Most senior care roles ask you to choose between real leadership and actual childcare - between pushing paperwork or being hands-on with the young people who need you. This one doesn't. You'll get to do both: mentor your team, shape how this home runs, and spend your shifts delivering the care that actually transforms lives, all while earning £27,875 - £30,500 plus sleep-in payments and a fully funded Level 5 Diploma
Picture your week: you're leading a shift, spotting what one young person needs before they ask, then pulling a newer staff member aside to show them how you just did that - that's the mentoring that sticks. You're working a 2 on, 4 off rota, which means proper time to breathe between your shifts, and when you're in the home you're genuinely present, not split between five different tasks. The young people in your care are dealing with real stuff - trauma, disruption, uncertainty - and they need adults who can hold steady and model what good looks like. That's you
This provider takes compliance seriously - we implement the Children Act 1989, the Care Standards Act 2000, the home Regulations 2015 - but they do it because they actually care about doing right by the kids, not just ticking boxes. You'll work alongside a Registered Manager and Deputy Manager who want your input, not just your compliance. Your role is to support the team in delivering best possible childcare, to coach staff in real childcare practice, and to help coordinate health, education and therapy services so each young person gets exactly what they need
The benefits stack up in a way that shows they value you: death in service cover at 3 times your salary, a Health Cash Plan covering dental, opticians and physiotherapy (and you can add your own children free), cycle to work and technology schemes, and bonus schemes for attendance and employee of the month. Plus you get your birthday off as well as your 4 weeks' holiday pro rata. You'll earn sleep-in payments averaging £50 across roughly 10 nights per month on top of your base salary
What you will be doing
- Lead your shift by example - showing staff how to implement placement plans and putting safeguarding at the heart of everything you do
- Mentor and coach your team in real childcare practice, working with the Registered and Deputy Managers to help staff improve their outcomes for the young people
- Coordinate access to health, education and therapy services so each child and young person's needs are met in full
- Act as shift leader, ensuring the home runs smoothly and efficiently while keeping the focus on delivering warm, caring childcare
- Support the managers in quality assurance, regulatory compliance and the annual inspection process - ensuring standards never drop
- Provide out-of-hours on-call support to the team on a rota basis with other managers
Why you will love working here
- Salary of £27,875 - £30,500 depending on experience, plus sleep-in payments averaging £50 across around 10 nights per month
- Your Level 5 Diploma funded in full - they'll pay for it because they want you qualified and growing
- A genuine 2 on, 4 off rota that gives you time to actually recover between shifts, plus 4 weeks' holiday pro rata and your birthday off
- Financial support you'll actually use: Health Cash Plan covering dental, opticians, physiotherapy and online GP (add your own children free), plus cycle to work and technology schemes
- Death in service cover at 3 times your salary, employee assistance programme, and bonus schemes for attendance and employee of the month
Is this you?
- Is this you? You've worked in residential care long enough to know what good practice looks like - and to spot when it's slipping
- You're someone staff want to learn from: you can model how to do the work well and explain why it matters, not just bark orders
- You take safeguarding seriously - you know the legislation, you live the values, and you won't compromise on a young person's safety or wellbeing
- You're practical and calm under pressure - you can hold a crisis with a young person, then turn around and help your team process what just happened
- You've got the admin head too - you can help keep the recording systems and regulatory paperwork tight without losing sight of the humans in front of you
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.