Children’s Home Manager

Children's Home Manager

Location: Nelson

Salary: up to £55,000 plus bonuses

Lead a dedicated team making a real difference to children’s lives in a well-established, high-quality residential setting. This is a chance to shape the culture, standards, and outcomes of a permanent children’s home in Nelson, with the autonomy to drive continuous improvement and the backing of a supportive senior leadership team. You’ll be rewarded with a competitive salary, clear progression, and an extensive benefits package that recognises your impact.

About the Role:

As Children’s Home Manager, you will take full responsibility for the day-to-day running of a permanent residential home, ensuring the highest standards of care, safety, and safeguarding for the children in your care. You will lead and develop your team to deliver consistently positive outcomes, while maintaining full regulatory compliance and achieving strong Ofsted results. Working closely with external agencies, families, and internal stakeholders, you will drive a child-centred culture and continuous improvement across the home.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead, manage, and motivate the staff team to deliver high-quality, person-centred care and support to children.
• Oversee the day-to-day operational management of the home, ensuring safe, effective, and efficient service delivery at all times.
• Ensure full compliance with Ofsted regulations, relevant legislation, and organisational policies, preparing for and managing inspections.
• Implement and monitor care plans and behaviour support strategies, ensuring the emotional, social, and educational needs of each child are met.
• Conduct regular staff supervision, performance reviews, and team meetings, addressing performance issues and supporting professional development.
• Manage budgets, resources, and rota planning to ensure adequate staffing levels and cost-effective operation of the home.
• Maintain high standards of record keeping, reporting, and documentation, including incident reports, risk assessments, and regulatory returns.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with external agencies, families, and professionals to support positive outcomes for children.

Key Requirements:

• A minimum of 2 years’ experience in a role relevant to the residential care of children.
• At least 12 months’ experience in a managerial, senior, team leader, or supervisory role within care.
• Proven leadership and team management skills, with experience of staff supervision and performance management.
• In-depth knowledge of relevant legislation, best practice, and regulatory expectations, including Ofsted regulations.
• Strong understanding of safeguarding, risk management, and behaviour support within children’s residential services.
• Excellent report writing and record-keeping skills, with attention to detail and accuracy.
• Confident decision-maker, able to manage complex situations, prioritise effectively, and remain calm under pressure.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence, challenge, and support staff and stakeholders.

Desirable Skills:

• Experience of successfully managing or deputising in a children’s residential home through Ofsted inspections.
• Background in developing and implementing service improvement plans and quality assurance processes.
• Experience working with children with complex needs, trauma, or challenging behaviour.
• Competence in using care management systems and digital record-keeping tools.
• Experience in budget management and resource planning within a care setting.

Qualifications:

• Level 3 Diploma in Leadership and Management (or equivalent) – essential.
• Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management (or equivalent) – desirable, or willingness to work towards this.
• Relevant social care qualification in children’s residential care – desirable.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development in safeguarding, behaviour management, and leadership.

You will benefit from a competitive salary of up to £55,000, plus a bonus structure with potential to earn up to £8,500, 28 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, a day off for your birthday, company sick pay, Death in Service at 4 x basic salary, access to a free company holiday home in the Peak District, Green Hybrid and EV car scheme, healthcare cashback plan, company pension, comprehensive paid induction (Bild-accredited) and ongoing training, strong career progression opportunities, cycle to work scheme, monthly recognition awards, casual dress code, big-brand deals and discounts, food while on shift, and free parking.

If you are an experienced children’s residential care professional ready to take ownership of a high-performing home, we’d like to hear from you. To apply for this role please call Tabitha at Purosearch on 01904570050 or send your CV for immediate attention to t.wagstaff@purosearch.com