Registered Manager - Children's Home

Registered Manager – New Children's Home Provision

Lanchester, County Durham | £55,000–£65,000 + Bonus | Permanent, Full-time

Build something exceptional from the ground up

£55,000–£65,000 salary + performance bonuses | 31 days' annual leave + birthday day | Wellness allowance | Funded qualifications | On-call payment | Company vehicle where required | Career progression

We're looking for an experienced Registered Manager to lead an exciting new children's residential care provision in Lanchester, County Durham.

This is a rare opportunity to build and shape a service from the ground up, rather than taking over an established home.

Our provision comprises three individual, modern barn-conversion homes, each providing a single-occupancy home for a young person, set within beautiful and tranquil countryside. The three homes will operate under one Ofsted registration.

You'll have the opportunity to build your team, establish the culture, shape practice and create a service where children feel safe, secure and able to thrive.

Why this opportunity?

• This isn't simply another Registered Manager role.
• You'll be joining at the beginning of the journey, with the opportunity to help establish a brand-new provision and have a genuine influence on how it develops.
• Working closely with an experienced Responsible Individual and Director, you'll help shape:
• The culture and values of the service
• Recruitment and development of your team
• Standards and practice across the homes
• Safeguarding and quality assurance
• Relationships with children, families and professionals
• The preparation and development of the service for Ofsted
• The long-term success of the provision
• The children we support are aged 7–17 and may have experienced loss, instability or trauma. Our approach is trauma-informed and PACE-based, helping children rebuild trust, confidence and hope.
• If you're an experienced children's residential leader who enjoys building, developing and making things happen, this could be an opportunity to make a real difference.

About the role

As Registered Manager, you'll take overall responsibility for the development, leadership and day-to-day management of the provision.

You'll be responsible for:

• Leading the service through Ofsted registration and ongoing regulatory compliance
• Recruiting, leading, coaching and developing a strong staff team
• Creating a positive and consistent team culture
• Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children
• Overseeing admissions, care planning, transitions, education, wellbeing and independence
• Building strong relationships with families, local authorities and other professionals
• Managing staffing, training, budgets, health and safety and quality assurance
• Ensuring records and care plans are accurate and maintained to a high standard
• Championing trauma-informed and PACE-based practice
• Using ClearCare to maintain effective records and oversight
• Working closely with the Responsible Individual and Director on the strategic development of the provision
• Participating in the on-call rota

What you'll get in return

We want our people to feel valued, supported and rewarded for the work they do. As Registered Manager, you'll receive:

• £55,000–£65,000 salary, depending on experience
• Performance-related bonuses, including rewards linked to strong Ofsted outcomes and successful occupancy
• 31 days' annual leave, including bank holidays, plus an additional day off for your birthday
• Paid on-call allowance
• Fully funded professional qualifications and ongoing development
• Wellness allowance and Employee Assistance Programme
• Company vehicle where required, plus mileage
• Meals provided when working on shift
• Blue Light Card and access to a range of employee discounts
• Employee referral bonus
• Company social events
• Donate Match, helping you support a charity of your choice with company matching
• Genuine opportunities to progress into Senior Registered Manager, Area Manager or Responsible Individual roles

About you

We're looking for a confident and experienced children's residential care leader who is ready to take ownership of a new service.

You'll bring:

• 5+ years' experience working with children in residential care
• At least 2 years' management experience
• Experience working within LD and/or EDB children's services
• Experience as a Registered Manager or senior leader within a children's residential setting
• A track record of achieving at least a Good Ofsted outcome
• Level 5 qualification in Children's Residential Care (or an equivalent recognised qualification)
• A full UK driving licence
• Strong knowledge of Ofsted requirements, the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and relevant legislation and guidance
• Most importantly, you'll be someone who can lead with confidence, build strong relationships and create a culture where good practice becomes the norm.

Safeguarding

• Safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do. You will need to demonstrate a strong understanding of safeguarding and multi-agency working when supporting children with complex needs.
• All appointments are subject to enhanced DBS checks, satisfactory references and our full pre-employment screening and safer recruitment process.

Ready to build something exceptional?

If you're looking for your next Registered Manager opportunity and want the chance to build and lead a brand-new children's residential provision from the ground up, we'd love to hear from you.

Location: Lanchester, County Durham, DH7

Salary: £55,000–£65,000 per year + bonus

Contract: Permanent, full-time