Area Manager

Action for Children; Banbury, Oxford, Abingdon; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 61,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Over 7 weeks leave with buy/sell leave

Cycle to work scheme

Professional training opportunities

Flexible family leave packages

Life assurance 5% employer contrib.

Blue Light Card discounts

Wellbeing Day

Job summary

Action for Children seeks an Area Manager (Responsible Individual) to lead three children’s homes in Oxfordshire. The role is home-based with regular travel to the homes in Banbury, Headington, and Abingdon, delivering strategic direction and strong leadership across services.

You will ensure compliance with Ofsted and CQC standards, develop teams, and build partnerships with commissioners. The role requires dedication to safeguarding and excellent stakeholder collaboration.

Qualifications

• Leadership experience and staff management.
• Strong networking and relationship-building skills.
• Experience delivering placement/commissioned services.
• Knowledge of Ofsted regulatory requirements.
• Experience delivering services for children with disabilities.

Responsibilities

• Ensure service delivery meets regulations and performance standards (Ofsted and CQC).
• Act as Responsible Individual for the homes in the cluster.
• Promote safeguarding practices and advocate for children and families.
• Lead and develop a strong team.
• Collaborate with business development, fundraising, and other colleagues.
• Build and maintain relationships with commissioners.
• Contribute to tenders and grant applications.
• Oversee resource planning and implement changes.

Skills

Lead and manage staff

Networking and relationship building

Experience managing placement/marketed

Ofsted regulatory knowledge

Operational services for children with

Education

L5 Leadership Qualification (or working towards)

Job description

Job Title: Area Manager (Responsible Individual)

Salary: Up to £55,000 - Dependent on experience and qualifications.

Location: Oxfordshire - This is a home-based role, although you will be required to travel to our three children’s homes ona regular basis, they are based in Banbury, Headington and Abingdon.

Contract: Permanent Full-time 37 hours a week.

Benefits:

• Over 7 weeks inclusive paid leave and the option to buy or sell leave
• Cycle to work scheme
• Excellent training and the opportunity to undertake professional training for some roles
• Flexible maternity, paternity and adoption packages
• Up to 5% employer contribution and life assurance cover
• Blue Light Card eligibility with discounts at 15,000 national retailers
• As part of our commitment to staff wellbeing, you’ll receive a paid annual Wellbeing Day to use however you choose, supporting a healthy balance between work and life.

At Action for Children, we offer more than just a job. Join us and you’ll be part of a team dedicated to giving children safe and happy childhoods. See how your skills can make a real difference, helping solve the problems children and young people face every day.

A bit about the role:

We have an exciting opportunity for an Area Manager to lead our threeChildren's homesacross Oxfordshire, providing strategic direction, operational oversight and support to an established leadership team.

You will inspire and develop colleagues, promote a positive and inclusive culture, and ensure our services deliver the best possible outcomes for children. As the Responsible Individual, you will bring a strong understanding of Ofsted regulations and quality standards, alongside excellent partnership-working skills.

This is a home-based role, with regular travel across Oxfordshire to build relationships and provide visible, supportive leadership within our services. It’s a fantastic opportunity to shape services, develop teams and make a lasting difference to the lives of disabled children and their families.

If you are a values-driven leader who is excited by innovation, partnership working and helping children thrive, we would love to hear from you.

What you do could make a difference

• Ensure service delivery meets regulations and performance standards (Ofsted and CQC)
• Act as the Responsible Individual for the homes in the cluster.
• Promote safeguarding practices and advocate for children and families.
• Lead and develop a strong team.
• Collaborate with business development, fundraising, and other colleagues.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with commissioners.
• Contribute to tenders and grant applications.
• Implement necessary changes and oversee resource planning.

Let's talk about you.

We're looking for someone resilient with strong leadership skills and a positive approach to change. Our Area Manager job description at the bottom of the advert outlines the requirements of the role but ideally, you will have:

• L5 Leadership Qualification (or working towards).
• Ability to lead, motivate, and manage staff.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective networks and relationships.
• Experience managing and delivering placement/commissioned services.
• Knowledge of Ofsted regulatory requirements.
• Experience managing operational services for children and families, specifically for children with disabilities.

Why Action for Children?

Every child should have a loving home, food, warmth, the chance to grow and learn - the support to cope with life’s challenges. But too many children don’t. By bringing your passion and unique skills and experience, you’ll help us change that where it really matters.

We’ve been driven by love to take action for children for over 150 years, giving them the protection and practical help they need. A lot’s changed since 1869. But what children really need, hasn’t. So as long as children need us, we’ll be here.

Will you join us?

About the Service

We provide three specialist services for disabled children across Oxfordshire. These include one long-stay children’s home and two overnight short break homes, offering support to children and families five nights a week.

Having established strong foundations over the past two years, we are committed to continuing to develop our services and ensuring children receive high-quality, individualised care and opportunities to thrive.

Our Commitment to Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism

At Action for Children, we are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and able to thrive. We know that racism and discrimination create barriers, and we are taking active steps to challenge these inequalities in our organisation and in the communities we serve.

We strongly welcome applications from people who are Black and global Majority or from other racialised and ethnically marginalised communities, as well as disabled people, who are currently under‑represented in our workforce. We are committed to removing barriers in our recruitment processes and ensuring fair access to opportunities.

We also encourage applications from men, who are under‑represented in our Children’s Services roles. We recognise that people hold multiple identities, and we value the richness this brings to our team.

Want to know more about Action for Children?

Find us on Linkedin, Facebook or YouTube to get to know us better.

Job Description

See below for further information about working with us:

AfC Commitment Statement

Management Competency Framework

Make a Difference - A Career in Residential Services