Assistant House Parent

Location:

Manchester, GB

Opening Date: 11 Apr 2025

Full Time / Part Time: Full Time

Contract Type: Permanent

Closing Date of Applications – 25/04/25

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an assessment centre-style interview, taking place on Thursday 8th May 2025. Please ensure you are available on this date, as attendance is essential to progress in the recruitment process.

Our Story

Manchester City is an English Premier League club whose roots began in East Manchester. From its first incarnation as St Mark’s West Gorton in 1880, the club became Manchester City FC in 1894. Behind each title lies emotion, moments and memories that resonate with millions of supporters around the world.

Our Winning Team

MCFC is built on a vision for sustainability, with an academy structure designed to support long-term first team success, to engagement with the communities in which we reside. Together with our passionate fans and valued network of partners, we are developing Manchester City’s future history.

Working in pairs, House Parents act in loco parentis for up to 38 elite football players living in purpose-built boarding accommodation at Manchester City FC Academy, located on the City Football Academy campus. This includes full-time players (typically U17/U18s), short-term visitors, younger players, and trialists.

Part of the Performance Lifestyle & Player Support team, House Parents are responsible for the welfare and safety of boarding players, setting high behavioural standards and supporting each player's personal and professional development. They will collaborate with all relevant Academy departments to establish and continually refine operating protocols and procedures for the smooth running of the boarding facility.

Reporting to the Senior House Parents, they must uphold all relevant legislation, regulations, and best practices. House Parents will reside on-site during shifts. Please note: accommodation does not permit dependants, personal visitors, or pets.

This is Your City

As part of our team, you will be entitled to 26 days annual leave plus an additional day off for your birthday, private healthcare and a simply health cash plan, an annual discretionary bonus, plus a range of partnership and lifestyle discounts.

Your Impact

1. Safeguard the physical and emotional welfare of players in boarding, creating a secure, family-style environment that offers respite from formal development programmes.
2. Build respectful, youth-centred relationships, recognising and responding to each player's unique circumstances, needs, and strengths, while maintaining strict confidentiality.
3. Ensure full compliance with safeguarding legislation and guidance for residential settings, including monitoring and recording under-16 and paying residents' stays, maintaining player care records, and adhering to Data Protection regulations.
4. Liaise with Senior House Parents and academy staff on player welfare and facility management; contribute to internal reports; coordinate with CFA Facilities Management on domestic operations and maintenance issues.
5. Support the Performance Lifestyle team in developing age-appropriate education programmes and MCFC resources for players, parents, host families, and House Parents; host external visitors and assist in personal development sessions.
6. Provide opportunities for boarding players to develop maturity through age-appropriate freedoms and responsibilities.
7. Build strong relationships with players' families and the House Parent team, attending meetings and handovers.
8. Attend and engage in required training and CPD, demonstrating continuous improvement and contributing to academy goals.

What we are looking for

Essential

• Knowledge of safeguarding requirements and legislation.
• Excellent communication skills and able to quickly build and establish positive relationships with a variety of different stakeholders.
• Empathy with, and understanding of, the needs of young players living away from home and in boarding accommodation.
• Excellent command of the English language both written and oral.
• Experience of working with children and young adults.
• Ability to solve complex problems under pressure.
• The ability to co-ordinate and organise a large group of individuals and provide structure and standards consistently.
• Flexible attitude to working hours, including bank holidays, evenings and weekends as required.
• Self-starter, able to work under minimal direction, and willing to work as a supportive part of the close-knit community that exists within the Academy staffing structure.
• Willingness to work in loco parentis for the young people in their charge and may be required on occasion to represent the needs of these young people to St Bede’s College, Academy staff, parents or guardians.
• Desire to work in a fast-moving, multi-disciplinary, team-based environment.
• Understanding of boarding or residential childcare operations.

Desirable

• Experience of coaching and/or mentoring children or young adults to support their personal and/or professional development.
• Boarding School, Residential Care or social work or similar qualifications.
• Evidence of appropriate Houseparent training (e.g. Board Schools Association qualifications and CPD) and experience of residential child-care.
• Previous experience in a house parent or care manager role in a child-centred environment.
• Training relating to coaching, mentoring, working with children or young adults.
• First aid training.
• Food hygiene.
• Knowledge of Health and Safety legislation.

City Football Group promotes equal opportunities in employment and we positively welcome applications from all candidates regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

We will screen all applicants and select candidates whose skills and experience seem to meet our needs. We will carefully consider your application during the initial screening and will contact you only if you are selected for an interview.

Employment is subject to the provision of proof of eligibility to work in the UK.

Due to our safeguarding promise, all UK based CFG roles will be subject to a DBS check upon commencing employment with us. This will be either a basic, standard or enhanced check depending on the job role and responsibilities.