Headstart Residential Care
Deputy Manager JOB DESCRIPTION 2025/26
POST TITLE: Deputy Manager
LIAISON WITH: Registered Manager
RESPONSIBLE TO: Registered Manager, Head of Care, Director of Care
At Headstart Residential, we're looking for an experienced, compassionate, and motivated Deputy Manager to join our dedicated team on a maternity cover basis. This is an exciting opportunity to work alongside our Registered Manager, helping to lead a nurturing, child-centred home where every young person is supported to thrive. If you're passionate about delivering outstanding residential care, inspiring teams, and creating positive outcomes for children and young people, we'd love to hear from you.
OVERALL RESPONSIBILITIES
In the absence of the Registered Manager. These responsibilities are critical to maintaining the smooth operation of the facility and ensuring the well-being of the children under care. These responsibilities will include:
- Effective Decision-Making: Be able to distinguish between decisions that can wait and those that require immediate attention. This skill is essential for prioritizing tasks and managing emergencies efficiently.
- Compliance with Expectations: Decisions made should align with the guidelines and expectations set forth by Headstart Residential Care, the Registered Manager, and regulatory bodies like Ofsted. This ensures that the home operates within legal and ethical boundaries.
- Understanding Policies and Philosophy: Be fully familiar with the policies and philosophy of Headstart Residential Care. This knowledge allows you to make informed decisions that reflect the organization's values and standards.
- Confidentiality: Maintaining the confidentiality of the work is vital. Protecting the privacy of the young people and sensitive information is a fundamental aspect of the role.
To assist the Registered Manager in promoting good childcare practices within the residential care home. These duties are crucial for ensuring the well-being and development of the children under care:
- Supervision and Guidance: Provide day-to-day supervision and guidance to staff members. This includes ensuring that the care provided aligns with the National Standards for Children's Homes and adheres to group guidelines, procedures, instructions, and policies. It also involves keeping staff informed about matters such as health care, children's rights, and child care law to ensure that the care provided is in compliance with relevant regulations.
- Supervision of Key Workers: Supervising Seniors. Seniors are responsible for the individual care and progress of specific children. This role should encourage Seniors to be accountable and responsible for effective assessment, monitoring, planning, and evaluation for each child under their care.
- Maintaining Casework Records: Ensuring that complete and accurate casework records for each young person are maintained is essential. These records are crucial for tracking the progress and needs of each child. Sound decisions should be made based on this information and implemented effectively.
- Assisting with Specific Plans: Assist the Registered Manager in ensuring that specific care plans for individual children are carried out as intended. This includes overseeing the implementation of strategies designed to meet each child's unique needs and goals.
- Modelling Good Child Practices: Leading by example is important. The individual in this role should demonstrate good child care practices in their direct interactions with children. This serves as a model for other staff members, helping to maintain consistent and high-quality care across the facility.
To be actively participate in Case Conferences, Reviews and Planning Meetings:
- Compiling Written Reports: Compile written reports as needed. These reports may include assessments, progress updates, and other relevant information about the children's well-being and development. These reports are essential for keeping all stakeholders informed about the children's progress and needs.
- Seeking Children's Views and Opinions: Actively seek the views and opinions of the children themselves. Providing a platform for children to express their thoughts and concerns ensures that their voices are heard and considered in decision-making processes. This is often a fundamental aspect of child-centred care and compliance with children's rights.
- Assisting Other Staff with Reports: Assist other staff members in compiling reports and encouraging them to involve the children in the review process. Collaborative efforts to gather information and insights from the children contribute to a more comprehensive and holistic understanding of their needs.
- Attending and Participating in Meetings: Attend and actively participate in Case Conferences, Reviews, and Planning Meetings as appropriate. These meetings are essential for discussing and making decisions regarding each child's care plan, progress, and any necessary adjustments.
Assist the Registered Manager in ensuring that various administrative tasks are carried out accurately and efficiently in the residential care home:
- Carrying Out Delegated Tasks: This role involves executing specific administrative tasks that are delegated by the Registered Manager. These tasks could encompass a range of administrative duties necessary for the smooth operation of the facility.
- Monitoring and Assisting Other Staff: In addition to performing delegated tasks, the individual in this role should also monitor and assist other staff members in carrying out their administrative duties. This includes providing support and guidance to ensure that administrative processes are completed correctly.
- Taking Over Administrative Functions in Absence: When the Registered Manager is absent, this role assumes responsibility for all administrative functions and operations within the home. This includes managing and overseeing administrative tasks to ensure that they continue to run smoothly even in the manager's absence.
- Financial Budget Management: The role also involves assisting the Registered Manager in managing and controlling all financial budgets allocated to the home. This includes tracking expenses, ensuring compliance with financial policies, and helping to make informed financial decisions to optimize resource allocation.
These responsibilities pertain to a role that involves assisting the Registered Manager in overseeing and managing a staff team, particularly in a childcare or residential setting.
- Work with the Registered Manager to assess the training needs of the staff team and taking part in efforts to ensure that these needs are addressed and met through appropriate training programs.
- Actively engage in the professional development of staff members, which could involve mentoring, coaching, or providing guidance to enhance their skills and abilities.
- Attend and participate in training sessions or programs that are designed to improve the knowledge and skills of staff members in line with their roles and responsibilities.
- Attend and contribute to regular staff meetings where team members discuss various matters related to their work, share updates, and collaborate on issues and improvements.
- In the absence of the Registered Manager, take the lead in organizing and conducting staff meetings to ensure that they follow the established structure and serve their intended purpose.
- Schedule and manage staff shifts or work schedules in a way that optimizes the utilization of resources while considering the needs of both the children or residents and the staff members.
- Conduct formal supervisory sessions with certain staff members as agreed upon and assisting the Registered Manager in informal supervision of the entire team to ensure performance and well-being.
- Assist in the orientation and initial support of new staff members, which includes helping them become familiar with the organization's policies, procedures, and work culture.
- Take the initiative to develop and deliver training sessions or workshops for the staff team during team meetings when it's relevant and necessary.
- Participate in the recruitment and selection process for new staff members while adhering to the organization's Equal Opportunities Policy.
GENERAL DUTIES
- Be flexible and assist with tasks or responsibilities that may not be specifically listed but are considered reasonable by the Registered Manager or their Deputy.
- Provide transportation for young people in care to various destinations such as school, shopping trips, and activities. It may include driving and ensuring the safety and well-being of the young people during these journeys.
- Be available for sleeping-in shifts as needed. Sleeping-in duties typically entail being on-site during night-time hours to respond to any emergencies or provide support if necessary.
SAFEGUARDING
This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure check.
Headstart Residential Care is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. As part of the selection process, we will undertake checks to ensure that you do not pose of risk of harm to children and young people.
The post-holder will be expected to contribute to safeguarding children and young people and promoting their welfare of children in accordance with the agreed Child Protection Policy for the setting. Any issues or concerns are reported to their Registered Manager, the Operations Manager or the Director of Care.
Pay: £38,000.00-£42,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company events
- Company pension
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
Application question(s):
- Do you have a Level 3 in Residential Childcare?
Experience:
- Senior care: 1 year (required)
Work Location: In person
