Children's Homes Lead Manager
Job Reference: HCC623736
Salary Range: £56,285 - £63,080 per annum
Work Location: Countywide, Hampshire
Hours per week: 37
Contract Type: Permanent
Closing Date: 29 April 2026
Interview Date: 8 May 2026
The Role:
As the Lead Manager, you will be essential in ensuring the continued success of our Ofsted-regulated Children’s Homes, ensuring we have strong and inspiring managers driving the highest quality practice to improve outcomes for our most vulnerable children and families. TheLead Manager will join the Residential Management Team to provide guidance and leadership to our in-house residential service.
In this key role, you will support and guide nine Children’s Homes, supporting the Service Manager by ensuring they continue to offer excellent care to Hampshire Children, being inspection ready and prepared for Ofsted visits.
What you’ll do:
* Lead and Manage: Take overall responsibility for ensuring the homes are compliant and Ofsted visit ready, ensuring the homes operate in line with the Statement of Purpose and delivers continuous improvement.
* Drive Quality and Compliance: Ensure the homes meet all statutory, regulatory, and health & safety requirements, working alongside the Responsible Individual and Registered Managers.
* Collaborate and Influence: Work in partnership with the Children’s Home Managers, to produce written documentation and support them to deliver training and support to their teams.
* Manage Resources Effectively:Oversee budgets, staffing and equipment to ensure the home runs efficiently and sustainably.
What we’re looking for:
* Qualified: A qualification is not essential, but a management or relevant qualification would be an advantage.
* Driven and ambitious, you will have a track record in delivering high quality and high performing social care / related services.
* Strong Safeguarding Knowledge: Possess significant experience in safeguarding and supporting children who have experienced trauma, harm, or abuse.
* Child-Centred Approach: Demonstrate a deep understanding of trauma-informed care and the ability to build positive, compassionate and supportive relationships with children.
* Determination to continuously improve services for children and families.
* Strong track record: you will be an experienced manager with a strong knowledge of social care and related legislation.
* InspiringTeam Leadership: You will have a strong track record successfully managing and developing staff and a desire to improve our in-house residential children’s homes.
* Excellent Communication: Confident in written and verbal communication, with the ability to write reports, chair meetings and use IT systems effectively.
Take a look at our Candidate Pack for more information about theLead Manager role,teamand our values.The section ‘About you’ explains what specific knowledge, skills and experience we want you to tell us about. Make sure you explain how you meet these requirements anddemonstrateour values, in your application.
* Make a difference:Create anurturingenvironmentwherethe lives of young people can be transformed.Find out more aboutour open residential homeshere .Hear more fromone of our managers .
* Career growth and development: Take the next step in your leadership career and strengthen your skills and expertise. You’ll enjoy access to Hampshire County Council’s wide range of training and learning development assets, which are known to be outstanding.
* Employee support: Access to Health Assured's comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme to support your physical and mental wellbeing, including 24/7 telephone support, a suite of online resources, and legal and financial advice.
* Competitive benefits package: Including generous annual leave entitlement, occupational sick pay, and access to the Local Government Pension Scheme. Find more informationhere .
Please note:We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role and therefore it is essential that you already have the right to work in the UK before applying.
Travel Requirements:
You will be required to travel to various locations within Hampshire, and it is essential that you have a current drivers’ licence and access to a reliable vehicle on a regular basis.
This post is subject to a Criminal Records Check.
Contact Details for an Informal Discussion:
Hampshire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment.
In order to combat discrimination, no unnecessary conditions or requirements will be applied which could have a disproportionately adverse effect on any one group. All sections of the population will have equal access to jobs. No applicant or employee will receive less favourable treatment because of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership and pregnancy or maternity, unless a Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR) applies.
We are a Disability Confident Employer - committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection process is inclusive and accessible.
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