Children's Home Manager

Suffolk County Council; Ipswich; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

Suffolk County Council is seeking a Registered Children’s Home Manager to lead two one-bed homes in Brandon and Shotley, aged 11-17. You will provide strategic leadership, ensure safe care, safeguarding and regulatory compliance, and supervise two small teams across both sites.

You will drive quality improvement, develop staff, build effective partnerships with families and social workers, and ensure a stable, nurturing environment for young people in our care.

Qualifications

• Two years in residential care with at least one year in supervision of staff.
• Willing to work towards Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare.
• Flexibility to undertake on-call duties.
• Experience in EBD sector.
• Full UK Driving Licence.

Responsibilities

• Lead two small, dedicated teams across Brandon and Shotley children's homes.
• Ensure high standards of care, safeguarding, and regulatory compliance.
• Oversee quality assurance, complaints handling and regulatory reporting.
• Recruit, supervise and develop staff across both homes.
• Build partnerships with families, social workers and schools to support outcomes.

Skills

Leadership

People management

Regulatory compliance

Safeguarding

Education

Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare

Job description

• Suffolk County Council


• Address: Brandon and Shotley Children's Homes, Suffolk, On-site working across both locations


• Salary: £49,752 - £60,792 per annum (pro rata for part time)


• Hours: 37 hours per week


• Contract: Permanent

At Suffolk County Council, every role is a chance to create positive change for young people in our care. As a Registered Children’s Home Manager, you will have responsibility for two one-bed children’s homes, one based in Brandon and one in Shotley.

This is an opportunity to lead two small, dedicated teams and ensure both homes provide safe, nurturing and stable environments where children and young people can feel valued, build positive relationships and achieve the best possible outcomes.

Your role and responsibilities

You will lead two small, dedicated teams providing high-quality care and support across our two one-bed children’s homes in Brandon and Shotley. You will provide leadership and management across both homes, with overall responsibility for ensuring consistently high standards of care, safeguarding, staff development and regulatory compliance. Each home provides a nurturing, safe and stable environment for one child or young person aged 11-17, enabling the teams to build strong relationships and provide individualised care tailored to their needs.

You will:

• lead and manage both one-bed children’s homes in Brandon and Shotley, achieving the best possible outcomes for the children and young people in our care


• maintain effective management oversight across both homes, ensuring safeguarding, risk management and compliance with Ofsted and statutory requirements


• recruit, supervise, develop and support staff across the two homes to deliver consistently high-quality care


• oversee quality assurance, complaints, regulatory reporting and continuous improvement across both services


• build strong partnerships with families, social workers, education providers and other agencies to support positive outcomes


• provide cover and manage the out-of-hours on-call arrangements, with the flexibility to provide leadership at either home when required.

You will need:

• will have within the last 5 years, worked at least two years in a position relevant to the residential care of children and worked for at least one year in a role requiring the supervision and management of staff working in a care role


• must have or be willing to work towards gaining a Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and management for Residential Childcare


• must be flexible to undertake on-call duties


• must have experience within EBD sector


• must hold a Full UK Driving License with access to your own transport.

To support your development, you will have access to regular training and monthly supervision with your line manager, helping you to feel supported and confident in your role.

You will also have access to virtual clinical supervision with an experienced professional, supporting your wellbeing and reflective practice while helping you to provide the best possible care for children and young people.

Take a look at what makes our Ideal Worker (pdf), shaped by the voices of young people.

We welcome applications from people looking to develop and progress their career within Social Care.

The Team

This is your chance to join a brand-new team and help shape a children’s home from the very beginning.

Our newly renovated homes in Shotley and Brandon are ready for their next chapter, and we’re looking for fantastic people to be part of it. From a team of Youth Support Practitioners and Senior Youth Support Practitioners through to the Deputy Manager, Home Manager and Handyperson every member of the team will play an important part in creating a home where children and young people can feel safe, supported and valued.

You will have the opportunity to grow together as a team, share ideas, learn from each other and create the kind of positive, supportive culture you’d be proud to be part of. It’s an exciting opportunity to make your mark in a new team while making a real difference to the lives of the children and young people you support.

Empowering Everyone

We are big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We are always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.

For more information

For an informal discussion about this role, please contact Beth Fletcher, Residential Service Manager, by calling 07732603793.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.