Most deputy manager roles leave you feeling like you're just keeping the ship afloat. This one gives you the chance to lead, grow, and genuinely shape how vulnerable young people get the support they need. If you're a senior practitioner or existing deputy ready for your next move, we need to talk
You'll be joining a nurturing, warm home supporting just 3 young people through their toughest years and into a better future. As Deputy Manager, you won't be sidelined: you'll be at the heart of our leadership team, trusted to step up and manage the home when needed, backed by specialist clinical advisors who help you deliver outcomes that actually matter
We've built our own therapeutic model called Keys Connect, and as part of the regional leadership team, you'll play an active role in shaping how it evolves. Your ideas aren't just heard - they're implemented. You'll sit in team meetings where your voice genuinely influences the direction of the service
Here's what makes this different: we actively invest in your growth. We'll fund your Level 5 qualifications and support you to step up into a Registered Manager role if that's where you want to go. Your development isn't an afterthought - it's core to how we work. When our people thrive, so do the children in our care
What you will be doing
- Co-lead the home alongside the Manager, providing hands-on support to the 3 young people and overseeing their day-to-day care and therapeutic progress
- Step in to manage the home when the Manager is absent, making key decisions and maintaining the home's safeguarding and pastoral standards
- Work with specialist clinical advisors to plan and deliver individualised, evidence-based support using our Keys Connect therapeutic model
- Manage rotas, budgets and admin alongside frontline care, balancing leadership duties with direct involvement in the young people's lives
- Contribute to the regional leadership team, feeding back ideas and helping shape the evolution of our approach across the service
Why you will love working here
- Salary from £35,308 rising to £37,605 per annum, plus £62.64 per sleep-in shift
- We'll fully fund your Level 5 qualifications and ongoing professional development, with clear progression pathways toward Registered Manager roles
- 39 hours per week working a mix of long days and admin days, plus occasional sleep-ins - structured so you can actually have a life outside work
- 28 days annual leave including bank holidays, enhanced company maternity and paternity pay, NEST pension scheme, and access to wellbeing support through our Employee Assistance Programme
- Discount schemes, staff referral bonuses up to £500, regular supervisions and appraisals, and a real sense of being part of a growing regional team where your contribution matters
Is this you?
- Are you currently a Deputy Manager in a children's residential home, or a Senior practitioner ready to step up?
- Do you hold NVQ Level 3 or 4 in Children and Young People, and have at least 2 years' experience in residential children's care?
- Are you confident with Ofsted regulations, safeguarding procedures, budgets and rotas?
- Do you hold a full UK driving licence and have access to your own vehicle (essential for this role)?
- Are you someone who wants to be part of a team where your voice is heard and your growth is actively supported?
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.