Centre Manager

Stepping Stones District Specialist Centre; Trowbridge; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

An established charity is seeking a passionate leader to manage a dedicated team focused on supporting children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. This role offers the opportunity to drive innovation and inclusion while ensuring compliance with local authority contracts. The successful candidate will thrive in a collaborative environment, fostering a culture of professional development and community partnership. If you're ready to make a meaningful impact in the lives of children and their families, this position provides a rewarding challenge with the chance to lead a vital service in the community.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership and organizational skills in managing teams.
• Experience in Early Years Practice and working with children with Special Needs.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily operations and ensure compliance with safeguarding policies.
• Manage staff recruitment, training, and development to maintain high standards.

Skills

Leadership Skills

Organisational Skills

Communication Skills

Empathy

Team Management

ICT Literacy

Education

Professional Qualification in Social Care, Education, Health or Management

Tools

Microsoft Applications

Job description

Ready to Lead Real Change in SEND?

Looking for a new challenge this September?

Stepping Stones is on the lookout for a passionate individual to manage our outstanding team. This isn’t just another job – it’s a chance to lead a service that puts children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) first, every day.

We’re an independent charity with a bold mission: helping children 0–5 with SEND take their first steps with confidence, joy and the specialist support they deserve. As the current holder of the Wiltshire Council contract for the District Specialist Centre in West Wiltshire, we’re trusted to deliver excellence – and we do, every day.

Now, we’re seeking someone special to take the reins. You’ll oversee the daily running of our service, support an experienced team, and help us drive innovation and inclusion forward. Don’t worry – our Trustees and senior management team will be on hand to support the successful candidate.

We’re looking for someone who:

Brings energy, empathy, and experience to the table

Has a clear vision for outstanding early years provision

Thrives in a collaborative child centred environment

Believes every child with SEND deserves to reach their full potential

If that sounds like you – and you’re ready to make a meaningful impact – we can’t wait to meet you.

Hours: 30 - 35 hours per week (min 6hrs per day) Term time only contract (Term time 39 weeks per year plus 5.6 weeks paid annual leave). Flexible overtime as required, this may be outside usual workinghours to meet the necessary requirements of the position.

Responsibilities

Safeguarding

• Act as Designated Safeguarding Lead for the setting, meeting all requirements of the role and to undertake any training required.
• Knowledge of the Local Authority Safeguarding policies and proceduresand attendance at relevant training to ensure best safeguarding practices are in place.

Service Programme

• Ensure Stepping Stones remains focussed on our charitable aims and objectives.
• Advise on and monitor the contract with Wiltshire Council and ensure services specified are delivered within budget through best practice.
• Attend Annual Service Level reviews with Wiltshire Council.
• Accountable for the delivery and reporting on operational KPI’s ensuring accurate capture, dissemination, review and learning from the data collected.
• Collate relevant data and records as required to monitor service delivery and plan for future provision.
• Ensure that the current legislation and guidance which supports the provision of good practice is being fully implemented.
• Liaise with other agencies and professionals to enable each child’s special educational and care needs to be met.
• Attend Management Committee/AGM meetings to inform and advise on the progress and needs of the setting.
• Ongoing liaison with the Business Manager and SEND Inclusion Manager to devise and maintain effective systems to ensure the efficient day to day running of the setting.
• Resolve and deal with any internal or external complaints or grievances following guidelines as outlined in the appropriate policy document.

Staff and Volunteer Management

• Manage, motivate and develop all members of staff in order to maintain and improve high levels of morale, commitment and professionalism within the team.
• Work with Trustees to ensure that Policies and Procedures are up to date and comply with legislation and best practice.
• Ensure Staff and Volunteers are fully conversant with Stepping Stones policies and procedures and that these are fully implemented.

Day to Day Management requirements:

• Ensure adequate levels of staffing at all times;
• Recruitment and Induction of new staff members;
• Appraisals/Supervision;
• Development/training of new and existing staff to ensure safe working practice;
• Disciplinary issues;
• Managing absences.
• Promote a culture of professional self-reflection and evaluation of practice.
• Encourage and facilitate a multi-agency approach to working practice.
• Facilitate a regular review of the provision of training and development opportunities available to the setting so that Stepping Stones can continue to meet the evolving requirements of children with special needs and their families.

Fundraising and Community Partnership

• Oversee and support Fundraising events to ensure they are planned to be financially sound, organised, inclusive, safe and positively enhance the reputation of Stepping Stones.
• Ensure compliance with fundraising regulations and guidance.
• Promote Stepping Stones as a community resource willing to work in partnership to develop services and support for children with special needs.
• Network with other Early Year’s professionals and professional groups or organisations as appropriate to ensure that the Stepping Stones service is effectively represented:

Other responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Responsible for maintaining a welcoming and safe working environment.
• Responsible for maintaining a safe and stimulating environment (as defined by Ofsted) to ensure that the children supported by the setting can learn through play and therapy.
• Ensure quality information and support opportunities are sourced, promoted and available to the families of children who are known to Stepping Stones.
• Ensure a ‘Team Around the Child’ approach to the care of children attending the setting while maintaining and ensuring overall planning meets Ofsted requirements.
• Receive and process referrals and arranging and undertaking home visits to meet the parents and children to establish if the child referred would benefit from attending the setting.
• Collate data and records as required by Wiltshire Council to monitor success and to facilitate timely requests for an Education, Health and Care needs Assessment.
• Ensure that children’s needs can be reviewed and planned for in a Team around the Child approach:
• Facilitate completion of an annual Quality Assurance submission each year.

Qualifications

Essential Skills/Attitudes

• You will have a calm reassuring manner.
• You will be able to demonstrate evidence of having developed excellent leadership and organisational skills.
• You will have the ability to act on your own initiative and be skilled at managing the various demands and priorities placed on you.
• You will be a supportive team player able to motivate others to achieve joint goals.
• You will be a confident communicator able to present ideas and objectives clearly and effectively.
• Evidence of Professional Qualification in related area. (Social Care, Education, Health or Management).
• You will have a forward-thinking attitude to develop skills required.
• ICT Literate including Microsoft Applications.

Preferred Experience

• You will have knowledge and experience of Early Year’s Practice, ideally direct experience of managing an Early Years setting.
• You will have knowledge and experience of children with Special Needs.
• You will have worked within a multi-agency/professional team.
• You will have knowledge of regulations and legal compliance (e.g. HR, Health and Safety) but you are not expected to be an expert in these.
• Whilst an understanding of Early Years and SEND are an essential part of this role applications will be welcome from candidates who can demonstrate operational management skills without sector experience and are willing to learn.