Department Manager - Creative Arts

Department Manager (Creative Arts)

Hours: 35.25 per week (Monday to Thursday 8.45am – 5pm, 4pm on Friday) with 1 hour unpaid lunch. Occasional weekend and evening working may be required with notice.

Salary: £33,338 per annum

Interview dates: 26th and 27th October

About The Role

We are seeking a confident and organised Department Manager to lead our Creative Arts team (known internally as Team Leader). This is a people-focused role, supporting a team of 8 talented Art Tutors who use a range of creative arts activities to help people achieve their personal goals. The team deliver creative skills sessions that promote the wellbeing, confidence, independence and personal development of adults with mild to moderate learning disabilities. 

You do not need to be an artist yourself. What matters most is that you can inspire a team and are a strong manager of resources and projects, with the confidence to organise a varied programme, support staff, manage budgets and help the department run smoothly and sustainably. 

You will help ensure that creative sessions are safe, purposeful and high quality, while supporting enterprise opportunities, events and activities that encourage self-expression, personal growth and showcase the talents of the people we support. 

About You

We're looking for someone who:

• Has experience leading, motivating, and developing teams.
• Demonstrates strong organisational, project management, and commercial awareness skills.
• Can manage resources, budgets, risk assessments and day-to-day operational requirements.
• Is passionate about supporting and enabling the personal development and wellbeing of others.
• Has excellent communication and relationship-building skills with the ability to work collaboratively with other departments.
• Brings empathy, positivity, and a person-centred approach.
• Has an interest in, understanding of, or involvement with creative arts.

There’s a huge emphasis on teamwork and you’ll play an important part in a committed and welcoming team.  

We welcome applications who share our values of: Friendly, Open, Respectful, Caring and Enabling.

You can download the full job description and person specification from our advert on the careers page.

What Colleagues Say

Don’t just take our word for it, here’s a snippet of what our team had to say in our October 2025 staff survey:

95.2% of the team say they understand how the purpose and values of The Grange Centre relate to their job.

92.9% say that The Grange Centre provides them with the training they need.

We have an open, no blame culture as emphasised by 96.4% of the team saying that The Grange Centre provides an environment where they feel able to admit when they make a mistake. 

89.2% feel they are a valued member of The Grange Centre team. 

95.2% find their colleagues to be helpful and supportive.

About The Grange Centre

At The Grange Centre for People with Disabilities, we’re more than a workplace – we’re a community. You’ll be part of a team that’s passionate about making a difference and supporting people to lead independent and fulfilling lives. We offer a supportive environment, opportunities for development, and the chance to be part of something truly meaningful.

We are unique in Surrey as we offer accommodation, care support and a wide range of skills training and activities all on one beautiful 8 acre site in Bookham. Our services are most suited for people with mild to moderate disabilities.

We are a regulated care provider, a charity and a housing association and we provide three services - residential care for those with higher care needs, supported living for people working towards independence and skills and activities - a wide range of training, work experience and mini businesses.

Benefits

• Annual leave 35 days, including bank holidays, rising to 37 days after 2 year’s service.
• Annual salary review
• Contributory pension scheme with 4% employer contribution
• Extensive internal training programme
• Staff discounts on delicious home cooked food and hot drinks at our Courtyard Café (open Mon – Fri)
• A focus on wellbeing, including a 24/7 confidential Employee Assistance Helpline and access to trained counsellors
• Monetary staff referral scheme
• Free onsite parking; 20 min walk to local train station; 5 mins from local bus stop (479)
• Beautiful countryside location
• Chance to have your voice heard – regular Employee Forum and Annual Staff Survey
• Supportive and knowledgeable team to learn from