Leading our seven-bed home and its established team, accountable to Ofsted for the quality of its care, with a structured bonus, clinical supervision and the Level 5 funded.
Here at Able Health Care, we put children at the heart of everything we do. We run three registered children's homes across Suffolk, Liberty Lodge in Ipswich, Fern Lodge in Leiston and Oak Tree House in Sudbury, with further homes in active development as part of a planned expansion.
Every home is built on the same foundation: consistent leadership, a therapeutic culture and management stability. We invest in permanent staff, keep agency use to a minimum, and promote from within: our current Operations Managers were appointed from inside the group.
Every appointment is made under safer recruitment procedures, including an enhanced DBS check. We aren't just filling shifts; we are looking for dedicated, empathetic people ready to bring their hearts to work and make a lasting difference.
Liberty Lodge is registered to care for up to 7 young people aged 9–17 with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD). It is one of the larger and more complex homes in the Able group, and the successful candidate will be managing a bigger staff group, a bigger group-living dynamic, and a correspondingly higher bar for consistency and oversight than a smaller setting demands.
The home has been rated Good in All Areas by Ofsted at its last inspection.
The home has an established, experienced staff team and a track record of sustained good practice, most recently confirmed at inspection. This vacancy has arisen as a result of the current manager's promotion within the group – the incoming Registered Manager will be taking over a home that is stable and well-run and will be expected to protect and build on that standard rather than simply maintain it.
The right candidate will take a Good home and build the evidence base for Outstanding.
Full time, 40 hours per week. Permanent. Relocation support is available for candidates moving into the region.
Reporting line
The Registered Manager reports to the Operations Manager and is accountable to the Directors and the Responsible Individual.
Safer recruitment
Able Health Care is committed to safer recruitment and to safeguarding the children and young people in our care to the highest standard. All appointments are made using robust recruitment procedures, including an enhanced DBS check with a check of the children's barred list, full employment history, and satisfactory references. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 under the Exceptions Order 1975, and the successful candidate will be required to complete an Ofsted fit person interview as part of their registration.
We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are committed to building a workforce that reflects the communities we serve.
Key responsibilities
Care and safeguarding
- Delivering high quality care to every child at Liberty Lodge, with each placement plan fully and consistently implemented
- Ensuring compliance with the Children Act 1989, the Care Standards Act 2000 and the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015
- Managing all child protection matters in line with current legislation and best safeguarding practice, including prompt and accurate notification to the relevant authorities
- Ensuring accurate assessment and recording of need, including missing episodes and exploitation risk, and coordinating health, education and therapeutic support for each child
Leadership
- Providing visible, hands on leadership and coaching in day to day childcare practice
- Leading, developing and holding to account the Deputy Manager and senior staff
- Taking stewardship of Able Health Care's therapeutic philosophy and practice framework, and ensuring policies are applied consistently across every shift
Regulatory and home management
- Owning quality assurance and all duties associated with regulatory compliance, including the inspection process
- Completing Regulation 45 quality of care reports, ensuring monthly Regulation 44 visits take place, and actioning recommendations within agreed timescales
- Owning the home's development plan, informed by quality assurance outcomes
- Managing the home's budget, rota, recording systems, administration and premises to a consistently high standard
- Ensuring appropriate matching of referrals to the home and the existing peer group, and maintaining full occupancy
Team
- Delivering consistent, recorded supervision that supports both practice and individual development
- Building individual training plans, including support for staff working towards the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare
- Completing probationary and annual appraisals, and maintaining a full complement of suitably qualified staff
- Implementing health and safety policy, risk assessments, incident reporting and fire drills in line with procedure
Required skills
- A Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare, or equivalent, or a firm commitment to complete it within the required timescale
- A minimum of four years' residential childcare experience, including proven deputy management or supervisory experience
- Direct experience of managing high complexity EBD/SEMH presentations, including missing episodes, exploitation risk and challenging behaviour
- Strong, hands on team leadership: the ability to set standards and build trust with a small, established staff group through consistent personal presence
- Sound working knowledge of the Children Act 1989, the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015, safeguarding procedures, children’s rights, and indicators of child criminal and sexual exploitation
- Confident written and verbal communication, including report writing for Ofsted and local authorities
- Confident budget, rota and project management
- A full UK driving licence and use of a vehicle. This is a requirement of the role: Fern Lodge is rurally located, public transport does not support shift patterns, and the post involves transporting children
Nice to haves
- A diploma or degree in therapeutic work, or a Social Work qualification
- Experience of leading a home through a period of heightened risk or significant change
- Experience in a rural or geographically dispersed setting
- Financial management and management information reporting experience
- Experience of training delivery, or of devising and implementing policy
A manager who wants to lead in person. You set standards by being present, you build trust with a small established team through consistency, and you are comfortable holding complex casework with proper clinical backing behind you.
What you get
Structured annual bonus
Level 5 fully funded
- A structured annual bonus scheme measured against defined targets aligned with quality of outcomes, not a discretionary gesture
- Relocation support for candidates moving into the region
- Clinical supervision from an external consultant clinical psychologist, and an in house therapeutic offer under development
- Fully funded professional development, including Level 5 where not already held
- Direct access to the Operations Manager, the Responsible Individual and the Directors. Decisions are made quickly and locally
- Real progression: as the group expands towards ten registered provisions, senior operational roles are filled from within wherever possible
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Registered Manager, Liberty Lodge in Ipswich employer: Weareable
Able Health Care is an exceptional employer dedicated to providing high-quality care for children, with a strong focus on employee development and a supportive work culture. Located in Leiston, our Registered Manager role offers structured bonuses, clinical supervision, and fully funded professional development opportunities, ensuring that you can lead effectively while making a meaningful impact in the lives of young people. With a commitment to promoting from within and a clear pathway for career progression, we invite passionate individuals to join our established team and help us achieve Outstanding care standards.
