Overview
Anqa Care & Support Ltd is preparing to open Alexandra House, a small therapeutic residential children’s home in Long Bennington. The home will provide trauma-informed, relationship-based and psychologically informed care for up to three children aged 8 to 17.
We are looking for a capable, values led Registered Manager to guide the home through registration and mobilisation, recruit and develop the staff team, establish safe systems and lead high-quality, child-centred practice. This is an opportunity to shape a new service from the outset while receiving direct support from the Responsible Individual, Director and an experienced senior operational lead.
Key Responsibilities
- · Registration and mobilisation: Lead operational readiness for Ofsted registration and ensure that staffing, policies, records, training and premises arrangements are ready before children are admitted.
· Leadership and culture: Build a stable, reflective and accountable staff team that keeps children’s safety, wishes and outcomes at the centre of its work.
· Day-to-day management: Oversee admissions, placement matching, care planning, safeguarding, risk assessment, medication, incidents, missing-from-home responses, education and health arrangements.
· Therapeutic practice: Embed trauma-informed, attachment-aware, relationship-based and psychologically informed care throughout the home.
· Workforce development: Recruit safely, plan rotas, induct employees, provide reflective supervision and appraisal, manage performance and develop the staff team.
· Quality assurance: Use audits, children’s feedback, incident analysis and outcome monitoring to drive improvement; lead Regulation 45 reviews and respond to Regulation 44 and Ofsted findings.
· Partnership working: Maintain constructive relationships with children, families, placing authorities, commissioners, education, health, police, safeguarding partners and other professionals.
· Regulatory compliance: Maintain the Statement of Purpose, Children’s Guide and operational systems in line with the home’s registration conditions, the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Quality Standards.
What we're looking for
- · Completed Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (England), or a qualification formally accepted as equivalent – essential. Applicants who are still working towards Level 5 cannot be considered
· At least two years’ relevant experience in residential childcare within the last five years, including at least one year in a role involving the supervision and management of staff working in a care role
· Registered Manager experience, or substantial Deputy Manager experience with the capability and regulatory understanding required to progress into registration
· Strong working knowledge of safeguarding, the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015, the Quality Standards and Ofsted requirements
· Experience of safer recruitment, supervision, performance management, care planning, risk management, incident oversight and service improvement
· Strong leadership, communication, organisational and decision-making skills
· Integrity, good character, fitness to manage and the suitability required for registration
· A full UK driving licence and the ability to meet the travel and operational requirements of the role
Why Join Anqa Care & Support ?
You will have the opportunity to shape a new therapeutic home from the beginning, with professional autonomy and an accessible senior team. You will not be expected to establish or operate the service in isolation. Support will include:
· Ofsted registration support: Assistance with the application, supporting evidence, interview preparation and registration actions.
· Pre-opening mobilisation support: A coordinated plan covering premises readiness, recruitment, training, policies, systems, commissioning relationships and admission readiness.
· Accessible senior leadership: Regular access to the Responsible Individual and Director for governance, escalation, resources and organisational decision-making.
· Dedicated operational support: Practical guidance from an experienced senior operational lead during mobilisation and ongoing service delivery, including help to establish effective systems, resolve operational challenges and maintain safe, consistent practice.
· Operational quality assurance: Practical help with audits, compliance monitoring, action plans, Regulation 44 responses, Regulation 45 evidence and inspection preparation.
· Recruitment and workforce support: Assistance with advertising, safer-recruitment administration, onboarding, training coordination and workforce planning.
· Reflective supervision and development: Planned supervision, leadership coaching, constructive professional challenge and additional support following significant events or regulatory activity.
· Therapeutic consultation: Access to appropriate therapeutic and psychologically informed consultation where commissioned and relevant to children’s assessed needs.
· Systems and documentation: Access to the home’s policy framework, templates, monitoring tools and controlled records, with support to adapt these as the service develops.
· Professional autonomy: Genuine scope to shape the home’s culture, practice and standards, supported by clear authority, escalation routes and agreed resources.
Pre-registration and permanent employment
Before Ofsted approval, the successful candidate will be engaged under a paid consultancy arrangement comprising an agreed retainer and an hourly rate for hours worked. The consultancy terms will be confirmed in writing before the arrangement begins.
Following successful Ofsted approval, the candidate will transition into the full-time permanent Registered Manager position, with a salary of £55,000–£65,000 per year.
Safeguarding and equality
Anqa Care & Support Ltd is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Appointment is subject to an Enhanced DBS check, barred-list check where applicable, verified references, full employment-history scrutiny, qualification and identity checks, right-to-work verification, health and suitability checks, and any additional safer-recruitment enquiries required for the post.
We welcome applications from suitably qualified candidates from all backgrounds. Selection decisions will be based on the requirements of the role, and reasonable adjustments will be considered throughout the recruitment process.
How to apply
Please apply through Indeed or email your CV and covering letter to [email protected]. Your application should identify your completed Level 5 qualification, awarding organisation and date achieved, and briefly explain your residential childcare leadership experience and approach to opening a therapeutic children’s home. Original qualification certificates will be verified during recruitment and registration.
Applications may be reviewed as they are received. Anqa Care & Support Ltd reserves the right to close the advert early if a suitable field of candidates is identified.
Important: Alexandra House is preparing for Ofsted registration. This advert does not state or imply that the home is already registered or operational. No child will be admitted until the required registration and operational approvals are in place.
Pay: £45,000.00-£65,000.00 per year
Benefits:
Work Location: In person
