Senior care home hires, without the guesswork.

Senior search and straight-talking hiring advice for owner-led care homes and groups across the UK. From Registered Manager to executive level.

Call Charles Book a call

or dial 020 3710 4724

5.0 rating on Google Reviews

Replacement guarantee of up to 6 months

400+

Senior placements

96%

Of exclusive searches filled

11 years

In care home recruitment, nothing else

6 months

Replacement guarantee (up to)

Who it's for

Built for owner-led care homes and groups.

Senior hires need a different approach to filling care and nursing roles. A targeted search, a properly assessed shortlist, and someone with the time to do it right. Whether you have a recruiter or not, that's where we come in.

The same role keeps going back out to advert.

The best managers aren't on job boards.

Hiring gets squeezed between everything else on your plate.

One wrong manager hire can unsettle your staff, your residents and your CQC rating.

Services

Three ways to work together.

Start here

Hiring Readiness Assessment

A scored review of how you hire: your process, salary, job adverts, reputation and CQC record. You get a clear report and a plan to fix the gaps.

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Done for you

Senior Search

Every search taken on exclusively, from Registered Manager to executive level. One specialist from brief to start date, written updates every Friday, and a replacement guarantee of up to 6 months.

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Done with you

Hiring Advisory

Fixed-scope projects to fix what's holding your hiring back, working alongside your team. Job adverts, interview questions and scorecards, and process redesign.

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Free Job Ad Audit.

2 minutes. Find out what's costing you applicants.

Get your free audit

Guarantee terms agreed per search.

How we work

Built to cut the risk of a bad hire.

Hiring on CVs, years of experience and a gut-feel interview is barely better than a coin toss. A structured, scored process can cut the risk of a poor hire by up to half. So it's built into every search.

Estimate based on published research into hiring methods, including Sackett et al. (2022), Journal of Applied Psychology. Results depend on the role and how the process is run.

The problem first.

We start with the business problem behind the hire, not the job description.

Define success.

We agree what good looks like at 6, 12 and 24 months.

Assess and attract.

Two tracks: scored, structured interviews, and a campaign built around where the right people actually are.

Weekly evidence.

Friday reports, including what candidates say about your role, in their own words.

Hire and review.

Offer, onboarding, and a check against the success measures.

Providers

What care providers say

"I had an outstanding experience working with Charles Hayes from Spiritus Search in recruiting a Registered Manager for our service. The entire process was seamless and efficient — he kept us updated throughout, and presented a shortlist of highly suitable candidates."

Judith Stockton

Director, Woodlands Care

"I would personally recommend Charles. He is exceptionally thorough in his approach to recruitment."

Julie Burton

Operations Manager, Twinglobe Care

Managers

Why managers say yes

When managers enjoy the process, more of them say yes.

"I could not be happier with the outcome — exactly the right fit, right location, perfect salary, great owner."

Johanne Bradburn

Registered Manager

"The job advert he crafted stood out immediately — it made the opportunity feel exciting from the start."

Emma Darlington-Jones

Registered Manager

"Very professional throughout and made the experience stress-free. Can't wait to start in my new role."

Danielle Morris

Deputy Manager

"Professional, responsive, a good communicator — providing regular updates throughout the process."

Paula Oltean

Regional Manager

Charles Hayes, founder of Spiritus Search

About

Meet Charles Hayes

Charles has spent 11 years recruiting for care homes, and nothing else, with over 400 senior placements. He founded Spiritus Search to give owner-led care homes and groups the kind of senior hiring support the large groups have. One consultant, start to finish. Based in Chichester, working with providers across the UK.

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Let's talk about your hiring.

Whether you've got a role to fill now, or want to get ahead of the next one.

Call Charles

or dial 020 3710 4724

Or book a time that suits you

What to expect when you call

You'll speak to me directly, not a call centre.

Straight answers on salary, the market and your options.

A clear next step, even if that's not working with us.