Service Manager – Homes for Children (RI)

Overview

As Service Manager for Homes for Children, you will provide strategic leadership across children’s residential homes and brokerage services, ensuring safe, high-quality care and regulatory compliance. You will guide Registered Managers, shaping service development and expansion of residential provision. The role focuses on safeguarding, outcomes for children, and collaboration with partners to improve city-wide provision. This is a high-visibility leadership position with a strong impact on children and young people’s outcomes. You will influence change, drive quality, and uphold regulatory standards in a mission-driven council.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership to Registered Managers across the children’s homes
• Act as the Responsible Individual in line with the Children’s Homes Regulations
• Lead service development and expansion of residential provision, including registering new homes
• Oversee quality assurance and regulatory compliance, including Ofsted readiness
• Lead the Brokerage Team to secure high-quality, value-for-money placements
• Manage significant budgets and contribute to sufficiency planning and commissioning
• Collaborate with colleagues, partners, providers and families to improve outcomes

Key requirements

• Significant experience in leading and managing children’s residential services
• Strong knowledge of the Children’s Homes Regulations, safeguarding and Ofsted framework
• Experience of quality assurance, service improvement and driving change
• Proven ability to lead and develop managers and teams
• Experience of budget management and strategic resource planning
• Excellent partnership-working, communication and influencing skills
• Capacity to challenge robustly while maintaining professional relationships
• Degree-level qualification in a relevant discipline and Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care and Children and Young People’s Services or a commitment to achieve within required timeframe

• leadership
• communication
• influencing
• Children’s Homes Regulations
• Ofsted inspection framework
• quality assurance and service improvement

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