Operations Manager - Children's Residential Care in London

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 will 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.

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.
• 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 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.
• Flexibility 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 are driven by our core values and we look for these in every member of our team:

• 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.

These values are more than just words - they shape how we work, lead, and serve.

Our North Star: Everything we do is inspired by our ambition that every child and young person we support:

• 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.

Your leadership will play a vital role in achieving this mission.

Our Benefits: 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.