With 10,000 registered managers due to retire in the next 15 years, succession planning is key to ensuring that your service continues to provide well-led, consistent quality care, both today and in the future.
The Developing new managers and deputies guide provides practical steps to identify, develop, and retain future leaders in adult social care.
Comprehensively updated from our earlier 2019 edition, the new guide looks at what a range of different adult social care services are successfully doing to develop future managers to benefit their service and the wider sector.
With the Care Quality Commission looking at how regulated providers succession plan as part of Well-led assessments, knowing what good looks like and how to evidence is important.
Recruiting future managers internally means you’ve already got somebody aligned with the vision and values of your organisation. They know your client base, their families, and are familiar with the wider team.
Alison Carter, Managing Director,
No Place Like Home
Why is succession planning important?
- Retain talent and reduce external recruitment costs.
- Ensure leadership stability and continuity of high-quality care.
- Align with CQC expectations for well-led services.
- Support career progression, motivation, and professional development.
What does the guide cover?
The guide includes practical tools such as checklists, interview templates, and scenario-based assessments to help adult social care providers develop effective succession planning strategies.
The content is shaped around the Care Workforce Pathway for deputy managers and registered managers, informed by what adult social care employers highlighted are the essential values, behaviours, skills and experience needed by these rewarding but highly demanding roles.
Key topics include:
- Shaping your succession plan: benefits, risks, and creating a structured approach.
- Identifying emerging talent: practical ways to spot and support potential leaders
- Planning development opportunities: aligning skills, values, and behaviours with leadership needs
- Developing leadership experience: champion roles, mentoring, networking, and training pathways
- Recruiting new managers: interview questions, assessments, and values-based selection
Who is this guide for?
This resource is for care providers, registered managers, deputy managers, and senior care staff looking to build a sustainable leadership pipeline. It’s suitable for all types and sizes of care services.
Developing new managers and deputies guide - A guide to effective succession planning
The guide is available to download and is complemented by the following overviews, template and checklist.
Please note a print edition of this guide will be sent to Skills for Care registered manager members who renew between April 2025 and March 2026, whilst non-members can purchase via our Bookshop from May 2025.
This is a very useful tool for planning your process but also to benchmark and learn from different processes.
Deputy Manager
Homecare Agency
I love all the comments from registered managers on what helped them and the hints of what to get involved in, if someone is looking to become a manager.
Registered Manager
Respite Care Service