Residential Childrens Homes Manager

Overview

In this role you will lead a short-term residential home for 11–17 year-olds, ensuring safe, therapeutic placements and high-quality care. You will recruit and develop staff, work with families and partner agencies, and uphold safeguarding and regulatory standards. You’ll shape the new Chelmsford home and contribute to the wider Children and Families aims of collaboration, integrity and compassionate support. This is a leadership role with a strong impact on vulnerable children’s outcomes. You will operate as the safeguarding lead and drive continuous improvement in a challenging yet rewarding environment.

Responsibilities

• Manage a Short-Term Children’s Home and handle complex issues 24/7 on call
• Lead and supervise a multi-disciplinary staff team to ensure a safe, therapeutic environment
• Ensure compliance with legislative frameworks, policies, and regulations; use quality assurance tools to monitor risk and outcomes
• Collaborate with placement services, out of hours, foster teams to meet care needs
• Build partnerships with local teams (DBit, Youth Offending Team) to enable effective interventions
• Support family reunification where safe; plan longer-term care if reunification isn’t possible
• Apply professional knowledge to deliver high-quality services to children and families
• Develop relationships with the local community and integrate children into community activities
• Line manage deputy manager and three specialist roles (social worker, teacher, psychotherapist)
• Participate in strategy meetings and understand responsibilities under the Children Act (s20, s31, s38)
• Operate within annual performance targets and objectives

Key requirements

• Professional care qualification at RQF level 5 (Diploma) or equivalent, with post-qualification training
• Significant management experience in a residential setting with children and young people
• Knowledge of safeguarding, regulations, and legislation relevant to children’s residential care
• Evidence of continuing professional development and knowledge of childcare theories and trauma
• Strong leadership for a diverse, multidisciplinary team
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills with partners, social workers, and families
• Ability to manage cultural and operational change and contribute to policy evaluation
• Registered Manager award with OFSTED is desirable
• Passion for safeguarding and promoting welfare of children and young people

• leadership
• communication
• collaboration
• regulatory compliance
• risk management
• quality assurance

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