Children's Residential Care Operations Manager

YMCA Robin Hood Group is seeking an Operations Manager to join our Children’s Residential Care team in this newly created role. We are looking for a compassionate leader who can empower our existing team and provide invaluable support and experience to our Registered Managers, allowing them to thrive under your guidance, mentoring, and coaching. You’ll join an experienced Leadership Team, rooted in collaboration and compassion, who share the same aim – keeping the best interests of children at the heart of everything we do. We operate homes across Nottingham, Newark, Goole, and Selby. This role provides oversight across all locations – we value strong relationships with all teams and children, rather than limiting you to a single home.

Your week will typically include 1 day working from home and 4 days across the homes and the Village, with flexibility to manage your diary. If you’re hands-on, people-focused, and driven to both support teams and raise standards, this could be the role for you.

• Location: Split between YMCA Newark & Sherwood Community & Activity Village and the residential homes; flexibility to work from home 1 day per week.
• Salary: £65,918 per annum.
• Hours: 40 hours per week, primarily Monday to Friday but with flexibility to work evenings and weekends to support the needs of the homes.

As Operations Manager, you will:

• Provide nurturing, mentoring and coaching to our Registered Managers, supporting their growth while leading a team dedicated to achieving high standards and making a meaningful impact on children’s lives.
• Use your wealth of residential care experience to provide responsive, proactive and meaningful help and support to our team, being flexible to respond to the needs of that home or that child in the moment.
• Embed high-performance, values-led practice and quality standards.
• Lead on quality, contracts, audits, and compliance – maintaining and improving our Good and Outstanding Ofsted ratings.
• Support performance, wellbeing, and development across a multi-site team.
• Oversee budgets, contracts, and funding opportunities to ensure the sustainability of the service.
• Work closely with our in-house therapeutic teams.
• As part of our future growth plan, lead the registration and launch of new homes.

Does this sound like you?

• Significant experience in management roles within Children’s Residential Care.
• Already hold or be prepared to work towards your Level 5 Diploma in Leadership & Management (or equivalent) to become qualified within 2 years of appointment.
• A track record of successful Ofsted inspections.
• Quality driven, with high standards of what a children’s home should look like.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to build trusted relationships with colleagues and children.
• Able to challenge and question as well as make recommendations to improve practice and outcomes for children.
• A strong team player, driven to foster a culture of teamwork and accountability throughout the service.
• A confident, working knowledge of key legislation and standards, including the Children’s Homes Regulations, Children Acts, and safeguarding frameworks.
• A full driving licence and willingness to travel frequently across the region, often at short notice.
• Whilst this is predominantly a Monday to Friday role working 40 hours per week, we would ask that you are flexible to work evenings and weekends when required, occasionally acting as part of an on-call rota pattern to support the overall wellbeing of the team.

What We Value

• We Seek Out – We’re always looking for ways to do better.
• We Welcome – We include, respect, and support everyone.
• We Inspire – We believe in every person’s potential.
• We Speak Out – We advocate for what’s right.
• We Serve Others – We act with compassion and purpose.

• Builds the relationships that help them discover who they are.
• Develops the skills and confidence to shape their own life.
• Learns how to connect with and contribute to the world around them.

We value your commitment and relentless dedication and have crafted a package of health & well-being benefits. Here’s some of what you can expect:

• 27 days annual leave (plus bank holidays), increasing to 32 days with 5 years’ service.
• Wellbeing package (after passing probation): 24/7 GP access, health/dental cashback, Employment Assistance Programme.
• Funded training, qualifications & career progression across YMCA services.
• Quarterly Campfires – celebrating our impact across the organisation.
• Discounted YMCA childcare & holiday clubs.
• £500 refer-a-friend bonus.
• Blue Light Card eligibility + 10% discount at YMCA Café and Malt Cross.

YMCA Robin Hood Group is committed to equal opportunities, promoting diversity, and creating an inclusive culture where all staff can thrive. Should you require any adjustments to support your full participation in our recruitment process, we would encourage you to share your needs with us so we can support you with your requirements. We follow rigorous safer recruitment processes to ensure the protection of children, young people, and adults at risk. All applicants will be subject to enhanced DBS checks, reference checks, and thorough vetting as part of our commitment to safeguarding.