Most manager roles ask you to inherit someone else's systems and culture. This is different: you're building a solo home from the ground up in central Manchester, with the backing of a growing provider that's genuinely committed to education and social pedagogy. If you're a registered manager ready to make your mark, or an experienced deputy hungry for your first registration, this could be the role that defines your career
This is a brand new home opening in central Manchester, and you'll shape its entire culture from day one. You'll manage a small, intimate setting designed around the principle that children in residential care deserve the same opportunities as everyone else. Your job is to create an environment where young people don't just survive, but thrive, learn and build real plans for independence
You'll lead a team including a deputy manager, senior residential social workers and residential care workers, giving them the space to grow while you hold the quality bar high. You're responsible for safeguarding, supervision, staff development, budgets and the day-to-day lived experience of every child in the home. It's substantial, but it's also deeply purposeful work
The provider is deliberately small and growing thoughtfully - they're building a group of 2 or 3 bedded family-oriented homes over the next five to seven years. That means you're not just managing a building; you're part of founding something that actually believes in what it does. The Head of Care will report directly to you, giving you real autonomy and someone senior to work alongside
What you will be doing
- Lead and manage your deputy, senior residential social workers and residential care workers with supervision, feedback and genuine development in mind
- Hold the safeguarding bar: manage concerns, record and report in line with regulations and company policy, and ensure every child is protected
- Review and update core plans - placement plans, risk assessments, support plans - regularly and with real intent to improve outcomes
- Manage the home's budget within agreed guidelines and ensure the physical environment is safe, welcoming and fit for purpose
- Create the culture: foster an open, supportive atmosphere between staff and young people that enables real growth for both
- Build community links so the young people you support are genuinely part of local life, not isolated in the home
Why you will love working here
- Salary up to £70,000 - proper pay for a proper job
- 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays, enhanced pay for any overtime, and genuine flexibility to manage occasional out-of-hours contact and sleep-in duties
- Full DBS check coverage (we pay for the initial and all renewals), and access to up-to-date training courses so you keep developing
- Staff referral scheme worth £250 per successful placement, plus Blue Light card discounts across high street retailers, days out, gifts, holidays and even cars
- The chance to build something from scratch: a home with real values, a small team you can shape, and the backing of a provider that actually means what it says about education and independence
Is this you?
- You hold Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for the provider, or you're genuinely working towards it
- You're either a registered manager ready for a new challenge, or a senior deputy with real experience and the drive to take registration on
- You have secondary education with solid literacy and numeracy, and a current driving licence (essential for the role)
- You understand safeguarding thoroughly and won't compromise on it, even under pressure
- You believe that social pedagogy, education and place matter - that how children live shapes who they become
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.