Head of Care Opportunity - Therapeutic Children's Home Dorset.
Are you an experienced children's home leader with a passion for therapeutic care and achieving exceptional outcomes for children? Glow Futures is seeking an inspiring Head of Care to join our growing leadership team and help shape the future of specialist residential childcare for young children.
Based in Poole, Dorset, Glow Futures currently operates two therapeutic children's homes, with a third home planned for 2027. We provide highly specialised care for children aged 4–11 years using our unique Glow Re-Parenting Pathway, a trauma-informed therapeutic model designed to help children recover from developmental trauma, build meaningful relationships and successfully transition into long-term family settings.
About the Role
As Head of Care, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across our homes, ensuring children receive exceptional therapeutic care and support. You will work closely alongside a highly experienced team of Directors and Clinical Team who bring extensive expertise across social care.
You will not be working in isolation. This is a collaborative senior leadership role with substantial professional support and development opportunities.
We Are Looking For Someone Who Has:
✔ Significant experience within Ofsted-regulated children's homes
✔ Previous Registered Manager experience and readiness to oversee multiple services
✔ A Social Work qualification or Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (or equivalent)
✔ Strong knowledge of safeguarding, regulations, quality standards and inspection frameworks
✔ A proven track record of improving outcomes for children
✔ Extensive experience of therapeutic, trauma-informed and attachment-led practice
✔ The ability to inspire, develop and lead high-performing teams
What We Offer
* Competitive salary (dependent upon experience) £60 - £70k + bonus
* Opportunity to shape and grow an innovative therapeutic organisation
* Direct access to an experienced and supportive Director team
* A genuine commitment to quality, innovation and children's outcomes
Why Glow Futures?
At Glow Futures, we believe children heal through relationships. Our bespoke Glow Re-Parenting Pathway focuses on:
GROWTH – Emotional regulation and resilience
LOVE – Secure attachments and relationships
OPPORTUNITY – Skills, learning and confidence
WELLBEING – Safety, identity and future readiness
"Changing childhoods through Growth, Love, Opportunity and Wellbeing.
Person Specification:
- previous experience in a manager role with children's residential services
- track record with Ofsted registered services
- a social work qualification / or at least a Level 5 in residential care
- a driving licence and availability of a car
Key Responsibilities
1. Leadership that Puts Children First
· Strong leadership of the Registered Managers
· Ensure the home lives and breathes the Glow Futures ethos, fostering a warm, nurturing environment where children can safely explore, connect and prepare for life in a family.
· Role-model therapeutic re-parenting principles, guiding managers and staff in co-regulation, attuned responses, and consistent boundaries.
· Champion each child’s voice, rights, identity, and wellbeing in all decisions.
. Professional networking and representation of Glow Futures to other agencies
. Strategic focus to ensure standards and quality are high
2. Safeguarding, Stability and Compliance
· Ensure the home meets and exceeds Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015, Quality Standards, Ofsted expectations, and safeguarding legislation.
· Complete robust quality audits and management reviews to present to Board of Directors
· Develop and keep under review key company policies, ensuring compliance with all relevant legislation.
4. Supporting Children Toward Family Life
· Use the Glow Therapeutic Re-Parenting Pathway to shape assessment, planning and transition work.
· Work collaboratively with social workers, therapists, educational professionals and families.
5. Leading, Developing and Caring for the Team
· Provide reflective supervision, regular appraisal and professional development for all managers.
· Create a team culture where curiosity, empathy, emotional resilience and therapeutic practice flourish.
· Lead recruitment, training and performance management.
· Ensure staff wellbeing is prioritised so they can provide emotionally available, consistent care.
. Deliver & Provide induction and on going professional training to the staff teams
6. Operational Excellence
· Oversee effective rota planning, staffing levels and out-of-hours support to meet children’s needs.
· Manage budgets responsibly, ensuring resources are used in ways that directly benefit children’s care.
. Setting up new homes, with successful registration and Ofsted inspection ratings
· Ensure the home environment is safe, homely, well maintained and responsive to children's needs and interests.
· Maintain high-quality written records that reflect children’s experiences, progress, achievements and voice.
7. Partnership Working
· Build strong relationships with local authorities, commissioning teams and multi-disciplinary professionals.
· Chair meetings, reviews and planning discussions, ensuring children’s wishes and feelings remain central.
· Communicate clearly and effectively with children, families, staff, partners and Ofsted.
8. Continuous Learning and Improvement
· Use reflective practice, feedback from children and families, and regulatory insight to drive ongoing improvement.
· Support the development of policies, training and practice across Glow Futures.
· Embed a culture that celebrates progress, nurtures curiosity, and continually seeks better outcomes for children.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £60,000.00-£70,000.00 per year
Experience:
- children's: 2 years (required)
- supervisory management: 1 year (required)
Work Location: In person
