Registered Manager - Therapeutic Children’s Home

Bear Care 1 Ltd; Essex; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A therapeutic children's service in Essex is seeking a Registered Manager to lead care and ensure compliance with regulations while fostering children's emotional well-being. The ideal candidate will have significant leadership experience in therapeutic residential childcare, a strong grasp of trauma-informed care, and a Level 5 Diploma in leadership or equivalent progress. A market-leading salary and comprehensive benefits are offered, along with opportunities for professional development and leadership training.

Benefits

Market-leading salary

Comprehensive induction programme

Ongoing professional development

Private medical cover

Annual performance bonuses

Increased annual leave entitlement

Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience within a residential children’s setting.
• Experience in leading or contributing to Ofsted inspections.
• Strong working knowledge of trauma-informed approaches.

Responsibilities

• Overall responsibility for leadership, safeguarding, and compliance.
• Support staff in reflective practice and emotional regulation.
• Oversee quality assurance and inspection readiness.

Skills

Leadership in therapeutic childcare

Understanding trauma and attachment

Emotional regulation and support

Education

Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare

Job description

About us

Beechwood House is an Ofsted-registered ‘Good’ therapeutic residential children’s home, providing trauma-informed care for children and young people who have experienced trauma, neglect, and adversity.

Therapy at Beechwood House is not an add-on. It is embedded in everyday care, relationships, routines, and leadership. Our PACE practice is relational, reflective, and grounded in emotional intelligence, creating an environment where children feel safe, understood, and able to settle.

As part of a planned and sustainable expansion of our provision, we are seeking to appoint an experienced Registered Manager to lead Beechwood House through its next phase of development. This role will ensure that high‑quality, therapeutically informed practice remains consistent, stable, and child‑centred as the service grows.

The Role

As Registered Manager, you will hold overall responsibility for the leadership, safeguarding, quality, and regulatory compliance of Beechwood House. Working closely with the Responsible Individual, Therapy Director, and senior leadership team, you will ensure the home is safe, stable, and effectively led, with children’s emotional wellbeing at the heart of all decision‑making.

You will provide visible, values‑led leadership across the home, supporting staff to think reflectively, regulate emotionally, and respond consistently to children’s needs. Drawing on your experience in therapeutic residential childcare, you will translate trauma‑informed theory into everyday practice so that children experience care that is nurturing, predictable, and relationally attuned.

Alongside operational leadership, you will oversee safeguarding practice, staffing, supervision, quality assurance, and inspection readiness, ensuring the home consistently meets regulatory expectations. You will work collaboratively with placing authorities, social workers, therapists, and other professionals to ensure cohesive, child‑centred care and positive outcomes.

This role also offers genuine scope for professional growth, including involvement in strategic leadership, service development, and future expansion within a growing organisation.

About You

You are a calm, confident, and values‑led leader with a strong grounding in therapeutic residential childcare. You understand how trauma, attachment, and adversity shape behaviour, and you bring this understanding into both your leadership style and your day‑to‑day practice.

You are reflective by nature, able to hold complexity without becoming reactive, and skilled at supporting staff to think clearly and compassionately in emotionally demanding situations. You value consistency, safeguarding, and relational care, and you are motivated by high standards and doing things properly within a regulated environment.

You will have significant leadership experience within a residential children’s setting and a strong working knowledge of trauma‑informed and therapeutic approaches.

You will be confident operating within a regulated environment, with a clear understanding of safeguarding, quality assurance, and inspection readiness. A Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (or active progress towards it) is essential, and you must be eligible to register with Ofsted as a Registered Manager.

Experience contributing to or leading Ofsted inspections, working within a therapeutic or clinically supported model of care, and developing staff through supervision and coaching would be highly advantageous.

We Offer

We offer a market‑leading salary and benefits package that reflects the responsibility, emotional intelligence, and leadership required in therapeutic residential care. You will benefit from guaranteed contracted hours, a comprehensive induction programme, and ongoing professional development, including trauma‑informed practice, leadership training, and access to reflective clinical supervision.

You will join a supportive, values‑led culture where staff are encouraged to think reflectively and are not expected to carry complexity alone. There are clear and genuine progression opportunities, supported by strong and visible senior leadership, and a service that prioritises quality, safeguarding, and stability over firefighting or turnover.

Post‑probationary enhancements

Following successful completion of a six‑month probationary period, the role includes a welcome bonus, salary uplift (subject to performance), enhanced employer pension contributions, private medical cover, annual performance and Ofsted‑outcome‑linked bonuses, annual salary review, and increased annual leave entitlement linked to length of service.

How to apply

If you believe children heal through relationships, safety, and understanding — and you want to lead a service that values thoughtful, therapeutic leadership — we would love to hear from you.

Please get in touch with us by 28 February 2026 at [e-mail], and we will be pleased to share the full job description and further details about this exciting opportunity.