In the first two articles in this series, I've explored what happens when a service becomes too dependent on one very capable Registered Manager – and what that can cost across People, Quality and Growth.

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So how do you strengthen everything around a great RM without making them feel undermined?

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The answer isn't to make the RM less important. It's to change what being important looks like – and that starts by working with the RM, not around them.

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Build resilience before you need it

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I think about this in much the same way as inspection readiness. A service shouldn't suddenly need to become ready because CQC walks through the door. Good practice should already be happening every day. Resilience should work in exactly the same way.

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One of the strongest services I've worked with had a Registered Manager who unexpectedly needed to be away for a number of weeks. She remained in contact, but wasn't there managing the day-to-day operation.

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The service managed incredibly well. Not because everybody suddenly stepped up. They didn't need to. They simply continued working in the way they already did.

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Capability needs clarity and accountability

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Strong teams understand their roles. Not simply because they have a job description, but because there is a shared understanding of what that role means in practice – what they own, what is expected of them, what they can decide and when they need to involve somebody else.

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People also need opportunities to develop; to build the practical skills their role requires and use them while support is still around them.  So what does this mean?

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Let somebody chair the meeting. Involve them in the difficult conversation. Ask what they think the audit is telling you. Give them the new enquiry and ask how they might make it work.

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Not everybody wants to become a Registered Manager, and development shouldn't assume that they do. But everybody who may need to step in when the RM isn't there needs the confidence, knowledge and tools to do so. Then when the RM is away, they're putting into practice what they've already been learning.

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And capability alone isn't enough. Strong teams have a sense of ownership. People understand how their role contributes to the wider service, take accountability for their part and work as a team towards its success.

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Communication has to travel in every direction

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Communication is part of what makes all of that possible. In the strongest teams I've worked with, information travels up the line, down the line and across it. The deputy is already in the loop. Senior managers have relationships with the wider team. Peers speak to one another. Information gets shared and questions get asked.

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There doesn't need to be a heroic handover before the RM goes away because, in many ways, the handover has been happening all year.

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And not everything can be written into a process. Experience and judgement are often shared through everyday conversations – this is what I'd consider, this is why I'd do it that way, what do you think? That's development too.

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Create a shared operating rhythm

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But some things do need to be written down. Audits, supervisions, reviews, meetings, quality checks and other recurring responsibilities need to be visible and understood by the wider team.

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A shared diary or governance tracker can provide that rhythm – making it clear what is due, when it is due and who owns it. Important activity continues because that's simply how the service operates.

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Build the wider support network

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People need to know where to go when something falls outside of their experience – whether that's an owner, senior manager, peer RM or a wider support function. Those relationships need to exist before they're needed. Nobody should be dealing with a difficult situation while the RM is away and introducing themselves for the first time to the person they're now expected to ask for help. The wider organisation has a role in building those relationships too.

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Great management doesn't always look busy

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The strongest services I've seen haven't relied on one magic ingredient. People understand their roles, have the skills and knowledge to fulfil them, take ownership and accountability, communicate openly, support one another and work as a team towards the success of the service.

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Some of the most effective Registered Managers I've worked with were occasionally teased with:

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“Do you actually do any work?”

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From the outside, they could look remarkably calm. They weren't constantly firefighting, making every decision or surrounded by people waiting for answers. The reality was that they were doing something much more valuable.

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They were conducting a finely honed orchestra.

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A conductor doesn't need to play every instrument. Their role is to understand the whole, provide direction, bring different parts together and know when something isn't quite right.

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Great Registered Managers can do the same. Their value isn't demonstrated by how many things require their personal intervention. It's demonstrated by what the people around them are capable of doing. And when the conductor temporarily leaves the room, the musicians don't suddenly forget how to play.

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That doesn't undermine the Registered Manager. In fact it might be one of the greatest demonstrations of their leadership.

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This is where I can help.

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Sometimes an experienced pair of eyes from outside the service can see patterns that have become difficult to notice from within it.

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Through A B Training & Development, I work with domiciliary care providers across People, Quality and Growth – helping to understand where responsibility has become concentrated, develop leadership capability, strengthen communication and accountability, and create governance and operational structures that support the Registered Manager and the wider service.

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The aim isn't to remove responsibility from a good RM but to help create a service capable of carrying its share.

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If this series has made you recognise something in your own service, send me a message and let's have an informal conversation about what you've noticed.

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Or, if you're not quite ready for a conversation, you can start with my Owner Reflection Tool. It looks across People, Quality and Growth and gives you an opportunity to step back and consider where your service is working well and where you may want to look a little closer.

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You can download the Owner Reflection Tool from the Resources page, where you'll also find my other articles and insights.

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 You can also find other articles in my series.