Job Title: Responsible Individual
Service: Solo Children’s Home
Location: Luton, Bedfordshire
Reporting to: Registered Provider / Director
Hours: Full-time or as agreed in line with operational need
Contract Type: Permanent
Job Purpose
The Responsible Individual is the senior person nominated by the registered provider to supervise the management of the home and ensure that the service operates in full compliance with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015, the Quality Standards, safeguarding legislation and Ofsted requirements. The postholder will provide strategic leadership, governance, monitoring and professional challenge to ensure that the solo children’s home delivers safe, nurturing, child-centred care that improves outcomes for children and young people.
Key Responsibilities
· Act as the nominated Responsible Individual for the home and maintain oversight of the service on behalf of the registered provider.
· Ensure the home operates in line with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015, the Quality Standards, the Care Standards Act 2000, and relevant statutory guidance.
· Work in partnership with the Registered Manager to ensure effective leadership, strong practice standards, and positive outcomes for the child living in the home.
· Provide support, supervision, challenge and accountability to the Registered Manager to ensure the home remains safe, compliant and child-focused.
· Ensure the home’s Statement of Purpose, Children’s Guide, safeguarding procedures, risk assessments, and operational policies remain current, effective and reflective of practice.
· Maintain a clear understanding of the needs of children living in the home, including care planning, education, health, emotional wellbeing, behaviour support, and preparation for independence where appropriate.
· Ensure the service is appropriately staffed, resourced and organised to meet the needs of a solo placement, including consideration of matching, impact risk assessments and staff competence.
· Promote a culture of safeguarding, therapeutic practice, equality, diversity, inclusion and high aspirations for children.
· Ensure that allegations, complaints, safeguarding concerns and serious incidents are responded to promptly, appropriately and in accordance with statutory requirements and local procedures.
· Oversee the quality of recording, reporting, monitoring and decision-making within the home to ensure accountability and good practice.
· Ensure effective partnership working with placing authorities, social workers, education professionals, health services, police, Ofsted and other relevant agencies.
· Monitor the home’s performance against internal quality standards, development plans and inspection readiness expectations.
· Support the provider and Registered Manager to identify service improvements and embed learning from audits, complaints, incidents, inspections and feedback from children and professionals.
· Ensure notifications to Ofsted and other relevant agencies are made within required timescales.
· Promote workforce development by ensuring staff receive induction, supervision, training and continuing professional development appropriate to their role.
Safeguarding, Quality and Governance
· Ensure safeguarding practice is robust and consistent with Working Together to Safeguard Children and local multi-agency safeguarding arrangements in Luton and Bedfordshire.
· Maintain effective oversight of the home’s response to child protection concerns, missing from home incidents, exploitation risks, self-harm risks, allegations against staff and behaviour incidents.
· Ensure the home is prepared for Ofsted inspection and any monitoring activity, with evidence of strong leadership, effective monitoring systems and continuous improvement.
· Scrutinise the quality of care provided through regular audits, review of incident trends, sanctions, restraints where applicable, medication systems, recruitment files and case records.
· Review the effectiveness of placement matching decisions for a solo home, ensuring risks are understood and support arrangements are sufficient before and during placement.
· Ensure the provider meets responsibilities relating to Regulation 44 independent visits and Regulation 45 quality of care review processes, and that findings inform service development.
· Escalate concerns to the provider promptly where there is risk to children, regulatory non-compliance, staffing instability or any failure in management oversight.
Key Working Relationships
The Responsible Individual will work closely with the Registered Provider, Registered Manager, residential care staff, placing authorities, children’s social workers, Independent Reviewing Officers, education providers, health professionals, therapists, police, Ofsted, Regulation 44 visitors, safeguarding partners and other relevant professionals.
Person SpecificationEssential
· Significant senior leadership experience within children’s residential care or wider children’s social care services.
· Demonstrable knowledge of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015, Quality Standards, safeguarding legislation and Ofsted expectations.
· Experience of supervising, supporting and challenging managers to deliver safe and effective services.
· Strong understanding of safeguarding practice, child development, trauma-informed care, behaviour support and risk management.
· Knowledge of the specific requirements and risks associated with solo residential placements.
· Experience of quality assurance, auditing, service improvement planning and regulatory compliance.
· Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including report writing and professional correspondence.
· Ability to build effective professional relationships with children, staff teams, families and partner agencies.
· Ability to analyse information, make sound decisions, and respond effectively to safeguarding or regulatory concerns.
· Commitment to promoting the rights, voice and welfare of children and young people.
Qualifications and Training
· A relevant professional qualification in health and social care, social work, childcare, leadership and management, or a related field.
· Evidence of continued professional development relevant to children’s residential care, safeguarding and leadership.
· Suitable to act as Responsible Individual in line with regulatory expectations, including fitness, integrity, and relevant experience.
· Enhanced DBS clearance and any other safer recruitment checks required for working with children.
Desirable
· Previous experience as a Responsible Individual, Registered Manager or senior leader in an Ofsted-regulated children’s home.
· Experience supporting a home through registration, inspection, improvement planning or change management.
Pay: £450.00-£500.00 per day
Work Location: In person
