Head of Responsible Individual – Consultancy Services

Jobtailor; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Delphi is seeking an experienced Responsible Individual to oversee an allocated portfolio of Ofsted-registered children’s homes in the UK. You will provide governance, oversight and accountability across services to promote safeguarding, high-quality care planning and strong operational delivery.

You will support and challenge Registered Managers, monitor regulatory performance, and lead inspections and improvement initiatives.

Qualifications

• Experience as a Responsible Individual in Ofsted-registered children's homes.
• Extensive leadership experience in children's residential care.
• Experience as Registered Manager / Operations Manager / Regional Manager / Head of Service / Director.
• Excellent understanding of Ofsted regulations, safeguarding and inspection frameworks.
• Strong experience in compliance, governance and quality assurance.
• Demonstrable track record of service improvement.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel nationally.
• Desirable: Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare.

Responsibilities

• Act as the named Responsible Individual for an allocated portfolio of Ofsted-registered children's homes.
• Provide governance, oversight and accountability across services.
• Promote excellence in safeguarding, care planning, leadership and operational delivery.
• Support and challenge Registered Managers to achieve high-performing and compliant services.
• Monitor quality assurance systems and regulatory performance.
• Review and evaluate Regulation 44 Reports, Regulation 45 Reviews, safeguarding matters, complaints, incidents and investigations.
• Ensure compliance with the Children's Homes Regulations 2015 and Quality Standards.
• Lead services through Ofsted inspections, registration processes and improvement initiatives.
• Build constructive relationships with Ofsted and external stakeholders.
• Lead the development and growth of Delphi's Responsible Individual and consultancy services.
• Deliver operational, regulatory and quality improvement consultancy support.
• Support organisations through growth, change, registration and service development.
• Identify opportunities within the children's residential care sector.
• Build and maintain client relationships.
• Support business development activity, tenders, proposals and strategic partnerships.
• Represent Delphi as a sector expert and ambassador.
• Undertake service audits and quality reviews.
• Develop and support implementation of improvement plans.
• Coach and mentor senior leaders and Registered Managers.
• Identify risks, trends and opportunities across services.
• Drive continuous improvement and excellence.

Skills

Governance Oversight

Quality Assurance Monitoring

Ofsted Regulations Expertise

Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement

Compliance & Inspection Preparation

Service Improvement

Communication & Relationship Building

Coaching & Mentoring

Education

Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare

Job description

• Act as the named Responsible Individual for an allocated portfolio of Ofsted-registered children's homes
• Provide governance, oversight and accountability across services
• Promote excellence in safeguarding, care planning, leadership and operational delivery
• Support and challenge Registered Managers to achieve high-performing and compliant services
• Monitor quality assurance systems and regulatory performance
• Review and evaluate Regulation 44 Reports, Regulation 45 Reviews, safeguarding matters, complaints, incidents and investigations
• Ensure compliance with the Children's Homes Regulations 2015 and Quality Standards
• Lead services through Ofsted inspections, registration processes and improvement initiatives
• Build constructive relationships with Ofsted and external stakeholders
• Lead the development and growth of Delphi's Responsible Individual and consultancy services
• Deliver operational, regulatory and quality improvement consultancy support
• Support organisations through growth, change, registration and service development
• Identify opportunities within the children's residential care sector
• Build and maintain client relationships
• Support business development activity, tenders, proposals and strategic partnerships
• Represent Delphi as a sector expert and ambassador
• Undertake service audits and quality reviews
• Develop and support implementation of improvement plans
• Coach and mentor senior leaders and Registered Managers
• Identify risks, trends and opportunities across services
• Drive continuous improvement and excellence

Requirements

• Previous experience as a Responsible Individual
• Extensive leadership experience within children's residential care
• Experience as a Registered Manager, Operations Manager, Regional Manager, Head of Service, Responsible Individual or Director
• Excellent understanding of Ofsted regulations, safeguarding and inspection frameworks
• Strong experience of compliance, governance and quality assurance
• Demonstrable track record of service improvement
• Outstanding communication and relationship-building skills
• Ability to provide both support and professional challenge
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel nationally
• Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (desirable)
• Multi-site operational leadership experience (desirable)
• Experience opening and registering children's homes (desirable)
• Consultancy experience (desirable)
• Business development or commercial experience (desirable)
• Experience supporting services from Inadequate or Requires Improvement to Good or Outstanding (desirable)
• Successful applicants will be subject to appropriate safeguarding and pre-employment checks

Core Competencies

Demonstrates extensive leadership and operational expertise in children's residential care, with a strong focus on compliance, quality assurance, and service improvement. Proven ability to build relationships with Ofsted and stakeholders while driving continuous improvement initiatives.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Responsible Individual Experience
• Leadership Experience in Children's Residential Care
• Understanding of Ofsted Regulations
• Compliance and Quality Assurance Expertise
• Service Improvement Track Record

Hard Skills

• Governance Oversight
• Quality Assurance Monitoring
• Regulation 44 Reports Review
• Regulation 45 Reviews Evaluation
• Operational Delivery
• Service Audits
• Improvement Plan Development
• Consultancy Support
• Business Development
• Multi-Site Operational Leadership

Soft Skills

• Outstanding Communication Skills
• Relationship-Building Skills
• Ability to Provide Professional Challenge
• Coaching and Mentoring Skills

Certifications & Qualifications

• Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare

Industry Keywords

• Children's Homes Regulations 2015
• Ofsted Inspections
• Safeguarding
• Service Development
• Quality Standards