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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and improve a children's residential home, ensuring safety and high-quality care.
- Company: A dedicated organisation focused on transforming children's lives in a supportive environment.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, trusted leadership role, and the chance to make a real impact.
- Why this job: Be a pivotal leader driving positive change and safeguarding for vulnerable children.
- Qualifications: Experience in managing children's homes and strong safeguarding expertise required.
- Other info: Opportunity for significant responsibility and career growth in a meaningful role.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 ÂŁ per year.
About The Company
Location: County Durham
Basis: 3 month Fixed-term contract, with possibility to extend
Salary: Negotiable
Are you an experienced children’s residential leader who thrives in challenge and change? We are seeking a Turnaround Manager to take decisive leadership of a children’s residential home requiring stabilisation, improvement, and strong safeguarding oversight. This is a pivotal role for a confident, resilient professional who can quickly establish operational grip, drive regulatory compliance, and embed high-quality, child-centred practice. You will be trusted with significant responsibility and autonomy to lead improvement at pace, while maintaining a trauma-informed, therapeutic approach that places children’s safety, welfare, and voice at the heart of everything you do.
About The Role
As Turnaround Manager, you will:
- Act as the senior safeguarding lead, ensuring children and young people are safe, protected, and supported at all times
- Take immediate responsibility for addressing regulatory shortfalls, inspection outcomes, and improvement plans
- Provide strong, visible operational leadership, stabilising staffing, rotas, supervision, and day-to-day decision-making
- Lead, motivate, and challenge staff through change, setting clear expectations and professional standards
- Embed robust quality assurance, governance, and recording systems
- Work confidently with Ofsted, placing authorities, social workers, and partner agencies
- Ensure improvements are sustainable, with clear succession planning and a structured handover
This role reports to the Responsible Individual / Interim Children’s Lead / Head of Children’s Services.
What We’re Looking For
Essential
- Significant experience leading or managing children’s residential homes
- Proven experience of turnaround, improvement, or post-inspection recovery in regulated services
- Strong working knowledge of Children’s Homes Regulations, Quality Standards, and Ofsted frameworks
- Demonstrable safeguarding expertise and confident decision-making under pressure
- Ability to lead teams through change, challenge poor practice, and drive accountability
- Excellent communication, report-writing, and stakeholder engagement skills
- Resilient, decisive, and able to work at pace in complex environments
- Experience using PACE and therapeutic parenting models
Desirable
- Registered Manager status or eligibility to register
- Experience supporting homes rated Requires Improvement or Inadequate
- Experience working with complex needs, trauma, SEMH, or high-risk behaviours
- Level 5 Leadership and Management (or equivalent)
Key Attributes
- Strong moral compass and unwavering child-focused values
- Calm, authoritative, and credible leadership style
- Highly organised with strong attention to detail
- Solution-focused, outcomes-driven, and emotionally intelligent
Why Join Us?
- Opportunity to make a real, immediate impact on children’s lives
- Trusted leadership role with delegated operational authority
- Supportive senior leadership and clear governance
- Chance to leave a lasting legacy of sustainable improvement
Safeguarding Commitment
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All appointments are subject to safer recruitment checks, including enhanced DBS clearance.
Turnaround Manager in Consett employer: Salutem Shared Services
Contact Detail:
Salutem Shared Services Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Turnaround Manager in Consett
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the children's residential sector. Attend local events or online webinars where you can meet people who might know about opportunities. Remember, sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its values. Understand their approach to safeguarding and child-centred practice. We want you to show that you’re not just a fit for the role, but also for the culture of the organisation.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your leadership stories! Be ready to share specific examples of how you've turned around services or led teams through change. We love hearing about real experiences that demonstrate your skills and resilience.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we’re always looking for passionate individuals who are ready to make a difference in children’s lives.
We think you need these skills to ace Turnaround Manager in Consett
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in children's residential homes. We want to see how your skills align with the role of Turnaround Manager, so don’t hold back on showcasing your relevant achievements!
Showcase Your Leadership Skills: As a Turnaround Manager, strong leadership is key. Use your application to demonstrate your ability to lead teams through change and improve services. Share specific examples of how you've motivated staff and driven accountability in previous roles.
Highlight Your Safeguarding Expertise: Since safeguarding is a top priority for us, make sure to emphasise your experience and knowledge in this area. Include any relevant training or certifications that showcase your commitment to keeping children safe and supported.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website for a smoother process. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates regarding your application status!
How to prepare for a job interview at Salutem Shared Services
✨Know Your Regulations
Familiarise yourself with the Children’s Homes Regulations and Ofsted frameworks. Being able to discuss these in detail will show your expertise and readiness to tackle regulatory challenges head-on.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
Prepare examples of how you've led teams through change in the past. Highlight your calm, authoritative approach and how it has positively impacted staff morale and child welfare.
✨Demonstrate Safeguarding Expertise
Be ready to discuss specific safeguarding scenarios you've managed. This will illustrate your decision-making skills under pressure and your commitment to child safety.
✨Engage with Stakeholders
Think about how you would work with Ofsted, social workers, and partner agencies. Prepare to share your strategies for effective communication and collaboration, as this is crucial for a Turnaround Manager.
