Deputy Manager – Children’s Residential Care Home
Job Title: Deputy Manager – Children’s Residential Care Home
Location: Caring Hearts Homes, Whitehill Avenue, Luton
Reports To: Registered Manager
Salary: £33,500 -£35,000 per annum
Contracted Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm
Start Date: 1st December 2026
Contract Type: Full-time, permanent
About Us
At Caring Hearts Homes, we provide a nurturing, safe, and supportive environment for children and young people facing emotional and behavioural challenges. We are opening a new children’s home on Whitehill Avenue, Luton, and are looking for an experienced Deputy Manager to help establish the home and lead our staff team from the outset. This is a rare opportunity to shape the culture, standards, and practice of a home from day one, working alongside the Registered Manager to build a service children are proud to call home.
Job Summary
As Deputy Manager, you will be second in charge of the home and will deputise for the Registered Manager in their absence. You will lead and develop the staff team, oversee the quality of care delivered to children and young people, and ensure the home operates in full compliance with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Quality Standards. You will combine hands-on leadership with responsibility for supervision, compliance, record keeping, and multi-agency working, modelling the child-centred, trauma-informed practice we expect from every member of staff.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership & Management
- Deputise for the Registered Manager, taking full responsibility for the home in their absence.
- Lead, supervise, and motivate a team of Team Leaders and Support Workers, promoting a positive and accountable staff culture.
- Deliver regular formal supervisions, appraisals, and performance reviews, identifying training needs and supporting professional development.
- Oversee rotas, shift planning, handovers, and daily routines to ensure safe staffing levels at all times.
- Support the recruitment, induction, and mentoring of new staff.
- Chair and contribute to team meetings, ensuring learning from incidents and reviews is embedded in practice.
- Model and promote the home’s values, ethos, and Statement of Purpose.
Regulatory Compliance & Quality Assurance
- Ensure the home operates in line with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015, the Quality Standards, and the home’s Statement of Purpose.
- Support the Registered Manager with quality assurance, audits, and internal monitoring systems.
- Contribute to Regulation 45 quality of care reviews and support the Regulation 44 independent visiting process, including responding to actions and recommendations.
- Ensure notifications of significant events (Regulation 40) are identified, escalated, and submitted appropriately.
- Prepare for and participate in Ofsted inspections, ensuring records and evidence are inspection-ready.
- Monitor and evidence progress against improvement and development plans.
Child-Centred Care
- Ensure every child receives high-quality care that meets their physical, emotional, educational, health, and social needs.
- Build and maintain positive, trusting relationships with children and young people.
- Ensure children’s views, wishes, and feelings are actively sought, recorded, and reflected in decisions about their care and about the running of the home.
- Oversee the development, implementation, and review of care plans, risk assessments, and placement plans.
- Advocate for children with placing authorities, education providers, and health services, escalating concerns where needs are not being met.
- Promote participation in education, recreational activities, and the wider community.
Behaviour Management & Emotional Support
- Oversee the development and monitoring of individual behaviour support plans.
- Support children in managing emotions and trauma-related behaviours using therapeutic, de-escalation-led approaches.
- Ensure any use of restrictive physical intervention is lawful, proportionate, recorded, and reviewed, with follow-up support offered to the child and staff.
- Provide leadership and emotional stability during crises and challenging situations.
- Debrief staff following incidents and ensure learning is captured and acted upon.
Safeguarding & Safety
- Act as a senior safeguarding lead for the home, ensuring all safeguarding procedures are understood and followed.
- Ensure concerns, allegations, and disclosures are reported promptly to the Registered Manager, the local authority designated officer, and other agencies as required.
- Monitor the wellbeing of each child and take swift action where risks are identified.
- Ensure accurate, timely, and objective recording of incidents, concerns, and missing episodes.
- Promote a culture of openness, professional curiosity, and safeguarding across the whole team.
Documentation & Communication
- Ensure accurate and timely record keeping across daily logs, incident reports, and children’s progress records, including on the home’s electronic recording system.
- Audit records regularly for quality, accuracy, and completeness.
- Represent the home at multi-agency meetings, reviews, strategy discussions, and PEP meetings.
- Liaise professionally with social workers, Independent Reviewing Officers, health services, education providers, and families.
- Produce reports for the Registered Manager, placing authorities, and external professionals as required.
Health, Safety & Environment
- Ensure the home is safe, clean, well-maintained, and homely at all times.
- Oversee health and safety compliance, including fire safety, environmental checks, and maintenance reporting.
- Oversee safe medication practice, including administration, storage, auditing, and record keeping.
- Manage delegated budgets, petty cash, and children’s allowances in line with financial procedures.
New Home Establishment
- Support the Registered Manager in preparing the home for opening and registration, including systems, records, and staff readiness.
- Contribute to the induction and training of the new staff team ahead of the first placements.
- Support the safe planning and settling of children into their new home.
Key Requirements
Essential Qualifications
- Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare, or equivalent (mandatory).
- Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare, or a willingness to commence and complete this within an agreed timescale.
- Current safeguarding, first aid, medication, and behaviour management / de-escalation training, or willingness to complete on appointment.
- Enhanced DBS check (subject to satisfactory clearance and full pre-employment checks).
Experience
- Minimum of 2–3 years’ experience working in a children’s residential care setting.
- At least 1 year in a senior, Team Leader, or supervisory role within a children’s home.
- Demonstrable experience of supervising, mentoring, and developing staff.
- Strong working knowledge of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015, the Quality Standards, and the Ofsted inspection framework.
- Sound understanding of safeguarding, child development, attachment, and trauma-informed care.
- Experience of supporting or preparing for an Ofsted inspection (desirable).
Skills & Attributes
- Confident, calm, and approachable leadership style.
- Ability to manage challenging behaviour and support complex emotional needs.
- Strong written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
- Excellent record keeping, organisation, and attention to detail.
- Sound decision-making under pressure and the confidence to escalate appropriately.
- High emotional resilience and clear professional boundaries.
- Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle (desirable).
Hours & Working Pattern
Monday to Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm. The post holder will also be expected to participate in the management on-call rota and to work with reasonable flexibility, including occasional evenings, weekends, and bank holidays, in order to meet the needs of the children and the home.
Benefits
- Competitive salary of £35,000 per annum
- Paid annual leave
- Comprehensive training and development, including funded qualifications
- Clear opportunities for career progression towards Registered Manager
- Employee referral programme
- The opportunity to help establish a brand new home from opening
Location
Whitehill Avenue, Luton – applicants must be able to reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work.
Join us and help shape the lives of children and young people in a supportive, inclusive, and empowering environment.
Caring Hearts Homes is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All appointments are subject to an enhanced DBS check, satisfactory references, and full pre-employment checks.
Pay: £33,500.00-£35,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company events
- Company pension
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- Sick pay
Work Location: In person
