Registered Manager in Downpatrick

Safe Places for Children UK have an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic, dedicated, qualified and experienced Registered Manager to join our growing charity and help provide high-quality therapeutic care to some of the most vulnerable and traumatised young people. We are seeking a Registered Manager to lead the operation of a two-bedded children’s home. This home is registered with RQIA and the successful candidate will be the nominated manager responsible for maintaining registration and ensuring the home is run in accordance with organisational policies, regulatory requirements, and all relevant legislation.

Safe Places for Children originated in Australia and brings to the United Kingdom a well-developed and research-informed Integrative Practice Framework, underpinning our mission to deliver an innovative therapeutic residential service that promotes healing, stability, and positive outcomes for young people.

Position details

• Annual Salary: £49,311.08 per year and opportunities for additional pay-out of extra hours worked.
• Employment Type: Full Time
• Position Reports To: General Manager and Responsible Individual
• Location: Downpatrick, Northern Ireland

Benefits

• Clear career pathways, including progression into Senior Registered Manager roles within Safe Places.
• A comprehensive induction period to support your integration into the home and team, including opportunities for shadow shifts.
• Paid three-week induction training, including Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI), Health & Safety, Fire Safety, Safeguarding, Medication Management, Trauma and Attachment Training, and more.
• Ongoing commitment to your training and professional development, including a roles-and-responsibilities checklist completed within your first six months.
• Regular internal reflective supervision, ongoing coaching, professional development plans, additional support options, and a strong team ethos.
• Access to our Triple Tier Support System, including an externally provided counselling service (fully funded by the charity).
• The opportunity to work within an innovative child-centered therapeutic model, delivering high-quality residential care to young people across the UK.
• The chance to be part of Safe Places growth and evolution as we work toward becoming one of the UK’s leading therapeutic residential care providers.
• 33 days of paid annual leave.
• A £250 six-month anniversary bonus, paid every six months following successful completion of your probation period.
• 10% Annual Leave Loading.

Why work for Safe Places for Children UK

Our focus is on delivering high-quality, child-centred care within small, homely environments accommodating no more than two young people. You will play a key role in supporting young people to build independence, understand their behaviours during difficult moments, and adopt more positive coping strategies—a challenging yet deeply rewarding journey. A core aim is to help each young person make meaningful progress that prepares them for their future transition into family-based placements, reunification, group settings, or independent living. We recognise that a child’s behaviours are often expressions of underlying needs or coping mechanisms. Our practice emphasises responding, not reacting, with calmness, hope, care, respect, consistency, and understanding. Collaboration is essential; you will work closely with professionals across various services such as health services, counselling, and education to support each child’s holistic development. You will have opportunities to coach and develop team members within your home.

Key Duties of Registered Manager

• Deliver all aspects of care within the Registered Children’s Home to the highest possible standard, in full accordance with the Minimum Children’s Home Standards (NI) and the Children’s Home Regulations (NI) 2005.
• Lead on strategic planning, identifying developments and improvements within the home, and complete Schedule 5 notifications to the relevant regulator.
• Demonstrate consistent quality assurance and promote best practice, working in collaboration with the Quality and Systems Team.
• Ensure full compliance with all organisational policies, procedures, regulations, and standards at all times.
• Comply with Safeguarding and Child Protection procedures at all times, supporting a transparent, honest, and open culture.
• Ensure that all resources (including staffing) are effectively managed to optimise high-quality service delivery.
• Provide monthly supervision, informal support, and annual appraisals for each staff member within the home.
• Offer ongoing coaching and mentoring, and support staff in developing their Professional Development Plans as well as completing ongoing competency assessments.
• Identify and access appropriate external and internal services to support childcare practice, ensuring the emotional and physical wellbeing of both staff and young people.
• Achieve consistently positive RQIA inspection outcomes and work collaboratively with inspectors to enhance standards within the home and team.
• Oversee all day-to-day operational and management matters within the home and participate in the on-call rota for at least four days per week.

Required Weekly Hours

32 Non-Contact Hours (allocated time for Registered Manager Duties), 6 shift hours and 0.5 Sleepover. Shift work will be required depending on the needs of the Registered Service, this will include Sleepovers (Added to an Hours Bank System). Minimum 4 On Calls to be completed on a weekly basis (additional hours worked paid out at high rates).

Shift Patterns

A regular shift is 24 hours long. It consists of 16 hours awake working time and 8 hours paid sleepover period. One shift to be completed every other week and opportunity to add to an Hours Bank System. Opportunity to work additional shifts and seek pay out of additional hours and sleepovers.

Leadership and Teamwork

• Demonstrate an active and dedicated commitment to Safe Places values and ethos in all aspects of your work.
• Undertake duties as directed by the General Manager, Area QSM or Responsible Person, showing initiative and ownership in fulfilling these responsibilities.
• Complete all required report writing in line with organisational standards, including Shift Reports, Critical Information Reports, and other internal documentation processes.
• Communicate professionally and effectively with team members and multi-disciplinary stakeholders involved in the support of the home and young people’s care.
• Promote a positive image of Safe Places for Children and contribute to the organisation’s ongoing development and improvement.
• Resolve interpersonal conflicts using organisational policies and procedures, and actively participate in supervision, meetings, and required annual training.
• Model the qualities Safe Places values—enthusiasm, professionalism, responsiveness, unity, and supportive ness—to foster team cohesion and assist young people in achieving their goals.

Essential Criteria

• A minimum 2 years’ experience working with traumatised children and young people that have displayed challenging and pain-based behaviours within a residential setting;
• A recognised Qualification in Social Work (Degree or Diploma) and post-qualified for a minimum period of 2 years;
• 1 year experience in supervising staff, facilitating coaching, oversight, team meetings etc;
• Hold a current full UK or Irish driving licence for more than 1 year and no more than three penalty points;
• Be able to obtain a positive working with children check from Access NI (Northern Ireland);
• To be willing to register with or already registered with the Northern Ireland Social Care Council as part 1 registration (Northern Ireland).

Desirable Criteria

• A third level qualification in leadership and/or management.
• 3 years experience in managing staff, facilitating coaching, supervising, team meetings etc.

Application Process

All applicants are to apply directly through our website; England and Northern Ireland Vacancies Safe Places for Children UK. A copy of the Job Description can be downloaded from the website.

Waiting List

Safe Places will be developing a waiting list for any future Residential Registered Manager positions for any applicants that have not been successful at the interview stage. These applicants will be kept on file and be added to a waiting list for a period of 6 months post their interview. Safe Places may decide to contact and make offer of employment to these applicants soon.