At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a Children's Residential Home, ensuring safety and quality care for young people.
- Company: Join Salutem Care & Education, a Top Employer in the UK dedicated to making a difference.
- Benefits: Enjoy 24/7 support, flexible pay, health resources, and opportunities for personal growth.
- Other info: Be part of a supportive community that values innovation and excellence.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on children's lives while developing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Experience in managing children's homes and strong safeguarding knowledge required.
The predicted salary is between 31500 - 38500 £ per year.
About The Company
Join Salutem Care & Education and help shape a workforce that truly makes a difference.
At Salutem Care and Education, our aim is to empower people to live a life they choose, regardless of the care or support they need.
We are proud to provide a range of care and support across our schools, day centres, and residential homes for children and adults.
Just like any strong community, we want the very best for the individuals we support.
We’re proud to be recognised by the Top Employers Institute as a Top Employer United Kingdom, reflecting our exceptional culture, care, and commitment to our people.
In addition, we’re honoured to be named among the 2025 Top 100 Global Inspiring Workplaces, and to have achieved Top 10 in the 2026 UK & Ireland Inspiring Workplaces Awards.
We’re passionate about developing and supporting colleagues for the future.
Through a culture of continuous learning and reflective practice, we create opportunities for personal and professional growth — helping our people build meaningful and rewarding careers in care.
About The Role
Are you an experienced Children's Residential leader who thrives in challenging and transformational environments?
We are seeking an exceptional Interim Manager to take responsibility for one of our Children's Residential Homes in Cardiff on a fixed-term basis.
This is a critical leadership role requiring a confident and experienced professional who can quickly establish operational stability, strengthen compliance, and drive sustainable improvements in service quality and outcomes for children and young people.
You will be empowered to lead with autonomy while championing a trauma-informed and therapeutic approach that places the safety, wellbeing, and voice of every child at the centre of decision‑making.
The Opportunity
As Interim Manager, you will provide strong, visible leadership and be accountable for the day‑to‑day management and performance of the home.
Key Responsibilities
- Acting as the home's senior safeguarding lead, ensuring children and young people are safe, protected, and supported at all times.
- Taking immediate ownership of regulatory compliance, inspection outcomes, action plans, and service improvement initiatives.
- Providing decisive operational leadership across staffing, rotas, supervision, performance management, and daily decision‑making.
- Leading teams through periods of change, embedding high professional standards, accountability, and a positive culture.
- Developing and implementing robust quality assurance, governance, and recording processes.
- Building effective relationships with Ofsted, local authorities, social workers, and wider partner agencies.
- Embedding sustainable improvements and ensuring effective succession planning and handover arrangements.
- Promoting therapeutic, child‑centred practice that improves outcomes and experiences for young people.
What We're Looking For
Essential Experience & Qualifications
- Significant experience managing or leading Children's Residential Homes.
- Proven experience within regulated children's services.
• Strong working knowledge of
- Children's Homes Regulations
- Quality Standards
- Ofsted inspection frameworks
- Demonstrable safeguarding expertise and the ability to make sound decisions in complex and high‑pressure situations.
- A track record of leading teams through change, challenging poor practice, and driving service improvement.
- Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and report‑writing skills.
- Experience of working with therapeutic approaches, including PACE and therapeutic parenting models.
- The resilience, professionalism, and credibility required to operate effectively in demanding environments.
Desirable
- Registered Manager status or eligibility to register with Ofsted.
- Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (or equivalent).
• Experience supporting children with
- Trauma and attachment needs
- SEMH needs
- Complex behaviours
- High‑risk presentations
- Previous experience leading turnaround, improvement, or post‑inspection recovery programmes.
- Key Attributes
- Passionately child‑focused with strong professional values and integrity.
- Calm, authoritative, and confident in their leadership approach.
- Highly organised with excellent attention to detail.
- Resilient, adaptable, and able to operate at pace.
- Solution‑focused and outcome‑driven.
- Emotionally intelligent, with the ability to inspire, support, and challenge others effectively.
Why Join Salutem?
At Salutem, people are at the heart of everything we do.
You’ll join a collaborative and supportive environment where your ideas, leadership, and expertise will make a real impact — not only on our teams, but on the lives of the people we support every day.
If you’re passionate about operational excellence, developing people, and building outstanding recruitment and HR processes, we’d love to hear from you.
- Our Core Values
- Supportive: Helping everyone reach their full potential.
- Ambitious: Striving for the best outcomes.
- Loyal: Prioritising our staff and the people we support.
- Unique: Innovating without compromising quality.
- Transparent: Fostering openness and mutual respect.
- Engaging: Partnering with everyone involved.
- Meaningful: Offering fulfilling opportunities.
Why Choose Us?
- Emotional Support: 24/7 Employee Assistance, mental health resources, meditation apps, and bereavement support.
- Medical Support: Free Online GP access, Health Cash Plan, Cancer Cover, and Menopause support.
- Financial Support: Flexible pay with Wagestream, utility bill savings, Money Helper, and Life Assurance.
- Physical Support: Online workouts, Cycle to Work scheme, gym discounts, and National Trust activities.
Proud to be a Disability Confident Committed employer.
Salutem Care and Education is dedicated to protecting and promoting the well‑being of children, young adults, and vulnerable individuals.
As part of our safer recruitment process, the successful candidate will be required to complete thorough pre‑employment checks, including an enhanced DBS and, where applicable, overseas criminal record checks.
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Interim Manager (Fixed Term Contract 6 Months) in Cardiff employer: Salutem Care & Education
Salutem Care & Education is an exceptional employer located in the vibrant city of Plymouth, offering a supportive and inclusive work culture that prioritises employee well-being and professional growth. With a strong commitment to person-centred care, employees benefit from ongoing training opportunities and the chance to make a meaningful impact in the lives of individuals with mental health needs. Join a dedicated team where your contributions are valued, and you can thrive in a rewarding environment.
Contact Details:
Salutem Care & Education Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Interim Manager (Fixed Term Contract 6 Months) in Cardiff
✨Get Involved in Local Community Projects
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We think you need these skills to ace Interim Manager (Fixed Term Contract 6 Months) in Cardiff
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Social Work:In your cover letter, let's highlight why you're passionate about social work and how your values align with those of Salutem Care & Education. Share specific experiences where you made a difference, as this field thrives on genuine motivation and connection.
Demonstrate Relevant Experience:When listing your experience, focus on any internships, volunteer roles, or temporary positions you've had in social work or related fields. Those skills are gold! Think about situations where you helped individuals or communities, and don't forget to mention any relevant certifications, like safeguarding or mental health first aid.
Keep It Concise and Relevant:Remember, for a temporary role, hiring managers want to see how you fit in and can hit the ground running. Keep your CV clear and to the point, showcasing only the experience that really matters for the role at Salutem Care & Education. We recommend a two-page limit – make every word count!
Emphasise Flexibility and Adaptability:Considering this is a temporary position, it's vital to show you can adapt to new environments quickly. In your application, highlight any past experiences where you had to adjust to different teams or roles smoothly. This shows you understand the nature of temporary work and are ready for the challenge!
How to prepare for a job interview at Salutem Care & Education
✨Sharpen Your Empathy Skills
In social work, it's all about understanding and connecting with people from diverse backgrounds. Make sure to prepare some examples from your experience where you've demonstrated empathy and resilience. Practising active listening techniques can help you articulate your approach during the interview with Salutem Care & Education.
✨Know Your Frameworks
Familiarise yourself with key social work theories and frameworks, like the ecological systems theory or person-centred approaches. These concepts might pop up during your interview for the temporary Interim Manager (Fixed Term Contract 6 Months) role at Salutem Care & Education, so it's good to have a couple of insights ready to share.
✨Highlight Flexibility and Adaptability
Since this is a temporary position, showcasing your flexibility is key. Be prepared to discuss past experiences where you quickly adapted to new environments or changing client needs, which is crucial in the dynamic world of social work.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect some scenario-based questions that test your decision-making skills and ethical judgement. Think about how you would handle specific challenges you might face in the field. Having a clear structure for your answers will show Salutem Care & Education that you can think critically and act effectively under pressure.
