Deputy Children's Home Manager in Northampton

Location: Northampton, England.

Sector: Social Care.

Salary: £36,000.00 to £40,000.00 per annum.

Deputy Children’s Home Manager – up to £39,600 for a permanent full‑time role in Northampton in an established children’s home.

Salary details: £16.93 per hour, £55 for sleep‑ins.

Position type: Permanent.

Shifts: 8am–11pm, 3 shifts a week on a 3‑week rolling rota.

About the Company

The wellbeing and development of children are central to everything we do. This role offers a rewarding opportunity for a purpose‑driven and motivated individual to create positive change in the lives of young people.

About the Role

As the Registered Deputy Manager, you will build and lead a newly formed team dedicated to exceptional standards of care. You will support the manager with recruitment, development, and motivation of staff, fostering a safe and empowering environment for vulnerable young people. The role involves ensuring compliance with regulations, safeguarding, and overall operational excellence.

Responsibilities

• Participate in regular reflective practice for yourself and other team members.
• Support the Registered Manager in the leadership and management of the home.
• Deputise and act up for Registered Manager in their absence.
• Assist in managing the home in compliance with the ethos of the home by providing an environment that enables each child and young person to reach their full potential.
• Maintain in depth and up to date knowledge of the Children’s Homes regulations, Children’s Homes Quality Standards, Children’s Act and other relevant legislation and guidance and ensure the home operates in compliance with these.
• Be accountable to Ofsted.
• Maintain a good understanding and working knowledge of children with autistic spectrum conditions, severe learning difficulties and behaviours that challenge.
• Ensure the home provides a high standard of residential care.
• Maintain a good working knowledge of child protection procedures and processes and “working together” guidance.
• Ensure that the line manager is made aware and kept fully informed of any concerns which the worker may have in relation to safeguarding and/or child protection.
• Support in managing the children’s home staff team: recruit, induct, manage, and supervise staff, monitor staff rotas, and facilitate training to ensure high standards of childcare practices.
• Represent the home to outside agencies and ensure compliance with the statutory requirements imposed by them.
• Work with the wider management team to contribute to the planning and development of the children’s home.
• Ensure that children and young people are consulted about their care and provided with opportunities to participate their views about the running of the home.
• Ensure the health and safety of children, staff, and visitors by complying with relevant legislation, policies, and procedures.
• Support the development of relationships with all those involved in the young person’s life and other stakeholders and partner agencies who are engaged in providing packages of support.
• Work flexible hours if required to meet the needs of the service and young people, which may involve working at short notice, public holidays, and weekend working.
• Support the Registered Manager to manage time and resources within the home including managing financial expenditure against budgets and ensuring recording is accurately completed.
• Assist in ensuring the home provides a positive physical environment, with regard to design, comfort, and homeliness as well as hygiene and cleanliness.
• Contribute to the referral, assessment, and admission procedures.
• Ensuring effective pre-placement assessment of need and placement planning and ensure all relevant documents are obtained.
• Support the Registered Manager in ensuring that all young people have written placement plans in place, setting out identified needs and plans to meet these needs.
• Ensure on‑going assessment, development, and review of all individual plans.
• Assist in ensuring that provision is made to cater for the children’s and young people’s social, leisure, cultural and religious needs.
• Assist in the promotion of education, physical health, and emotional well‑being of the young people.
• Support and operate within a key worker system.
• Protect the confidentiality of the children and young people and their families.
• Ensure events, appointments or meetings are arranged, effectively timetabled, diarised and attended by the young person and/or appropriate staff or yourself.
• Support the Registered Manager in ensuring recommendations or requirements from inspection reports and regulation 44 reports are acted upon.
• Participate in staff training as required and support in the development of and/or delivery of in-house training.

Job Requirements

Qualifications are essential, i.e., Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management, Children & Young People’s Services, or equivalent. Or a willingness to undertake training within 12 months of commencement of employment. At least two years’ experience relevant to residential care within the last five years. At least one year of experience supervising and managing professional staff. Sound knowledge and understanding of Children Homes regulation including Quality Standards 2015, The Children’s Homes (Amendment) Regulations 2011, Care Standards Act 2000, Ofsted and related legislation, and policies and procedures.

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to assist in offering guidance, support, and direction to staff, including implementing a key worker system, supervision, and performance management.
• Assessment and placement planning skills, i.e.: ability to assess and identify needs and develop and deliver plans to meet these needs to achieve positive outcomes.
• Excellent administrative skills, including word processing and computer literacy, numeric and organisational skills.
• Excellent communication skills: verbal, interpersonal and written on all levels and according to need i.e.: report writing, care planning attending reviews.
• Excellent financial and budgeting skills to manage the home’s resources.
• An understanding of and an ability to adhere to professional boundaries.
• Excellent teamwork and team development skills.
• Ability to deal with difficult situations in relation to young people’s behaviour and human resource issues.