Children's Home Deputy Manager - Poppy House

Shaw Trust; England; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A charitable organization in the United Kingdom seeks a Deputy Manager to oversee operations at Poppy House. The ideal candidate will lead the staff team, support the emotional and practical needs of children, and ensure that care plans are effectively implemented. Responsibilities include supervision, operational oversight, and quality assurance. This role requires prior experience in childcare leadership and a commitment to promoting a nurturing and safe environment.

Benefits

33 days annual leave

Health Plan 360

Employee Assistance Program

Wellbeing support

Discounts on shopping and entertainment

Cycle to Work Scheme

Refer a Friend bonus

Overtime opportunities

Qualifications

• Previous experience working with children and young people in a leadership role.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to engage with children.
• Confidence to handle challenging situations with calmness.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Home Manager in leading and managing the staff team.
• Support the day-to-day operations of the home.
• Develop and implement individual care plans for each child.

Skills

Leadership

Interpersonal skills

Crisis management

Patience

Team mentorship

Education

QCF Level 3 Residential Childcare (or equivalent)

Job description

As Deputy Manager, you'll work closely with the Registered Manager to oversee the day‑to‑day running of Poppy House. You'll lead and support the staff team to deliver emotionally intelligent, reflective care - promoting safeguarding, education, and inclusion in line with Ofsted standards and the individual needs of the young people.

This role blends leadership, administration, and hands‑on support to create a truly holistic approach to care. More than just stepping up when needed, it's about showing up every day with emotional stability, professional boundaries, and a commitment to growth.

You'll help embed a culture of empathy, accountability, and therapeutic leadership - guiding the team through complex situations with curiosity and calm, and ensuring every child receives care rooted in presence, not power.

Responsibilities

• Supervision and Leadership: Assist the Home Manager in leading and managing the staff team, including recruitment, training, and supervision.
• Operational Oversight: Support the day‑to‑day operations of the home, ensuring a safe, nurturing, and structured environment.
• Care Planning: Develop and implement individual care plans for each child, ensuring their physical, emotional, and social needs are met.
• Nurturing Support: Build positive relationships, providing emotional and practical support and create an environment where our children feel safe and loved.
• Quality Assurance: Monitor and maintain the quality of care provided, conducting regular assessments and implementing improvements where necessary.
• Training and Development: Assist in the training and ongoing development of staff, promoting best practices in childcare and support.
• Record Keeping: Maintain records detailing the journey of our children, in a way that is thoughtful and meaningful.
• Making Memories: Providing opportunities and experiences to make happy memories.
• Crisis Management: Respond to emergencies and incidents in a calm manner, ensuring appropriate action is taken and documentation completed.

Candidate Information

• All successful candidates will be subject to pre‑employment safer recruitment checks in line with Ofsted regulatory requirements and Homes2Inspire Safer Recruitment Policy.
• We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.
• Candidate applications will be reviewed regularly, and we reserve the right to interview candidates before the advertised closing date of this role.
• Due to partnership working with the local authority please be aware that personal information given by applicants may be shared with partners at any stage of the recruitment process.
• Interviews for this role will take place in‑person during pre‑planned assessment days, please contact the careers team if you have any accessibility requests or need reasonable adjustments (contact details below).

Qualifications

• Previous experience working with children and young people in a leadership role in a residential or similar setting is essential.
• QCF Level 3 Residential Childcare (or equivalent).
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage with children and work collaboratively with colleagues and other professionals.
• Have the confidence to handle challenging situations with patience and a calm demeanour.
• You will be able to lead a team to achieve positive outcomes, providing them with guidance and mentorship to develop in their roles.

At Poppy House, we are passionate about children and young people's self‑esteem and mental well‑being. We aspire to help children and young people to make informed, positive choices in their lives.

This is a solo placement home, for children or young people of any gender. At Poppy House we believe in being adaptable and flexible within our approach to ensure that the young person is given the best possible support that they need to reach their full potential, also ensure that we follow a child centred model. The young person is fully involved in their plans and are able to give input into what goes into their plans and the goals that have been set for them.

Since opening our first home in 2007, Homes2Inspire, which is part of the Shaw Trust, has become the largest charitably owned residential children's home provider in the UK. We have grown and developed to over 55 homes, two supported accommodation developments and provide high needs foster care with plans to develop further!

We provide homes and services that are nurturing, warm and welcoming. Our caring staff teams are committed to providing safe, well‑planned care to children and young people who have often faced real challenges in their early years.

In order for our staff team to provide the best possible experiences to our children and young people, we are fully committed to offering continuous training, support and development as well as future career development opportunities.

You will typically be required to work more office hours, Monday to Friday, however there will be occasions you will be required to work evenings and weekends to cover shifts when needed to meet the needs of the home.

You will also be required to participate in the Managers on call rota. There is an on call payment of £1,800 per annum available on completion of probation.

What We Offer

• 33 days annual leave inclusive of bank holidays
• Unum Health Plan 360 – claim back an annual cost of everyday healthcare, such as dental, optical treatment and specialist treatment
• Employee Assistant Program (EAP) – 24/7 access to support via phone, sms, whatsapp and live chat. 8 free counselling sessions/short-term solutions provided
• Wellbeing support – We have an internal health and wellbeing team who are on hand and available to provide professional help and support during difficult times. Our team all have an NHS clinical background and are trained in their field of expertise
• Shopping, Cinema and Holiday discounts – you can also sign up to the Blue Light discount card for £4.99 for 2 years to access additional online and retail savings
• Cycle to Work Scheme – a cost-effective solution to getting new cycling equipment
• ‘Refer a Friend’ scheme where employees can earn a £500.00 bonus for every successful applicant referred to us
• Overtime & Sleeps: Overtime opportunities available and sleep in allowance of £46.01 per sleep