Lead children’s residential homes across North Devon and help create safe, supportive places where young people and teams can thrive.
Operations Manager and Responsible Individual
SW Education & Care | North Devon
- Full time, permanent
- £65,000-£75,000 per year
- Flexible home-based work
- 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays
SW Education & Care are looking for a dedicated individual to join us as our RI & Operations Manager to support our residential children’s homes in North Devon.
At SW Education & Care, we believe that every young person deserves a place where they feel safe, valued and supported as they navigate the journey of childhood.
Our homes and teams provide a setting to support children and young people who have experienced trauma and difficult circumstances to discover their strengths and passions. We’re committed to creating a culture of respect and inclusion for both our young people and teams.
The Role
The ideal candidate will have extensive strategic and managerial experience, having worked within children’s services in a residential setting and/or education specialising in SEMHD and/or challenging behaviours. You will be an inspirational and mature leader with the ability to positively manage change, improving provision thus improving outcomes for children in care. This is a central role to the organisation and provides a career pathway where you will:
- Take on a strategic leadership role within a residential care organisation, with responsibility for all aspects of the day-to-day operations of the homes.
- Recruit and manage home managers, oversee the homes’ financial accuracy and ensure the quality of services meets expected standards.
- Take responsibility for the overall effectiveness of provision, including safeguarding and education, and ensure KPIs are reported appropriately to the Managing Director.
- Provide energetic and stable leadership in line with the organisation’s ethos of integrity and transparency.
- Enable staff and the children and young people we support to develop, grow and flourish in all aspects of their lives.
The Ideal Candidate
You’ll be a confident and credible leader with significant experience in children’s residential care and a proven ability to improve services and support high-performing teams.
Essential
- Extensive leadership experience in children’s residential care, including experience as a Registered Manager, Operations Manager, Regional Manager, Head of Service, Responsible Individual or Director.
- A strong understanding of Ofsted regulations, safeguarding and inspection frameworks, alongside experience in compliance, governance and quality assurance.
- A demonstrable track record of service improvement and the ability to positively manage change.
- Outstanding communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to offer both support and professional challenge.
- A full UK driving licence and willingness to travel nationally.
Desirable
- Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare and multi-site operational leadership experience.
- Experience opening and registering children’s homes or supporting services from Inadequate or Requires Improvement to Good or Outstanding.
- Consultancy, business development or commercial experience.
Benefits
- A sector competitive salary of £65,000-£75,000 per year and 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays.
- Flexible home-based work, an Employee Assistance Programme, and excellent training and support.
- Ongoing professional development within a culture of collaboration and mutual encouragement.
- Genuine autonomy and influence within a growing organisation, with the opportunity to shape a specialist division.
Other suitable skills & experiences include:
- Registered Manager
- Children’s Home Manager
- Residential Care Manager
- Regional Manager
- Area Manager
- Operations Manager
- Head of Service
- Head of Children’s Residential Care
- Responsible Individual
We take the safety of our children seriously and follow stringent safer recruitment checks. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and will require a full enhanced DBS and references.
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