Children's Home Manager in Winsford

Rooted in Care. Giving Change a Chance. Join Arbour Healthcare Group and lead a specialist solo-occupancy children’s home where visible leadership, trauma-informed care and meaningful outcomes genuinely matter. Supported by a supernumerary Deputy Manager within the home, you will have the leadership capacity to maintain high standards, develop a confident team and remain closely connected to the young person we support. This opportunity is open to established Registered Managers and experienced Deputy Managers who are ready to take the next step in their careers. If you hold a relevant Level 3 qualification, meet the required experience criteria and are committed to achieving Level 5, we would welcome your application.

What you will receive:

• A company-funded Level 5 qualification, where required
• Private medical insurance
• Enhanced annual leave
• Company pension and sick pay
• Access to our health and wellbeing programme
• Free parking and meals while on shift
• Employee and retail discounts
• Company events where the team can connect and “let their hair down”
• Bespoke training in trauma-informed care, safeguarding and residential childcare
• Ongoing leadership development and clear progression opportunities
• The backing of an experienced and supportive senior leadership team
• A genuine opportunity to shape a home, develop a team and positively change a young person’s life

About Arbour Healthcare Group: Arbour Healthcare Group provides specialist residential care for children and young people with complex emotional, behavioural and learning needs, often shaped by trauma, disrupted relationships and previous placement instability. Our purpose is not simply to manage behaviour. We look beyond it. We seek to understand the experiences, story and unmet needs behind a young person’s presentation so that we can create safety, build trust and help them believe that positive change is possible. Our RESET Care Model stands for Reassure, Empower, Support, Educate and Transition. It provides a practical framework for how care, leadership and decision-making should be demonstrated across our homes every day.

The role: As Registered Children’s Home Manager, you will hold overall accountability for the safe, effective, compliant and financially responsible operation of a specialist solo-occupancy children’s home. This is a visible and hands-on leadership role. You will work closely with the home’s supernumerary Deputy Manager while remaining connected to practice, the staff team and the young person we support. You will lead from the front, set clear expectations and ensure the home provides consistent, child-centred and trauma-informed care that meets regulatory requirements and Arbour Healthcare Group’s standards.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading the day-to-day operation of the home with visibility, purpose and accountability.
• Ensuring the service remains safe, nurturing, well-organised and consistently prepared for inspection.
• Embedding our RESET Care Model and trauma-informed approach into everyday practice while leading confidently on safeguarding, child protection, professional curiosity and safer care.
• Managing, supervising and developing the Deputy Manager and wider care team, maintaining clear standards across staffing, rotas, supervision, appraisals, training, conduct and performance.
• Creating a culture in which people understand what is expected of them, receive the support they need and remain accountable for the quality of their practice.
• Ensuring that care plans, placement plans, risk assessments and behaviour-support strategies remain current, meaningful and evident in practice.
• Building trusted and constructive partnerships with the young person’s family, social worker, school, health professionals, commissioners and other agencies.
• Leading calmly and decisively through incidents, safeguarding concerns and periods of crisis, maintaining clear oversight and sound professional judgement.
• Managing the home’s budget and resources responsibly, ensuring digital records are accurate, leading audits and quality-assurance activity.
• Responding promptly when standards begin to drift, participating in the on-call rota and leading a meaningful Progress Project that provides clear evidence of positive change in the young person’s life.

What we are looking for: You will need:

• At least two years’ experience working in residential childcare within the last five years.
• At least one year’s experience in a senior position, such as Team Leader or Deputy Manager.
• A Level 5 leadership and management qualification relevant to residential childcare, or a relevant Level 3 qualification with a clear commitment to achieve Level 5.
• Strong safeguarding, child-protection and safer-care knowledge.
• A sound understanding of the applicable Ofsted or CIW regulations and inspection expectations.
• Demonstrable experience of leading, supervising and developing staff.
• The confidence and professional judgement to manage incidents, risk and crisis situations.
• The flexibility to meet the needs of the service, including participating in the on-call rota and providing evening or weekend support when required.

Whether you are an established Registered Manager or an experienced Deputy Manager with a relevant Level 3 qualification who is ready to take the next step, this is an opportunity to build something meaningful, develop a capable team and help a young person reset the direction of their life. If that sounds like the leadership opportunity you have been waiting for, apply now.