Residential Service Manager

Job Details

Salary: £61,147 to £64,596 per annum
Contract Type: Permanent
Working Pattern: Full time
Location: Countywide across West Sussex

Are you a strong leader, with a proven track record of success managing Children's Residential Homes and can you demonstrate the ability to improve the outcomes for children through partnership working?

Do you have comprehensive knowledge and experience of the Residential Service, with the commitment to sustain the highest levels of care for children?

Are you a forward thinker, striving to deliver change and continually improve practice.

The Opportunity

This is a new role that has been created to support the Head of Service for Children's Residential and will provide effective senior leadership and management oversight of 6 West Sussex children's residential homes that are Ofsted rated as good or outstanding.

You will ensure a high standard of consistent care and service in accordance with legislation, guidance and policies and ensure that children and families are at the heart of service delivery and design and that the welfare of children and young people is safeguarded and promoted at all times, helping to improve our Children First programme.

You will liaise with partners to formulate jointly agreed plans to ensure a co-ordinated approach to services for children.

What you will be doing

• To ensure the homes provide and maintain the highest levels of care and service for our children in accordance with legislation and West Sussex values, vision, policies and procedures.
• To provide effective leadership, management support and guidance to Registered Managers in the development of the Children's Homes, providing regular supervision, encouraging professional development and identifying training needs.
• Ensure young people in the services are effectively safeguarded and that the homes supported are compliant within the required regulated service.
• To support the homes and work with professional colleagues to ensure child centred care plans are established, renewed, maintained and implemented for each child each month and the quality of care is deliverable.
• To support the team to financially manage effectively all allocated resources of the home.
• To work within the internal framework for auditing the homes and provide the Head of Service with regular updates and to ensure the homes are fully prepared and ready for regular Ofsted Inspections, ensuring good leadership and management are at the forefront of the inspection.
• Develop and establish provision for care, accommodation and support through working with existing partners and building links with other partners and agencies as appropriate.

About you

• You will be confident and clear about what outstanding looks like for Childrens homes, with the ability to challenge at all levels.
• You will be qualified to degree level, eg Social Work, Youth Work, DipSW, CQSW or equivalent as recognised by a professional body or Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare.
• You will have worked as a Registered Manager for at least 4 years, of which 2 are in the last 5 years.
• You will possess self-sufficient expertise across residential at the highest level of proficiency, with a comprehensive knowledge of complex practices and precedents built on concepts and principles.
• You will be able to demonstrate excellent communication skills, with the ability to influence and persuade the actions of others, negotiating solutions across wide areas of the business.
• You will have strong partnership working skills with the ability to develop and build and manage highly effective relationships with a range of partners and stakeholders to successfully deliver objectives.
• You will have experience of managing a budget and contributing to financially related decisions on high level spending.

For more information, please refer to the Job Description attached.

About us

Please see some wording from Dan Ruaux, Assistant Director, Children's Social Care Corporate Parenting:

"Here in West Sussex our vision is to put our 'children first.' This is at the heart of everything we do for our children, young people, and families. In May 2023, Ofsted published their inspection report on our children's services, giving us an overall rating of 'Requires Improvement' with 'Good' judgements for leadership and management and children we care for.

This is a great time to consider working for our residential family here in West Sussex."

Rewards and Benefits

How to Apply

The reference number for this role is CAFHE04910.

For an informal conversation or further information regarding this exciting opportunity, please contact Dan Ruaux, Assistant Director Corporate Parenting at .

To apply, please upload your CV and a covering letter outlining your relevant experience and skills as well as your motivations for applying.