Most manager roles in residential care feel like you're firefighting compliance whilst the real work - changing children's lives - gets squeezed into the margins. This one is different. You'll lead a small, intentional team using the PACE approach in a home where trauma-informed practice isn't a policy document, it's how every day actually works. If you're a Registered Manager or experienced Deputy ready to step up, this is the role that lets you manage properly and make a measurable difference
Picture this: you're leading a 2-bed therapeutic home where children arrive broken by trauma and leave with resilience, hope and real recovery. Your job is to create the conditions where that happens - hiring and developing staff who get it, maintaining the safeguarding standards that keep everyone safe, and building the kind of relationships with families and partner agencies that unlock genuine progress. You're not drowning in a sprawling operation; you're running a tight, thoughtful service where you actually know every child's story and can shape the direction of their care
The team you'll build includes a deputy working 9-5 to support you through every shift, plus an in-house therapist who's there for both children and staff. That means when crisis hits, you're not managing alone. When a child needs deeper work, it's not a referral to somewhere else - it's happening in-house. When your staff are carrying the weight of this work, they get proper support. That fundamentally changes what's possible in a small home
You'll use the ClearCare system to keep everything compliant and recorded, but the real measure of success is Ofsted. This provider has the drive to hit Outstanding, and you'll be leading the charge. With ongoing training, a supportive senior team backing you, and a pathway to dual registration (which lifts your salary even higher), you're joining a growing organisation that genuinely invests in its managers. This is a home built on PACE - Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy - and you'll lead it with those values running through everything
What you will be doing
- Lead the day-to-day running of the 2-bed children's home, overseeing all care practice and making sure the therapeutic model is lived, not just talked about
- Keep compliance tight: ensure the home meets Ofsted regulations, the home Regulations 2015, and quality standards, with full recording and care planning in ClearCare
- Build and develop your staff team, inspiring them to deliver consistent, child-centred practice and supporting their wellbeing so they can sustain this demanding work
- Safeguarding is non-negotiable: maintain excellent standards, lead safety culture and respond to concerns with clarity and professionalism
- Work collaboratively with children, families and partner agencies - social workers, schools, therapists - to understand each child's journey and keep everyone pulling in the same direction
- Drive the home towards Outstanding, using data, feedback and your own observations to spot what's working and what needs to shift
Why you will love working here
- Salary from £50,000 per annum, with enhanced pay available when you become dual-registered for our second home - rewarding you for your growth
- A deputy manager supporting you 9-5, plus an in-house therapist for both staff wellbeing and children's therapy - you're not carrying this alone
- Real professional development: ongoing training, a supportive senior leadership team, and genuine career progression within a growing provider
- Practical benefits that show the provider values you: pension scheme, death in service (3x salary), cycle to work scheme, and a monthly attendance bonus
- A workplace culture built on investing in people - where staff feel valued, supported and genuinely empowered to do their best work with children
Is this you?
- You've worked as a the home Manager, or you're an experienced Deputy Manager who's ready and able to complete your registration - and you know what good management actually looks like
- You understand the home Regulations 2015 and Quality Standards deeply enough that compliance feels like good sense, not bureaucracy
- You have (or are actively working towards) a Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management - or you can show equivalent experience that proves you can lead at this level
- You've used ClearCare or similar management systems; you're comfortable with recording and data without letting it slow down your actual work with children
- You hold a full UK driving licence and you're ready to be present and hands-on in a 2-bed home where being accessible matters
- You believe in trauma-informed practice, you get PACE, and you're someone staff want to follow because you walk the talk
Applications close on 12 October 2026. Great roles like this are filled quickly, so the sooner you apply the better.
Safeguarding: We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All roles are subject to an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.