Registered Manager, Children’s Home, Bletchley, Milton Keynes

This is a Registered Manager opportunity for a brand new three-bed children’s home in Bletchley, Milton Keynes, offering a salary of £50,000 to £65,000 depending on experience, with the house ready, the policies and Statement of Purpose prepared, and Ofsted already lined up to progress the registration as soon as the right Registered Manager is in place.

Why this Registered Manager role stands out

• The groundwork is done and Ofted are ready to move, so you get the excitement of opening a new children’s home with the set-up already well under way, and you’ll be putting your name to the registration within weeks of starting

• You lead the home into its very first admissions, which is potentially the most rewarding stage of any home’s life and the moment where its whole culture and identity get set

• The home is being set up for three young people, giving you the space to know each child properly, to stay present in daily life, and to build the kind of relationships with young people and families that change the course of a placement

• A sister home has just been registered in Northampton with its own dedicated Registered Manager, a deliberate choice by the owner so each manager can give their full energy to one home, and it means you’ll maybe have a fellow manager just up the M1 to share ideas and early wins with

• The owner is looking for a genuine partnership with an experienced manager, someone trusted to review and sign off the policies so they reflect their own practice and values, which is exactly the kind of autonomy many Registered Managers tell me they’re looking for

The organisation behind the home

• The provider is part of a wider family of children’s homes, with a sister organisation that has been supporting children and young people with social, emotional and complex needs for a number of years, and whose established homes are rated Good by Ofsted

• That sister organisation places attachment understanding and recovery from developmental trauma at the heart of its care, with a strong belief that positive relationships, respect, empathy and understanding are what help young people heal and thrive

• Staff are described as the organisation’s greatest asset, with a real commitment to investing in training and development and recognising the people who go above and beyond for young people

• The values running through the group, things like integrity, compassion, listening and ownership, give a new Registered Manager a solid foundation to build their own home’s culture on

What the role involves

• Leading the home through its Ofsted registration, including your fit person interview and the registration visit, with the support of the owner and Responsible Individual

• Reviewing the Statement of Purpose, policies and procedures already in place, shaping them around your own therapeutic and relational practice, and signing them off as the home’s Registered Manager

• Recruiting, inducting and developing your residential childcare team, creating a culture where staff feel supported, confident and proud of the difference they make

• Leading the home’s first admissions, from referrals and matching through to impact risk assessments and carefully planned moves that help each young person feel welcome from day one

• Building strong, trusting relationships with Milton Keynes and neighbouring placing authorities, social workers, schools, CAMHS, health professionals and families, so everyone around each young person is working towards the same goals

• Working closely with the Responsible Individual on quality assurance, Regulation 44 visits, Regulation 45 reviews and the long-term development of the home

• Preparing for the home’s first full Ofsted inspection and setting the standard for everything that follows, with the aim of building a track record you’ll be proud to put your name to

• Overseeing rotas, budgets and the day to day running of the home, while staying visible and involved in young people’s lives

What you’ll bring

• At least five years’ experience in children’s residential care, including a minimum of two years as an Ofsted Registered Manager

• A Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare, or an equivalent qualification

• A track record of positive Ofsted outcomes, ideally across more than one inspection

• The knowledge and confidence to go into a fit person interview with Ofsted feeling well prepared

• Experience of opening a new home or taking a home through registration would be a real bonus

• A thorough understanding of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Quality Standards, along with safeguarding practice that’s second nature to you

• A warm, collaborative leadership style and the ability to build an open, positive working relationship with the owner and Responsible Individual

• An enhanced DBS on the Update Service, or willingness to apply for one

Salary and package

• A salary of £50,000 to £65,000 depending on experience, with the range reflecting the difference between a manager with a couple of years’ registration behind them and one with five or six years and a run of strong inspections

• Taking a children’s home through registration, building its team and leading its very first admissions is some of the most skilled and influential work a Registered Manager can do, and the pay is set to recognise the weight of that responsibility

• A personal interview process, starting with an informal conversation about the organisation and the home, followed by a face-to-face meeting with the Responsible Individual

• Evening interviews can be arranged, which makes things a lot easier if you’re currently in post and working around a busy rota

If you’re an experienced Registered Manager who has maybe been wondering what it would feel like to put your name to a home from the very start and shape everything about it, I’d love to have a proper chat with you about this one, so apply here or get in touch and we can talk it through.