Registered Manager in Sittingbourne

Are you a home manager with a background in OFSTED or CQC regulated services, and want to join our In House team at KCC? Are you looking for a career in an amazing organisation, with opportunities to professionally develop, and influence positive outcomes for young people? We are opening new services, and this is an amazing opportunity to join us, and make a huge impact.

We have an amazing opportunity to join KCC as a Registered Manager, in our Children’s In House Services. Located in Sittingbourne, our detached family home is the first of four brand new children’s homes across Kent. This is an exciting opportunity to open and operate our first brand new children’s home supported by the county council with a track record of opening and operating children’s care homes across the county. The Sittingbourne home is being refurbished to high standards to look after up to two children, aged from eight years old up to eighteen. Our two children who will live at the home will primarily present with social and emotional needs, may have learning disabilities or Autism.

You will lead a staff team to ensure we achieve the most nurturing and supportive environment possible for the young person, promoting independence as much as possible, and working in a child-focused way - with support tailored to the needs of each individual child/young person. There will also be service support from an allocated behavioural practitioner who will work with the young person and team. This work with the young person and team will be focused on supporting the journey with us, from pre-placement planning, through to living at the service, and post-service transition to enable continuity and sustainability for the young person.

We anticipate that the average length of stay will be between 8 to 12 months, and we will be operating under the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015. Other professionals will also link in as part of the young person's journey as appropriate to their individualised needs.

As the Registered Manager, you will lead the home with professionalism and care, ensuring it provides a nurturing environment for children. You’ll collaborate with the team and external professionals to deliver bespoke, tailored support that promotes each young person’s strengths, aspirations and independence. Your responsibilities will include overseeing financial management, ensuring compliance with OFSTED regulations and internal policies, and leading and embedding the positive behavioural support approaches, supported by the behaviour team, to ensure each young person receives the best support possible. You’ll champion safeguarding and quality of life improvements for every child who lives at the service.

As the Registered Manager, you will get to work for KCC, the UK’s largest local authority, and receive a very competitive salary and package, including local government pension, staff benefits, training and development opportunities – all whilst having the opportunity to lead and influence positive outcomes for the young people who access our services.

We are opening applications to those who have management experience in either OFSTED and/or CQC regulated services, and we are especially keen for you to apply if you have a working background/understanding of positive support approaches, like PBS (Positive Behaviour Support), or other similar methodologies (trauma informed, emotional or therapeutic support, etc). As well as support from the behaviour support team, training and ongoing coaching will be part of the support to the service, ensuring that you and the whole team can develop and enhance your skills over time as you support the young people who will live at the service to the highest quality and ethical standards.

We are extremely proud of the services we have in our Children’s In House provision, and the outcomes they achieve for children and young people, and are looking for someone to join us and lead this exciting new service who wants to bring their expertise and energy to support great outcomes for the children and young people of Kent.

• Supporting children aged 9-17, regardless of gender, and with or without learning disabilities, Autism, and/or social/emotional needs.
• Access to relevant professionals for specific support needs.
• Positive behaviour and therapeutic support approach.
• Collaboration with an allocated behavioural practitioner throughout the young person’s journey, ensuring consistency and continuity.

Ideal candidates:

• Previous OFSTED management experience or similar regulated frameworks (e.g., CQC registered managers).
• Efficient, organised, person-centred, solution-focused.
• Exceptional team management, and effective stakeholder/partner communication skills.
• Ability to undergo the OFSTED registration process.
• Understanding of positive behaviour and/or therapeutic/nurturing support approaches.

The deadline is 1st Feb 2026 and successful applicants will be invited to a full-day Choosing with Care interview on commencing 9th Feb 2026.

Join us in making a difference to young lives!

This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure Application to the Disclosure and Barring Service. This post is considered by KCC to be a customer-facing position. The Council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements.

KCC is committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the county’s working residents, encouraging applications from people of all ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds, faiths and those with caring responsibilities, and aspires to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves at work.

Please note – if you are interested, please apply soon as possible as the closing date for this advert may be earlier than stated should a number of suitably qualified candidates apply.