Residential Children\'s Services Manager

Enjoying unique lifestyle opportunities, St Helena Island is a self-governing overseas territory of the United Kingdom. Although better placed to develop economically and socially as a result of opening our international airport in 2017, we are not at the stage of self-sufficiency and therefore remain dependent on UK government aid.

You will manage the residential children’s setting on St Helena for the looked-after population, being responsible for operational safe running, which will include staff and shift management, mentoring and modelling of good practice. You must meet the arising and complex needs of looked-after children on St Helena, ensuring the service develops in line with those needs. As you help to improve standards of care, practice and intervention you will deliver training and act as a corporate parent advocate ensuring individual needs, wishes and voices are integral to the practice.

You will develop policy priority areas and manage the physical aspects of the residential setting, ensuring that it remains safe and child centred. You must see that the service delivery promotes the outline care plan from a statutory perspective, providing care and support to manage risk but also promote independence and autonomy in line with each child’s age and developmental needs. Part of an on call rota you must manage risks and responses. It’s a role that requires sensitivity and diplomacy, with the ability to deal with difficult situations and sometimes irate stakeholders.

A UK Qualified Social Worker (CQSW or DipSW), or Registered Managers Award or Psychology Qualification or Level Four Social Care, you also have experience of management in residential children’s service and of planning and interventions. You should have a varied level of experience of managing childcare residential settings in line with the clear expectations of Ofsted requirements. Your background includes safeguarding and safe practice within residential settings, analysing and interpreting information to develop solutions or solve problems and overseeing the day-to-day running of a team. You know how to provide respite care for children with and without disabilities and additional needs. You have trained residential staff and multi-agency partners and worked within legal frameworks.

In addition, you must demonstrate our core values of fairness, integrity and teamwork and use your diverse expertise and experiences to ensure your time on the Island has the broadest benefit to St Helena.

As an officer funded through the Technical Co-Operation Programme you will be expected to share your knowledge and skills beyond the workplace contributing to workforce, community and capacity development in St Helena.

Our Benefits Package Includes:

• An International Supplement, full details of which are in the Overseas Vacancy Information at our website.
• Relocation Allowances, full details of which are in the Overseas Vacancy Information at our website.
• Annual Pension Contribution of 7.5% of salary.
• Annual Leave of 30 days per annum plus Public Holidays.

How to Apply:

An application form is available on our website via the button below where further information can also be found, or you may contact Kedell Worboys on 0203 818 7610 or via email: shgukrep@sthelenagov.com. Applications must be sent to recruitment@sainthelena.gov.sh and received by 19 May 2025. To be considered for this role, you must complete our application form. Failure to do so will mean that your application will not be considered. Please do not submit your CV.

The Public Service positively accepts applications from all members of the community regardless of race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, and will consider all applications on the basis of merit, in accordance with the person specification.