Responsible Individual (RI) - Children's Residential Home in Newhaven

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Responsible Individual (RI) to join a children’s residential care provider in Newhaven, East Sussex. This is a senior leadership and governance position with responsibility for ensuring the home operates safely, effectively and in accordance with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015, Quality Standards and Ofsted requirements.

Working closely with the Registered Manager, Deputy Manager and Quality & Compliance function, you will provide strategic leadership, regulatory oversight and safeguarding assurance while supporting the continued development and quality of the service. Importantly, this is not a day-to-day operational management role. The Registered Manager retains responsibility for the daily running of the home, while the Responsible Individual provides the governance, oversight and professional challenge required to ensure the service remains safe, compliant and focused on delivering positive outcomes for children and young people.

Key Responsibilities

• Hold strategic oversight of the children’s home and ensure compliance with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and Quality Standards.
• Ensure the home operates in accordance with its Statement of Purpose.
• Maintain the level of oversight required under Regulation 26 and demonstrate fitness to Ofsted as Responsible Individual.
• Provide professional supervision, support and constructive challenge to the Registered Manager.
• Hold the Registered Manager accountable for the quality of care, safeguarding and operational performance of the service.
• Support performance improvement, development planning and continuous service improvement.
• Ensure appropriate staffing structures, workforce development and safer recruitment practices are maintained.
• Review quality assurance reports, audits and compliance findings.
• Identify and respond to safeguarding themes, emerging risks and areas requiring improvement.
• Ensure appropriate actions are taken following audits, incidents or regulatory concerns.
• Maintain strategic oversight of safeguarding systems and ensure safeguarding thresholds and reporting processes are applied appropriately.
• Review serious incidents and patterns of concern and ensure relevant external agencies are notified when required.
• Promote a strong, child-centred safeguarding culture throughout the service.
• Act as a senior governance representative in communication with Ofsted, commissioners, local authorities and other external stakeholders.
• Support Ofsted inspection preparation and improvement planning.
• Provide leadership and governance oversight aimed at achieving and sustaining a strong Ofsted rating.
• Provide senior-level decision-making and support where significant safeguarding, regulatory or reputational risks arise.

Working with the Registered Manager

The Responsible Individual will provide formal supervision and professional oversight to the Registered Manager while allowing them the autonomy to manage the day-to-day operation of the home. You will provide support, accountability and constructive challenge, ensuring that operational leadership translates into safe, effective and consistently high-quality care for children and young people.

Quality, Compliance and Governance

You will work collaboratively with the organisation’s quality and compliance function, using audits, monitoring information, safeguarding data and compliance trends to inform strategic decisions. You will help create a culture where quality assurance is not simply about passing inspection, but about continuously improving the experience and outcomes of the children living within the home. The Responsible Individual retains ultimate accountability for regulatory governance and oversight.

Safeguarding Leadership

Safeguarding will sit at the heart of this role. You will provide senior oversight of safeguarding practice and ensure that:

• Safeguarding systems are robust and effective.
• Concerns are escalated appropriately.
• Serious incidents are reviewed and responded to.
• Regulatory and safeguarding notifications are completed appropriately.
• Patterns, themes and emerging risks are identified.
• The organisation maintains a strong and proactive safeguarding culture.

About You

We are particularly interested in hearing from candidates with substantial senior-level experience within children’s social care, ideally within children’s residential services.

Essential Experience and Qualifications

• Significant senior leadership experience within children’s social care, preferably children’s residential care.
• Strong working knowledge of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015.
• Strong knowledge of the Quality Standards and Ofsted inspection framework.
• Experience of safeguarding leadership and managing complex risk.
• Excellent governance, leadership and decision-making skills.
• The ability to provide appropriate challenge, support and professional oversight to Registered Managers.
• A Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare, or an equivalent relevant qualification.
• The capacity, experience and skills required to effectively supervise the management of a children’s home and fulfil the responsibilities of the Responsible Individual.

Desirable

It would be advantageous if you have:

• Previous experience as a Responsible Individual / RI.
• Experience supporting the registration of a new children’s home.
• Experience leading or supporting service improvement.
• Experience preparing children's homes for Ofsted inspection.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed or therapeutic approaches to residential childcare.

Senior On-Call Responsibility

The Responsible Individual will form part of the senior leadership on-call rota alongside the Registered Manager and Deputy Manager. The rota will be planned in advance and provides access to senior management support, safeguarding oversight and decision-making outside normal working hours. There is no standard additional payment for being on call unless otherwise authorised. Where active work or attendance is required outside contracted hours, the hours worked will be recorded and provided as Time Off in Lieu (TOIL), subject to operational requirements.

Salary

£58,000 – £65,000 per annum. Appointment will be subject to the necessary safer recruitment checks and confirmation that the successful candidate meets the requirements to undertake the Responsible Individual role.

Important Information

Interested? Please apply with an up-to-date CV. Due to the regulated nature of Children’s Residential Care, successful candidates will be required to complete all relevant safer recruitment and pre-employment checks before starting work.

Right to Work: Please only apply if you already have the right to work in the UK for this position. Unfortunately, sponsorship is not available for this vacancy.

Safer Recruitment & Safeguarding: YourRecruit is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Appointments to roles within children’s residential services will be subject to appropriate safer recruitment checks, which may include an Enhanced DBS check, verification of employment history, satisfactory references, qualification checks, identity and Right to Work checks, and exploration of any gaps in employment, in line with the requirements of the role and provider.

Know someone suitable? YourRecruit operates a paid referral scheme, so if this role isn’t right for you but you know someone who may be interested, please get in touch.

Due to the volume of applications we receive, we may not be able to respond individually to every applicant. If you have not heard from us within 7 days, unfortunately you have not been shortlisted for this particular vacancy. We would, however, be pleased to consider you for other suitable opportunities.

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