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- 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 County Durham.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, trusted leadership role, and the chance to make a real impact.
- Why this job: Be a pivotal force in creating positive change for vulnerable children.
- Qualifications: Experience in managing children's homes and strong safeguarding knowledge required.
- Other info: Opportunity for career growth and to leave a lasting legacy.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
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.
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.
Essential qualifications include:
- 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 qualifications include:
- 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 include:
- 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.
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 employer: Unidad Educativa Bilingüe Delfos
Contact Detail:
Unidad Educativa Bilingüe Delfos Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Turnaround Manager
✨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 openings or can give you insider tips on the role of a Turnaround Manager.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by practising common questions related to turnaround management and safeguarding. We recommend using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers and showcase your experience effectively.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your leadership style! During interviews, share specific examples of how you've led teams through change and improved services. Highlight your ability to motivate staff and drive accountability, as these are key for the Turnaround Manager role.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take the initiative to engage directly with us.
We think you need these skills to ace Turnaround Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Experience: Make sure to highlight your significant experience in leading or managing children's residential homes. We want to see how you've tackled challenges and driven improvements in similar roles, so don’t hold back!
Be Specific About Your Skills: When you’re writing your application, be specific about your skills related to safeguarding and regulatory compliance. We love details, so share examples of how you've ensured children's safety and improved practices in past positions.
Tailor Your Application: Don’t just send a generic application! Tailor it to reflect the key attributes we’re looking for, like your calm leadership style and solution-focused approach. Show us why you’re the perfect fit for this role.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply 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 from us!
How to prepare for a job interview at Unidad Educativa Bilingüe Delfos
✨Know Your Regulations
Familiarise yourself with the Children’s Homes Regulations and Ofsted frameworks. Be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with these standards and how you can address any regulatory shortfalls.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
Prepare examples that highlight your leadership approach, especially in challenging situations. Discuss how you've motivated teams through change and set clear expectations to drive accountability.
✨Demonstrate Safeguarding Expertise
Be prepared to talk about your safeguarding experience and decision-making under pressure. Share specific instances where you ensured the safety and welfare of children in your care.
✨Engage with Stakeholders
Think about how you’ve worked with various stakeholders like social workers and partner agencies. Be ready to explain how you’ve built relationships and communicated effectively to drive improvements.
