Learning & Development Partner - Children's Residential Services

Compass Associates; England; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Compass Associates is seeking a Learning & Development Partner for UK-wide delivery in children's residential services. The role focuses on designing and delivering practical training, including induction, safeguarding, and behavior support, with some in-person sessions and regional travel.

The successful candidate will train and upskill staff, ensuring readiness to meet high care standards while collaborating with the regional L&D team to continuously improve training effectiveness.

Qualifications

• 3+ years' experience in residential children's services.
• Knowledge of current legislation and policy trends in residential care.
• Experience with diverse learning approaches and L&D best practices.
• Strong numeracy, literacy and IT skills.
• Full UK driving licence with access to a vehicle.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the L&D team to design and deliver training aligned with current standards.
• Ensure all training sessions are well-organised and run smoothly with the L&D Coordinator support.
• Manage assessment and evaluation of training programmes, providing feedback for improvement.
• Stay informed of new legislation and best practice to keep content current and compliant.
• Act as a Subject Lead in a specific area of expertise to promote safe and effective practice.
• Uphold high standards of personal and professional conduct, including health and safety.

Skills

Communication skills

IT skills

Numeracy

Literacy

Teamwork

Independent working

Flexibility

Education

Training or teaching qualification

Tools

Driving licence

Job description

Title: Learning & Development Partner - Children's Residential Services

Location: Shropshire (With occasional regional travel)

Salary: £35,000 - £40,000 per annum, dependent on experience

Job Type: Full-time, Permanent (40 hours per week)

3 YEARS MINIMUM CHILDREN'S RESIDENTIAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

NO PREVIOUS TRAINING EXPERIENCE NEEDED - DEVELOPMENT PROVIDED

Please note that this role does not offer sponsorship, and candidates must have the right to work in the UK.

Overview

Compass Associates are proud to be working with a leading provider of children's residential care services, supporting them in the appointment of a Learning & Development Partner to join their growing L&D team.

Our client is committed to delivering outstanding, trauma-informed care to children and young people, and invests heavily in ensuring their workforce is equipped with high-quality, engaging training that reflects current best practice and regulatory standards.

The Role

As a Learning & Development Partner, you'll play a crucial role in delivering and enhancing training programmes across children's residential services. Drawing on your own experience within residential children's services, you'll train, educate, and upskill both new and existing staff, ensuring they're fully prepared to meet the high standards expected in their roles.

This is a predominantly delivery role, with training carried out online, interactive tools rather than the passive remote delivery of the past full training and support will be given. You'll still deliver some in-person sessions where needed, so this role suits someone based anywhere in the UK. Training will cover areas including (but not limited to) induction, safeguarding, positive approaches to behaviour, CSE and missing from home, emergency first aid, medication, and ligature awareness. Around 80% of your time will be spent delivering training.

You'll report into a Regional Training Manager and work closely with the wider L&D team, including L&D Coordinators, to ensure training is well‑organised, impactful, and continuously improving.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the L&D team to design and deliver training that is practical and aligned with current standards
• Ensure all training sessions are organised, well‑presented, and run smoothly, coordinating with the L&D Coordinator as needed
• Manage the assessment and evaluation of training programmes, providing feedback to enhance future sessions
• Stay informed of new legislation and best practice, ensuring training content remains current and compliant
• Act as a Subject Lead in a specific area of expertise, working with services to promote safe and effective practice
• Uphold high standards of personal and professional conduct, including health and safety compliance
• Reinforce organisational values, promoting equality, diversity, and excellence in service provision throughout training delivery

Requirements

• Minimum of 3 years' experience working within residential children's services
• In‑depth understanding of good practice, current legislation, and policy trends in children's residential care
• Familiarity with a range of learning approaches and best practice in L&D
• Strong numeracy, literacy, and IT skills
• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle
• Strong communication skills, with the confidence to engage a range of audiences
• Able to work independently and as part of a team
• Flexible and adaptable, with a willingness to embrace new tasks and challenges
• Previous experience as a trainer
• Training or teaching qualification
• Experience managing and allocating resources

Working Pattern

Full-time, home-based role (40 hours per week), with occasional regional travel and overnight stays required.