Head of Residential Childcare

The Head of Residential Childcare plays a crucial role in designing, developing, and implementing a comprehensive and high‑quality curriculum that equips learners and apprentices with the essential skills, knowledge, and attributes necessary for success in their careers. This role requires a visionary leader who can drive innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement in the curriculum, ensuring it remains relevant, impactful, and aligned with industry trends and demands.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage the residential childcare curriculum area to ensure the delivery of innovative and market‑led adult learning and apprenticeship programmes that are viable, cost‑effective, and aligned with the local, regional, and national skills needs.
• Support the Assistant Director of Skills in ensuring adherence to statutory, regulatory, and operational requirements related to curriculum management across all areas of responsibility.
• Develop and maintain departmental business plans that outline the strategic direction for the department, encompassing people, customer, operational and financial plans.
• Implement and maintain a model of standards, professionalism, and positive culture by providing strong leadership to curriculum delivery teams.
• Build efficient, capable, and flexible teams to achieve curriculum area targets in alignment with business objectives.
• Oversee and ensure consistent implementation of the Quality Assurance and Improvement Framework.
• Plan and execute ongoing quality improvements to achieve high standards of learner attendance, retention, completion, achievement, and progression, ensuring the curriculum is always inspection ready.
• Conduct appropriate audit checks, including Internal Verification, moderation, and deep dive reviews, to ensure the quality and effectiveness of curriculum delivery.
• Implement diverse teaching and learner‑centred learning strategies across the curriculum area to enhance learning effectiveness, continuation, achievement, and progression and optimising the use of teaching time and resources.
• Ensure clear focus and support for delivery teams to enable the delivery of consistently high‑quality teaching, learning and assessment practice, resulting in the attainment high achievement rates across funding streams within the curriculum area.
• Effectively integrate initial assessment, learning support and English and maths into curriculum programmes, contextualising work to vocational areas as relevant and appropriate.
• Ensure compliance with programme examination, assessment, and validation requirements for all funding streams and provision.
• Collaborate with support services to continually enhance the curriculum offer, including marketing, enrolment, and learner support, while fostering productive internal and external partnerships that lead to a direct benefit for learners and apprentices.
• Develop new partnerships and pursue market opportunities in alignment with the business plan under the guidance of the Assistant Director for Skills.
• Collaborate on cross‑business and/or cross‑department projects and activities, working with the Assistant Director for Skills to enhance innovation and continually improve ways of working for the benefit of the learners.

Key Performance Indicators:

• High level of learner and employer satisfaction and feedback.
• High level of learner progress, outcomes, and successful completion rates.
• Consistently high‑quality teaching, learning and assessment practice across team.
• Implementation of effective professional development programmes for staff team.
• Positive trends in KPIs related to contractual and regulatory requirements.
• Continual achievement of relevant accreditation and compliance standards.
• Achieving aspirational targets put forward in annually developed departmental business plans.
• Successful integration of learner feedback into curriculum developments.
• Programmes are developed and delivered within set timelines.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise:

Qualifications and specific training:

• Minimum Level 5 teaching, learning and assessment qualification, such as Cert Ed, DTLLS or Diploma in Education and Training (essential).
• Minimum Level 5 or above subject specialism qualification (essential).
• Level 3 CAVA and Level 4 IQA or equivalent (essential).
• GCSE (or equivalent) in English Language and Mathematics (essential).
• Full Driving Licence (essential).
• BA in education or equivalent (desirable).
• IOSH Managing Health and Safety Qualification (desirable).
• Level 5 leadership and management qualification (desirable).

Experience:

• Subject matter expertise in a related academic or vocational subject (essential).
• Proven experience of educational leadership, teamwork and collaboration in the post‑16 education and training sector (essential).
• Prior experience of teaching, training, and assessing within the post‑16 sector (essential).
• Experience in designing, developing, and updating curriculum that aligns with educational standards, learning objectives, and learner and employer need (essential).
• Experience in the use of educational technologies, learning management systems, and digital tools to enhance curriculum delivery and learner engagement (essential).
• Experience in project management to plan, execute, monitor, and evaluate curriculum development projects on time and within budget (desirable).
• Ability to analyse data related to learner performance, engagement, and curriculum effectiveness to inform decision‑making and improvements (desirable).

Knowledge:

• Demonstrate a strong understanding of the FE and training sector (essential).
• In‑depth understanding of educational theories, pedagogical principles, and curriculum development methodologies (essential).
• Knowledge of accreditation standards, regulatory requirements, and quality assurance processes in the adult education sector (essential).
• Understanding of assessment strategies and methodologies for measuring learning outcomes (essential).
• Familiarity with industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in curriculum design and delivery (desirable).

Skills:

• Ability to lead and inspire curriculum delivery teams, set clear goals, and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
• Thoroughness in ensuring curriculum alignment with learning outcomes, quality standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Strong ability to collaborate with diverse teams, departments, and external partners.
• Adaptable to changes in the education landscape, industry demands, and regulatory guidelines.
• Proficient in using technology and software tools for curriculum design and assessment.

We welcome applications from all suitably‑qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, disability, marital or parental status, ethnic or social origin, religion, belief, or sexual orientation. In addition, during the various stages of recruitment, reasonable adjustments can be taken to ensure equal opportunities for candidates with disabilities or special needs. As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy. Please get in contact with recruitment@acorntraining.co.uk to discuss alternative options you may require, or alternative application methods.

Job Benefits:

• Flexible working including home‑based, centre‑based, or hybrid job role dependant.
• Up to 26 days annual leave, with the option to purchase up to 10 additional days.
• Pension scheme to support your long‑term financial wellbeing.
• Training and professional development, including CPD workshops and professional qualifications.
• Westfield Health Scheme with benefits including 13 healthcare services, cashback towards essential health bills, counselling and therapy treatments, fast access to MRI, CT, and PET scans, and discounted shopping vouchers.
• Wellbeing initiatives including Wellbeing Wednesdays and the Mental Health at Work Pledge.
• Disability Confident Leader, Menopause Workplace Pledge, Armed Forces Covenant, Ban the Box Employer, and secure prayer spaces.
• Annual paid volunteering day and charity initiatives.
• Cash incentives for Employee of the Month and Employee of the Year awards.
• £500 Recommend a friend scheme.