Registered Manager (Childrens Residential Home)
Location: Bedford/ Bedfordshire
Salary: £60,000 - £75,000 (flexible for the right candidate)
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8 Hour Day Shifts
Contract: Full-time, Permanent
About Us
Were excited to be opening a new childrens care home and are looking for a passionate and experienced Registered Manager to help bring our vision to life.
Join a vibrant, forward-thinking new childrens home committed to creating a warm, supportive, and nurturing environment for children and young people aged 818 with emotional, behavioural, and complex needs (including learning difficulties).
This is a rare opportunity to shape a new home from the ground up and lead with our values, passion, and experience. Our home will operate within a therapeutic framework, embedding the principles of PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, and Empathy) and the Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) approach throughout all aspects of care and practice.
These approaches will be central to building trusting relationships, supporting emotional regulation, and helping young people heal from trauma.
We believe in more than just carewe aim to provide our young people with a true home, filled with stability, structure, compassion, and the space to thrive.
Your Role
As our Registered Manager, you will be at the heart of this exciting new journey. As this is a brand-new setting, the successful candidate will need to complete the Ofsted registration process. Experience in childrens residential care and a strong understanding of Ofsted requirements is essential.
As a thank-you for your commitment, a bonus will be awarded upon successful completion of the Ofsted registration.
You will lead and manage the daily operations of a 3-4-bed childrens home, ensuring high-quality care, safeguarding standards, and compliance with Ofsted regulations. Youll create an environment where staff feel empowered and children feel safe, supported, and celebrated.
Key Responsibilities
* Oversee the day-to-day running of the home, ensuring it operates efficiently and in line with the Statement of Purpose and regulatory requirements.
* Designate a Key Worker for each young person to ensure the effective delivery of their individual care plan.
* Serve as the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), ensuring all safeguarding issues are responded to without delay.
* Foster a strong safeguarding culture and ensure all staff are well-informed and trained in child protection policies and procedures.
* Collaborate closely with local safeguarding agencies, social workers, and external partners to safeguard the welfare of every child.
* Oversee the maintenance and implementation of up-to-date risk assessments and care plans for all children.
* Lead, mentor, and manage a skilled team, driving excellence in care and encouraging ongoing professional development.
* Uphold and embed safeguarding, child protection, and health and safety protocols.
* Foster strong relationships with children, families, staff, and external professionals, promoting a collaborative, child-centred approach.
* Monitor quality assurance and implement continuous improvements in line with Ofsted and internal standards.
* Take a proactive role in leading and participating in care planning and review meetings to ensure each childs needs are effectively addressed.
* Produce and implement development plans for service growth and long-term impact.
* Manage Complaints and Safeguarding Concerns: Take ownership of responding to complaints and ensuring all child protection issues are addressed promptly and appropriately.
* Be part of the on-call rota, providing out-of-hours support to staff as required.
Essential Requirements
* Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (or equivalent, or working towards).
* Minimum 2 years experience as a Registered Manager or in a similar senior leadership role within a childrens residential setting.
* Demonstrable experience working with children with emotional and behavioural difficulties and complex needs (EBD/SEMH/LD).
* Strong working knowledge of Ofsted regulations, Quality Standards, and the Childrens Homes Regulations 2015.
* Excellent leadership, organisational, and communication skills.
* Proven track record of achieving or maintaining a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating.
* Full UK Driving License.
Knowledge and Understanding
* Childrens Home Regulations and Quality Standards 2015, Single Social Care Inspection Framework (SSCIF), Children Act 1989, Children and Families Act 2014, Care Standards Act 2000, Children Act 2004, Working Together to Safeguard Children 2015, Health and Safety at work and associated guidance and regulation.
* Policies and procedures pertaining to running a residential childrens home.
* Child protection, safeguarding children, impact of abuse and neglect, education and health needs of looked after children, equality and diversity and childrens rights.
* Care and placement planning, risk and review processes.
* Understanding of the education, health, social, emotional and psychological needs of looked after children and young people and how to ensure these needs are met.
Desirable.
* A creative, solution-focused mindset, and the energy to help build a new, inspiring environment from the ground up.
* Proven experience opening or helping to establish a new childrens residential home.
* Training or certification in therapeutic approaches such as PACE or Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP).
* Strong understanding of trauma-informed care and child development.
* Experience supporting children and young people with emotional, behavioural, and complex needs, including learning difficulties.
* Demonstrated success in achieving positive outcomes during Ofsted inspections.
* Ability to lead, motivate, and develop a team within a therapeutic care setting.
* Confident in liaising with external agencies, including social workers, education providers, and safeguarding authorities.
* Flexible and resilient with a solution-focused, child-centered approach.
What We Offer
* A career-defining opportunity to lead a new and innovative childrens home.
* Access to high-quality training and CPD through our dedicated Childrens Social Care Academy.
* 28 days annual leave, including bank holidays (rising to 33 days after 5 years of service).
* Nest Pension Scheme 3% (currently 5% employer contribution).
* A supportive and values-led senior leadership team that prioritises well-being and work-life balance.
* With exciting expansion plans on the horizon, there will be multiple opportunities for career progression and significantly increased earning potential. A clear pathway to more senior managerial roles is in place as part of our planned growth.
* Genuine opportunity to make a lasting difference in young lives.
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