Registered Children’s Home Manager – Solo Placement Home
Job Overview
We are seeking an experienced, motivated and child-centred Registered Manager to lead a newly opening children’s home providing solo placements.
This is an exciting opportunity for a strong and passionate leader to take responsibility for the development and day-to-day management of a new service, establishing a positive culture and ensuring that high-quality care is embedded from the outset.
The home will provide individualised residential care for one child or young person, enabling the Registered Manager and staff team to deliver highly personalised, consistent and therapeutic support based on the young person’s individual needs, risks, strengths and aspirations.
The successful candidate will have a strong understanding of Ofsted requirements, the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Quality Standards and will be confident leading a residential childcare service where safeguarding, positive outcomes and the voice of the child are at the centre of practice.
Key Responsibilities
- Take overall responsibility for the day-to-day management and leadership of the children’s home.
- Lead the home through the Ofsted registration process and maintain readiness for regulatory inspection.
- Ensure the home operates in accordance with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015, Quality Standards and associated statutory guidance.
- Provide strong, visible and child-centred leadership to the staff team.
- Ensure the young person receives safe, nurturing, consistent and individualised care.
- Develop and maintain effective care planning, placement planning and risk-management arrangements.
- Ensure safeguarding concerns, incidents, allegations and significant events are responded to appropriately and escalated in accordance with safeguarding procedures.
- Promote trauma-informed, relationship-based and restorative approaches to supporting children and young people.
- Ensure behaviour support strategies are appropriate, proportionate and focused on helping the young person develop emotional regulation and resilience.
- Oversee recruitment, induction, supervision, appraisal, training and ongoing development of the staff team.
- Develop a positive culture where staff understand their responsibilities and are accountable for the quality of care they provide.
- Ensure staffing levels and rotas are appropriate to the needs and risk profile of the young person.
- Maintain effective oversight of medication, health appointments and the young person’s physical and emotional wellbeing.
- Promote education, independence, positive activities, family relationships and meaningful experiences.
- Build effective professional relationships with social workers, placing authorities, education providers, health professionals, families and other agencies.
- Ensure children and young people are actively involved in decisions about their care and are supported to express their wishes, feelings and views.
- Maintain high standards of recording, reporting and regulatory documentation.
- Ensure incidents, complaints, safeguarding concerns and physical interventions are appropriately reviewed, with learning identified and implemented.
- Monitor the quality of care provided and develop clear improvement plans where required.
- Ensure the home is maintained to a high standard and provides a safe, welcoming and homely environment.
- Manage budgets and resources effectively while ensuring the needs of the young person remain central to decision-making.
- Work closely with the Responsible Individual and senior management team to continuously develop and improve the service.
Essential Experience and Qualifications
The successful candidate should:
- Have significant experience working within residential childcare.
- Have previous management or senior leadership experience within a children’s residential setting.
- Have a strong working knowledge of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and Quality Standards.
- Understand Ofsted inspection and regulatory requirements for children’s homes.
- Have strong safeguarding knowledge and experience managing complex safeguarding concerns.
- Have experience supporting children and young people who may present with complex needs, trauma, emotional dysregulation or behaviours that challenge.
- Demonstrate experience of leading, supervising and developing residential childcare staff.
- Have experience of care planning, risk assessment, behaviour support planning and multi-agency working.
- Demonstrate strong leadership, communication, organisational and decision-making skills.
- Be able to maintain effective management oversight and ensure high standards of recording and compliance.
- Hold, or be willing to work towards within the required timeframe, the relevant Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare, or an equivalent recognised qualification.
- Be able to demonstrate the experience, knowledge and competence required to become registered with Ofsted as the home’s Registered Manager.
Desirable
- Previous experience as a Registered Manager or Deputy Manager within an Ofsted-regulated children’s home.
- Experience supporting solo placements or children with complex needs.
- Experience opening or mobilising a new children’s home.
- Experience participating in or preparing for Ofsted inspections.
- Knowledge of trauma-informed and therapeutic approaches to residential childcare.
- Experience working collaboratively with local authorities and external professionals.
About the Role
As the Registered Manager of a newly opening solo-placement home, you will have an opportunity to shape the service from the beginning.
You will play a key role in recruiting and developing the staff team, establishing the culture of the home, developing effective systems and ensuring that the service provides consistent, nurturing and high-quality care.
We are looking for someone who is not simply focused on compliance, but who understands that an excellent children’s home should provide a young person with stability, safety, positive relationships, meaningful experiences and genuine opportunities to achieve their potential.
If you are an experienced residential childcare professional ready to lead a new service and create a home where a young person can feel safe, valued and supported, we would welcome your application.
Pay: £45,000.00-£55,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Bereavement leave
- Casual dress
- Company pension
- Discounted or free food
- Employee discount
- Enhanced paternity leave
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Referral programme
- Sick pay
Work Location: In person
