Deputy Residential Care Manager

Service: Children’s Residential Home – up to 3 Young People

Reports to: Registered Manager

Responsible for: Senior Residential Support Workers and Residential Support Workers

Role Purpose

The Deputy Residential Care Manager will work closely with and report directly to the Registered Manager, supporting the effective day-to-day management of a three‑young‑person children’s residential home.

This is a hands‑on management role, combining management and administrative responsibilities with regular shift work and direct support of the young people.

The Deputy Manager will assist the Registered Manager in maintaining high standards of care, safeguarding, staffing, recording and regulatory compliance. They will provide visible leadership to the staff team and take responsibility for the operation of the home in the Registered Manager’s absence.

The postholder will have allocated administration/office days to complete management responsibilities but will also be expected to work as part of the residential rota, lead shifts and maintain strong relationships with the young people.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Staff Management

• Support the Registered Manager with the day‑to‑day management and development of the staff team.
• Provide visible leadership, guidance and support to Senior Residential Support Workers and Residential Support Workers.
• Lead shifts and ensure staff are appropriately deployed according to the needs and risks of the young people.
• Support staff supervision, probation reviews, appraisals and performance management as delegated by the Registered Manager.
• Monitor staff performance and address poor practice, conduct or recording standards promptly.
• Support new employees through induction and probation, ensuring they understand the home’s expectations, policies and working practices.
• Promote positive teamwork, professional boundaries, accountability and consistent practice.
• Identify staff development and training needs and raise these with the Registered Manager.
• Support staff following difficult incidents and ensure appropriate debriefs and management oversight take place.
• Take an active role in planning and maintaining the staff rota, ensuring appropriate staffing levels and skill mix.
• Plan rotas in advance and work with the Registered Manager to manage annual leave, training, sickness and other staffing requirements.
• Identify potential staffing gaps at an early stage and take appropriate action to ensure safe staffing.
• Monitor working hours and staffing arrangements to support both the needs of the home and effective use of resources.
• Ensure appropriate staffing is available for appointments, activities, family contact, education and individual staffing requirements.

Systems

• Use ClearCare effectively to monitor and maintain young people’s records and the operational records of the home.
• Ensure daily logs, key‑work sessions, incident reports, risk assessments, care documentation and other required records are completed accurately and within required timescales.
• Regularly review staff recording and address incomplete or poor‑quality documentation.
• Ensure significant information is appropriately recorded, communicated and escalated.
• Support the Registered Manager in reviewing and updating young people’s plans, risk assessments and associated documentation.
• Maintain confidentiality and ensure information is managed appropriately.

Young People’s Care & Safeguarding

• Maintain a strong understanding of the needs, risks, plans and progress of each young person living within the home.
• Build positive, trusting and professional relationships with young people.
• Ensure young people receive individualised, nurturing and therapeutic care.
• Support young people with education, health, family relationships, activities, independence skills and their individual goals.
• Promote young people’s wishes and feelings and ensure their views contribute to decisions about their care.
• Respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns, disclosures, allegations, missing‑from‑home incidents and significant events.
• Ensure safeguarding concerns are promptly reported and escalated in accordance with policy and procedure.
• Support staff to manage challenging situations safely using de‑escalation and approved positive intervention approaches.

Administration & Office Responsibilities

The Deputy Manager will have designated administration/office time to support the effective management of the home. Responsibilities will include:

• Rota planning and staffing coordination.
• Reviewing and auditing ClearCare records.
• Reviewing care plans, placement plans and risk assessments.
• Completing management oversight of incidents and significant events as delegated.
• Supporting audits and quality assurance processes.
• Monitoring staff training, supervision and development requirements.
• Preparing for meetings and professional reviews.
• Supporting regulatory and compliance requirements.
• Maintaining organised and accurate records.
• Following up actions identified through audits, meetings, incidents or management reviews.
• Supporting the Registered Manager with reports and other management information.
• Liaising with social workers, education providers, health professionals, families and other agencies.

Office days are an important part of the Deputy Manager role; however, flexibility will be required where the needs of the young people or home require management support.

Shift Responsibilities

The Deputy Manager will remain an active member of the residential team and will work shifts within the home.

When working on shift, the Deputy Manager will:

• Lead by example and maintain high standards of practice.
• Work directly with and support young people.
• Lead and coordinate the staff team.
• Ensure individual routines, appointments and activities are completed.
• Manage incidents and make appropriate decisions.
• Ensure medication procedures are followed correctly.
• Ensure effective handovers take place.
• Maintain oversight of safeguarding and risk throughout the shift.
• Ensure the home remains safe, welcoming and appropriately maintained.

The Deputy Manager should be visible within the home and approachable to both young people and staff.

Supporting the Registered Manager

The Deputy Manager will work in partnership with the Registered Manager and will be expected to understand the overall operation of the home.

They will support the Registered Manager in ensuring the home operates in accordance with its Statement of Purpose, Children’s Homes Regulations 2015, Quality Standards and organisational policies and procedures.

In the Registered Manager’s absence, the Deputy Manager will be expected to provide appropriate management oversight of the home and elevate significant matters through the organisation’s management/on‑call structure.

Person Specification

The successful candidate should:

• Have significant experience working within children’s residential care.
• Have experience at Senior, Team Leader, Deputy or similar level.
• Hold the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare or recognised equivalent.
• Ideally hold, be working towards, or be willing to undertake an appropriate Level 5 leadership and management qualification.
• Have a strong understanding of safeguarding and children’s residential care.
• Have experience of leading shifts and managing staff.
• Be confident planning and managing staff rotas.
• Have strong organisational and administrative skills.
• Be confident using electronic care‑recording systems; experience using ClearCare would be advantageous.
• Have good written skills and understand the importance of accurate, professional recording.
• Be confident reviewing and challenging staff practice.
• Be able to manage competing priorities and make appropriate decisions under pressure.
• Be able to develop positive professional relationships with young people, staff, families and external professionals.
• Be flexible and willing to combine management responsibilities with direct shift work.
• Hold a full UK driving licence where required for the role.

Overall Expectation

The Deputy Residential Care Manager is a key link between the Registered Manager and the residential staff team.

The successful person must be equally comfortable planning a rota, reviewing ClearCare records and completing management administration in the office as they are leading a busy shift and directly supporting a young person.

This is not a purely office‑based management position. We are looking for someone who will be present, approachable and actively involved in the life of the home, while helping the Registered Manager maintain excellent standards of care, safeguarding, staffing and compliance.

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