If you work in elderly care as a home manager, a deputy, a regional leader, or in any operational role, you will have noticed the market feels unusually active at the moment. There is more movement than a typical Q2, more conversations happening, and quite a few things shifting that are worth understanding if you are thinking about your career, your next role, or simply where things are heading.
We have been speaking with a lot of people across the sector this quarter, and wanted to share our honest read of what is going on in the market.
Welltower is driving more movement than the usual bonus season
Most years, Q2 sees a natural uptick in candidate activity as people collect year-end bonuses and start thinking about their next move. This year is different. Welltower’s significant investment and ongoing restructuring across the sector is generating a level of movement that goes well beyond that seasonal pattern.
Some people are actively pursuing opportunities with Welltower-backed operators, drawn by the scale of investment and the new roles emerging. Others are moving in the opposite direction by seeking stability and distance from the uncertainty that consolidation inevitably brings. Redundancies have happened, primarily at senior management level, and that is understandably creating nervousness more broadly.
The practical upside of all this movement is that there are more opportunities on the market right now than at most points in recent memory. If you have been considering a change, the timing is not bad, ut going in with a clear view of what you want, rather than simply reacting to availability, will produce a better outcome.
Our advice to candidates who are in stable positions right now is to think carefully before making a move. The market will settle once Welltower’s integration work is complete, and the roles that will emerge on the other side such as Head of AI appointments, estates leadership, sales and marketing directors, and business development directors, will be genuinely exciting. But timing matters, and jumping too early into uncertainty is a risk worth considering.
Internal promotion is creating opportunities at every level
One of the clearest patterns we are seeing this quarter is that many home manager vacancies are being created not by people leaving, but by people being promoted. Businesses are building more structured development pathways, which means deputies are stepping into home manager roles, and experienced managers are being offered regional or quality positions to keep them within the organisation.
This is largely good news if you are a deputy or a senior carer with ambitions to progress. The routes upward are more visible than they have been, and providers are increasingly motivated to develop and retain their own people rather than always looking externally.
That said, it does create a practical challenge: when someone is promoted, the vacancy they leave behind needs filling, and that often happens quickly. If you are in a role where your manager is being moved up, it is worth having a direct conversation about your own development and whether there is a clear path for you before the organisation looks externally to fill the gap.
Salary benchmarking is also becoming a bigger part of internal promotion conversations. If you are stepping into a new role within your current organisation, it is entirely reasonable to understand what the market pays for that position. We are regularly asked by candidates to help them sense-check whether what they have been offered reflects the going rate. Do not be afraid to ask the question.
The home manager role is getting harder and the best employers know it
If you are a home manager, you probably do not need us to tell you that the role is demanding. CQC compliance, occupancy targets, staffing pressures, safeguarding, budget management – the list of responsibilities is long and growing. The homes being managed are getting larger as smaller settings become harder to run viably, which adds further complexity.
One of the most consistent things we hear from home managers is that they were not trained for the commercial side of the role. Many came through nursing or care pathways, and the expectation that they can also manage a P&L, understand cost structures, and drive occupancy commercially is one that the sector has been slow to support. The best operators are waking up to this and investing in commercial coaching and development for their managers. If your current employer is not doing this, it is worth factoring into how you think about where you want to work next.
The employment law changes coming in January and what they mean for you
You may have already heard about the Employment Rights Act changes due to take effect in January 2027. The headline change is this: new employees will gain significantly enhanced employment rights at the six-month mark, rather than having to wait two years as is currently the case.
For candidates and employees, this is a meaningful improvement. If you start a new role and make it to six months, your rights are considerably stronger than they are today. It also means employers will need to be more structured and intentional during the onboarding period inclusing clearer expectations, more regular check-ins, better support from the outset. The organisations that handle this well will create better experiences for new starters. Those that do not will find the first six months more turbulent than before.
One nuance worth knowing if you are thinking about a move: the home manager role is one where meaningful impact genuinely takes time to demonstrate. Turnaround work such as improving a CQC rating, stabilising a team and rebuilding occupancy rarely happens in six months. If you are considering a role with a challenging brief, it is worth having an honest conversation upfront about what success looks like and over what timeframe, so that both sides go in with realistic expectations.
Coming from hospitality? The care sector is increasingly interested in you
If you have a background in hospitality and/or customer service and have been thinking about a change, it is worth knowing that elderly care is actively becoming more receptive to your skill set.
The best care homes today look and feel very different from even ten years ago. With multiple dining options, wellness facilities, cinema rooms, entertainment programming, salon services, premium residential care is increasingly operating on a hospitality model. The skills that make someone excellent in a hotel or restaurant environment (service culture, attention to detail, revenue and occupancy management, creating a genuinely welcoming atmosphere) translate more directly than most people assume.
We are seeing more providers actively seeking people with hospitality experience for resident experience, customer service, and operational leadership roles. If that is you, we would be happy to have a conversation about what the transition might look like and where the best opportunities are.
Looking for your next role in Elderly Care?
Whether you are actively exploring new roles or just keeping an eye on what is out there, we are always happy to have a no-pressure chat. We work with home managers, deputies, regional leaders, and operational professionals across the elderly care sector, and we have a good view of which organisations are worth talking to right now.
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