understanding and opportunities they deserve. IND1 Why join Rethink Mental Illness? We believe people do their best work when they feel supported, valued and able to be themselves. You'll benefit from: An inclusive culture , with colleague-led staff networks for Disability & Neurodiversity, Race & Ethnicity, LGBTQIA+, Gender Equality and Menopause. Flexible working and 25 days' annual leave (plus bank holidays and your birthday off), with the option to buy or sell leave. Wellbeing support including our Wellbeing Hub, Employee Assistance Programme, Wellbeing Champions and Unmind. Learning and development opportunities to help you grow your career. Financial and family benefits including a contributory pension, enhanced family leave and travel schemes. Recognition and rewards including discounts, cashback offers and a Blue Light Card. Referral bonus where you can earn up to £300 for introducing someone to our team. Our commitment to inclusion We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer and a signatory to the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter. We're also committed to becoming a truly anti-racist employer, campaigning organisation and service provider supported by a multi-year equity, diversity and inclusion programme of work. For more information please view https://www.rethink.org/media/hdtjjy5b/revised-edi-plan-rethink.pdf We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences and want everyone to have the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and experience. If you need reasonable adjustments during recruitment or when in your role, please let us know and we will work with you to understand what support you need.