Area Manager – Residential Childcare
55,000 to 65,000 a year
Location: Scotland, requires travel to different company sites
40 hours per week, Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm - flexibility required
The Greenleaf Team
We’re looking for people to join our team that share our beliefs. We believe in a holistic approach: that even the smallest detail can mean a world of difference to a vulnerable young person. We want team members who never give up on our young people, who are compassionate and who believe that our young people deserve the best we can give them.
We specialise in solo placements for young people in care up to the age of 21 and adopt a therapeutic, trauma-informed approach to care. In our work, we uphold Greenleaf’s values of Integrity, Compassion, Excellence, Collaboration, and Respect.
If it’s your ambition to create a future filled with hope and optimism for our young people, we would love to hear from you.
Visit our website for more info: greenleafhouse.co.uk
Job Purpose
The Area Manager is responsible for providing strong operational leadership, oversight, accountability, and support across a number of residential childcare services. The post holder will ensure that all services deliver high-quality, trauma-informed, therapeutic care which achieves positive outcomes for young people and meets all regulatory, safeguarding, and organisational standards.
The Area Manager will coach, challenge, and support Registered Managers to ensure services are effectively led, inspection-ready, financially sustainable, and aligned with Greenleaf House’s vision, values, and therapeutic model of care.
The role is both supportive and accountable in nature and requires the ability to proactively identify concerns, drive improvement, and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
Greenleaf Benefits
With greater expectations come greater rewards. If you’re selected to become part of the Greenleaf family, you’ll not only enjoy a salary that’s higher that the sector average, but you’ll also enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including:
-
33 days holiday entitlement
-
Additional annual leave with length of service, starting at 2 years’ service
-
Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) with a 24/7 wellbeing line and free counselling
-
Health Cash Plan, which includes dental and optical cover, physio therapies, and a 24/7 GP helpline.
-
Greenleaf For You platform which offers a range of savings including discounts, offers, and money back on vouchers
-
Pension scheme with Nest Pensions
Key Responsibilities
Leadership & Management
-
Provide leadership, oversight, and direction to Registered Managers across allocated services.
-
Develop a culture of accountability, reflective practice, and continuous improvement.
-
Ensure managers are effectively leading their teams and maintaining high standards of care and practice.
-
Support the implementation of Greenleaf House’s vision, values, and therapeutic culture across all services.
-
Promote trauma-informed and relationship-based approaches throughout services.
-
Ensure managers are proactive in identifying concerns and implementing solutions before escalation is required.
Quality Assurance & Compliance
-
Complete regular quality assurance visits and audits across services.
-
Monitor service performance, safeguarding, incidents, complaints, medication management, staffing, and young people outcomes.
-
Ensure all homes remain inspection-ready at all times.
-
Oversee the completion and progress of service improvement plans.
-
Ensure compliance with:
-
Care Inspectorate standards
-
The Promise
-
UNCRC
-
Organisational policies and procedures
-
Relevant legislation and regulations
-
Ensure accurate and effective management oversight systems are in place within services.
-
Analyse trends and patterns across services to proactively identify risk areas.
Support & Development of Managers
-
Provide coaching, mentoring, and support to Registered Managers.
-
Conduct regular supervision and performance reviews with managers.
-
Support managers with:
-
Staffing issues
-
Safeguarding concerns
-
Complaints
-
Professional relationships
-
Inspection preparation
-
Performance management
-
Identify leadership development needs and support succession planning.
-
Promote accountability and professional confidence within leadership teams.
Safeguarding & Risk Management
-
Ensure safeguarding concerns are appropriately managed, investigated, and escalated.
-
Monitor high-risk situations and support services with risk reduction planning.
-
Ensure young people’s rights, wellbeing, and safety remain central to decision-making.
-
Promote positive risk-taking and least restrictive practice approaches.
-
Ensure learning from incidents and safeguarding concerns is embedded into practice.
Operational Oversight
-
Monitor occupancy, staffing levels, agency usage, budgets, and operational performance across services.
-
Ensure services are effectively resourced and staffed safely.
-
Support with referrals, matching decisions, and placement planning where required.
-
Ensure environmental standards remain high across all homes.
-
Support services to maintain stable, consistent, and therapeutic environments for young people.
Inspection & Regulatory Engagement
-
Support homes through inspections and regulatory activity.
-
Build and maintain positive relationships with regulators, local authorities, and external professionals.
-
Ensure actions from inspections, audits, and external feedback are implemented effectively.
-
Lead improvement activity where services require additional support or recovery planning.
Organisational Culture & Professional Standards
-
Promote professionalism, accountability, and high expectations across services.
-
Address poor practice or underperformance promptly and effectively.
-
Support a positive workplace culture where staff feel valued, supported, and accountable.
-
Contribute to organisational development and strategic priorities.
-
Champion “The Greenleaf Way” and therapeutic culture throughout all services.
Person Specification
Essential
-
Significant experience within residential childcare leadership.
-
Experience managing or overseeing multiple services.
-
Previous experience as a Registered Manager within residential childcare services.
-
Proven track record of achieving inspection grades of Very Good (5) or equivalent within regulated care services.
-
Fully qualified to Registered Manager level, including:
-
SVQ Level 4 Social Services
-
SVQ Level 4 Care Services Leadership and Management
-
or other qualifications recognised as meeting registration requirements.
-
Strong understanding of:
-
Trauma-informed care
-
Therapeutic practice
-
Safeguarding
-
Care Inspectorate standards
-
The Promise and children’s rights
-
Proven ability to lead and develop managers and teams.
-
Experience supporting services through inspections.
-
Strong communication, leadership, and organisational skills.
-
Ability to manage competing priorities and operational pressures.
-
Full UK driving licence.
Desirable
-
Experience supporting services requiring improvement or recovery planning.
-
Experience within complex or specialist residential childcare settings.
-
Knowledge of both Scottish and English regulatory frameworks.
-
Experience contributing to organisational growth and development.
Key Expectations of the Role
The Area Manager is expected to:
-
Identify concerns proactively before escalation is required.
-
Hold Registered Managers accountable for service performance.
-
Provide both support and constructive challenge.
-
Ensure consistency and high standards across services.
-
Reduce dependency on senior operational leadership through effective regional oversight.
-
Drive a culture where leaders lead confidently and proactively.
-
Promote positive outcomes for young people through stable, therapeutic leadership.
Core Values
The post holder will demonstrate:
-
Compassion
-
Accountability
-
Integrity
-
Professional curiosity
-
Child centred leadership
-
Relationship based practice
-
Commitment to continuous improvement
Measures of Success
Success within this role will be measured through:
-
Positive outcomes for young people.
-
Stable and effective leadership within services.
-
Strong inspection outcomes.
-
Positive stakeholder relationships.
-
Effective safeguarding practice.
-
Staff retention and culture.
-
Proactive risk management.
-
Quality assurance outcomes.
-
Service improvement and operational stability.
-
Consistent implementation of therapeutic and trauma-informed practice across services.
