Deputy manager childrens home jobs

Salary: £43,000 per annum

Permanent Contract

Full time 40 hours per week

Shift work including evenings, weekends and bank holidays

Location: South West London, Balham

We have a fantastic development opportunity to join our Children’s Homes in South West London. We are looking for candidates with the aspiration to develop their careers with us and become Registered Managers through our Leadership Passport and Management Training offer.

Starting salary of £43,000 as Deputy Manager, and up to £65,000 as Registered Manager.

We are proud that 80% of our Registered Managers are internal promotions. Take your career to next level with our comprehensive in-house training and funded Level 5 qualifications.

About Us

Our vision is for every child and young person to be safe, loved and happy, to achieve their potential and have a bright future.

St Christopher's is a leading charity for children and young people. We are proud of our history of providing fostering, children's homes and innovative leaving care services across the UK.  We have a passionate commitment to our young people, placing them at the centre of everything we do.  We provide positive life experiences for young people who are unable to sustain a placement in their parental or foster home.

We are an equal-opportunity employer keen to develop an inclusive workforce where people feel they belong.  We hope to attract applications from under- represented groups, including people from different cultures, nationalities, socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, disabilities, religions, faith, sex, orientation, childcare responsibilities, and gender-diverse identities.

St Christopher’s Academy

When you join St Christopher’s, we will set you up in your career with a tailored development plan. Whether you want to move across to a different service, become a Manager or just explore further your current role, we will support you to map out your career trajectory and help you achieve your professional ambitions. If you want to learn more about St Christopher’s Academy, please visit our website.

Please visit our website to check out our staff stories to see how you can develop your career with us

The successful candidate will have:

• Two years’ recent experience of working with children/young people who are at risk in a residential or community based setting.
• Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Residential Childcare or equivalent; and a commitment to complete Level 5 diploma in Leadership and Management in residential care within 2 years of starting.
• Ability to develop appropriate one-to-one relationships with young people and employ mentoring skills that empower young people to achieve their goals.
• Numeracy skills to manage budgets efficiently and contribute to the budgetary process.
• An understanding of the regulatory framework relevant to the provision of residential services for children and young people.
• Awareness of issues facing young people such as bullying, gangs and exploitation and how these impact on behaviour.
• Ability to work shifts including weekends and bank holidays and undertake sleep-ins.
• Ability and willingness to be part of an on call rota overseeing multiple Homes.

About the Role

As Deputy Manager, you will lead and support a professional team of staff committed to transforming young lives and creating positive outcomes. You will be supported by a Registered Manager, Team Leaders, and the team of residential staff.

Key aspect of the role:

• To assist the manager in safeguarding and ensuring every child and young person receives high quality care as measured by Ofsted in the social care common inspection framework.
• To assist the manager in the management of the home, including the staff, external relationships, the budget, the resources and fabric of the building.

In return we offer:

• Starting salary of £43,000 per annum.
• Real opportunities to develop your career and become a Registered Manager.
• A friendly working environment, a fun, open and honest culture.
• 25 days holiday rising to 27 days after 3 years’ service, plus Bank Holidays, pro-rata.
• Industry leading training programme including access to level 3 qualifications, children’s right and participation, CSE, empowerment, mental health and social pedagogy.
• Contributory pension scheme, enhanced maternity and company sick scheme.
• UK Life Assurance (Death in service) to the value of 3 times your annual salary.
• BUPA employee assistance programme, offering counselling, financial advice and legal support.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Bluelight card; discount shopping scheme at hundreds of retailers across the UK.
• Discretionary funded training programs.
• Employee awards based on performance and length of service.
• Fantastic opportunities to develop your career within our range of services.

Recruitment Process

At St Christopher’s we are committed to the safeguarding of all children and young people in our care. During the recruitment process you will be expected to complete an online application form to ensure we capture essential information to meet legislation, best practice and vetting requirements.

Applicants will ideally already be on the DBS Update Service; if this is not the case St Christopher's will carry out a DBS (police) check prior to starting.

Your online application must include a supporting statement addressing the criteria stated in the Person Specification. For the full Job Description and Person Specification please visit our website. CV’s will not be accepted.

For more information or assistance during the application process, please contact us via our website.

This post has a minimum age restriction of 21 year for roles working directly with children and young people in our residential and supported accommodation Homes in line with the Equality Act ‘occupational requirement’.

It is illegal to apply for any role that involves working with children and young people under the age of 18, if you know you are barred from working with children.

All shortlisted candidates invited to interview will be asked to submit a Self-Declaration and Disclosure form which will need to be returned prior to an interview being booked.

Salary: up to £51,250 per annum depending on experience and qualifications

40 hours per week including evenings, weekends and bank holidays

Contract: Permanent 

Location: East Croydon (Sanderstead Station) 

We have a fantastic opportunity to join St Christopher's fellowship as a Deputy Manager for our new specialist Children’s home in Croydon. You will work alongside the Registered Manager to lead and support a professional team of staff committed to transforming young lives and creating positive outcomes. You will be supported by Team Leaders, experienced Residential Practitioners, as well as our Wrap Around and Education Teams.

Please visit our website to watch our short video to gain an insight into our working life here at St Christopher’s

About Us

Our vision is for every child and young person to be safe, loved and happy, to achieve their potential and have a bright future.

St Christopher's is a leading charity for children and young people. We are proud of our history of providing fostering, children's homes and innovative leaving care services across the UK .  We have a passionate commitment to our young people, placing them at the centre of everything we do.  We provide positive life experiences for young people who are unable to sustain a placement in their parental or foster home.

We are an equal-opportunity employer keen to develop an inclusive workforce where people feel they belong.  We hope to attract applications from under- represented groups, including people from different cultures, nationalities, socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, disabilities, religions, faith, sex, orientation, childcare responsibilities, and gender-diverse identities. 

About the Role

As Deputy Manager, you will lead and support a professional team of staff committed to transforming young lives and creating positive outcomes. You will be supported by a Registered Manager, Deputy Manager, Team Leaders, and the team of residential staff.

Key aspect of the role:

• To assist the manager in safeguarding and ensuring every child and young person receives high quality care as measured by Ofsted in the social care common inspection framework.
• To assist the manager in the management of the home, including the staff, external relationships, the budget, the resources and fabric of the building.

St Christopher’s Academy

Our 'St Christopher’s Academy' ensures our staff is continually developing. We will support you to map out your career trajectory and help you achieve your professional ambitions. If you want to learn more about St Christopher’s Academy, please visit our website.

The successful candidate will have:

• A degree in a relevant discipline (e.g. Psychology, Social Work, Mental Health Nursing, Youth Work etc)
• A willingness to undertake a Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare, if possessing only a Level 3 qualification relevant to the role
• At least 2 years’ experience in residential children’s homes
• At least 1 years’ experience of staff supervision and management responsibility.
• Ability to develop appropriate one-to-one relationships with young people and employ mentoring skills that empower young people to achieve their goals.
• Numeracy skills to manage budgets efficiently and contribute to the budgetary process.
• An understanding of the regulatory framework relevant to the provision of residential services for children and young people.
• Awareness of issues facing young people such as bullying, gangs and exploitation and how these impact on behaviour.
• An understanding of trauma informed practice
• Ability to work shifts including weekends and bank holidays and undertake sleep-ins.
• Ability and willingness to be part of an on call rota overseeing multiple Homes. 

In return we offer:

• Starting salary up to £51,250 per annum depending on experience and qualifications
• Opportunities to develop your career and become a Registered Manager.
• A friendly working environment, a fun, open and honest culture.
• 25 days holiday rising to 27 days after 3 years’ service, plus Bank Holidays, pro-rata.
• Industry leading training programme including access to level 3 qualifications, children’s right and participation, CSE, empowerment, mental health and social pedagogy.
• Contributory pension scheme, enhanced maternity and company sick scheme.
• UK Life Assurance (Death in service) to the value of 3 times your annual salary.
• BUPA employee assistance programme, offering counselling, financial advice and legal support.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Bluelight card; discount shopping scheme at hundreds of retailers across the UK.
• Discretionary funded training programs.
• Employee awards based on performance and length of service.
• Fantastic opportunities to develop your career within our range of services.

Recruitment Process:

At St Christopher’s we are committed to the safeguarding of all children and young people in our care. During the recruitment process you will be expected to complete an online application form to ensure we capture essential information to meet legislation, best practice and vetting requirements.

Applicants will ideally already be on the DBS Update Service; if this is not the case St Christopher's will carry out a DBS (police) check prior to starting.

Your online application must include a supporting statement addressing the criteria stated in the Person Specification. For the full Job Description and Person Specification please visit our website. CV’s will not be accepted.

For more information or assistance during the application process, please contact us via our website.

Please note:

• This post has a minimum age restriction of 21 year for roles working directly with children and young people in our residential and supported accommodation Homes in line with the Equality Act ‘occupational requirement’.
• It is illegal to apply for any role that involves working with children and young people under the age of 18, if you know you are barred from working with children.
• All shortlisted candidates invited to interview will be asked to submit a Self-Declaration and Disclosure form which will need to be returned prior to an interview being booked.

We're looking for a passionate, organised and resilient Deputy Manager to join our Learning Disabilities Social Care Service in Hertfordshire.

£36,000.00 per annum, working 40 hours per week.

Want to feel like you have an exciting future? You'll feel at home here.
Making you feel at home here means helping you thrive in every way. That's why we offer a wide range of benefits, award-winning Learning & Development and a culture that welcomes all. These aren't token gestures - we've thought long and hard about how best to support our team. After all, our people are doing something amazing: helping to transform lives every day.
Our benefits include:
* Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of service
* A generous pension - we will contribute up to 8% and life assurance cover up to 3x Pensionable Salary (T&Cs apply)
* Exclusive discounts and cashback via Reward Gateway® and opportunity to buy a Blue Light Card
* Fully paid induction programme and further training
* ILM courses and Apprenticeship Programmes
* Cycle to work scheme
* Employee Assistance Programme for 24-7 confidential support
* Online wellbeing resources
* Quarterly Staff Awards to reward & recognise our amazing staff's commitment and contribution
* Free DBS
All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship.

This job description outlines the key responsibilities and expectations of the role. It is subject to change and may be amended as business needs evolve.

What you'll do:
* Support the Area Service Manager to drive business planning activities within your contract, ensuring relevant and challenging objective setting and ongoing performance tracking, developing turn around action plans as may be necessary
* Support the Area Service Manager, using sound financial and accounting principles, manage contract budgets to deliver on corporate and local contract financial targets
* Successfully lead and motivate the team to ensure the championing of and maintenance of a positive local culture within your service
* Work to continuously improve staff competence, ensure ownership of all staff issues and speedy and effective conflict resolution
* Responsible for reporting all staff changes to HR and Payroll departments, as appropriate e.g. starters, leavers, additional hours etc.
* Supporting Area Service Manager in maintaining quarterly staff succession plans

This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead

About you:
* Enjoys social interaction and the company of others, joins in local activities to encourage customer involvement and inclusion
* Exudes a warm friendly presence and open behaviour
* Prefers working as part of a group or team
* Is fundamentally calm and resilient, does not let emotion adversely affect them or obscure their judgement
* Has a practical and logical mind and is naturally well organised
* Thrives on change and enjoys dynamic diverse environments
* Is confident with high levels of self-esteem
* Is respectful, articulate and sensitive in style of communication
* Is motivated towards excellence and improvement of personal performance with a can do attitude
* Ability to cope positively with challenging and diverse behaviour

What you'll bring:
Essential
* Educated to degree level or equivalent
* Holds relevant CMI/NVQ Level 4 or other business/management qualification
* Sound understanding of Positive Behaviour Support framework
* 2 years of experience with profound autism or complex learning disability
Desirable
* Any other relevant professional memberships and/or specialist qualifications
* Clinical background or relevant experience

About us:

Look Ahead is a leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. Our vision is to build better lives through social care and housing in local communities. As an organisation we deliver over 100 services, providing support to thousands of customers each year. Our mission is to co-design and deliver services that offer innovative social care solutions and support people to thrive. We work across mental health, homelessness and complex needs, young people and care leavers and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.
We have a strong social purpose and we live and work by our values:
* We focus on Excellence and innovation.
* We are Caring and Compassionate.
* We are Inclusive and Trusted.
* We work in Partnership and are One-Team.
Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.

If your application for this role is unsuccessful, but we feel that you would be suitable for another role, we may contact you to discuss alternative opportunities. If this occurs you would not need to submit another application for the alternative role.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with Silver in the Inclusive Employers Standard 2021. We are a proud member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants of all backgrounds.

Please see our website for full Job description

Deputy Children's Home Registered Manager

Location:  Banstead, Sutton, United Kingdom

Contract type: Full time – permanent

Hours: 40 hours, Monday-Friday 9-5 (with flexibility as needed)

Salary: £39,000 - GBP 43,000 - yearly

Company Description

Lighthouse Pedagogy Trust is a charity creating children’s homes where children can thrive. We believe every child deserves the chance to achieve great things and lead fulfilling lives.

Our first home opened in Sutton in February 2022, supporting up to six children aged 11–18 with emotional and behavioural needs. We are currently renovating a second property in Banstead (SM7), a 5-bed children’s home due to open in autumn 2026. Our first children's home is an award-winning building that has set a new standard for UK children's homes.

We are part of the Catch 22 family, who’s work spans education, social justice and rehabilitation, children's social care, family support, social action and getting people into work.

What this role offers:

• Opportunity to set up a new home, recruit your team and shape it from the very beginning.
• Backing from an experienced and supportive leadership team and RI
• Starting holiday allowance of 28 days (inclusive of bank holidays), increasing to 38 days at 2 years and 41 days at 5 years
• 4% employer pension contributions and life insurance
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption pay
• Employee assistance programme, discounted shopping, cycle-to-work scheme and lots more benefits

Why work for LPT?

• We have an annual staff retention rate of 94%. This is significantly above the sector average, reflecting our commitment to employee wellbeing, development and job satisfaction.
• LPT is a charity, so any surplus revenue generated is reinvested into improving experiences and outcomes for children in care
• Our first children’s home has been running for 4 years, and consistently achieving Good Ofsted grading
• We are a values-driven organisation grounded in Social Pedagogy, prioritising relationships, empowerment, and wellbeing
• LPT has partnered with Kingston University to develop a Level 6 Diploma in Residential care, and offers fully funded places on the course for our team 
• We have won several awards for the therapeutically informed and high-quality design of our home, including the Innovation in Care Award at the National Children’s Homes Awards and the Stephen Lawrence Prize

Job Description

As the Deputy Manager of our 6-bed home, you will:

• Be part of creating a home where children feel safe, valued and able to thrive, building real, meaningful relationships that make a lasting difference.
• Support young people to explore who they are, discover what they want from life, and take steps towards their goals and ambitions.
• Play a key role in leading and shaping a dedicated team, helping to create a warm, reflective culture where everyone can grow and do their best work.
• Build your leadership confidence by working closely with the Registered Manager and stepping up to lead when needed, including during key visits and inspections.
• Develop your skills in coaching and mentoring, supporting colleagues through supervision, reflection and ongoing learning opportunities.
• Work in a genuinely collaborative way with families, schools and partner agencies, creating joined-up, holistic support around each child.
• Contribute to something bigger by helping us grow and develop our innovative approach, influencing practice beyond our home and into the wider sector.
• Grow your career with us. With plans to open more homes, there are real opportunities to progress into Registered Manager roles and take on leadership of your own home over time.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will be:

• Experienced in managing and supervising staff in a children’s home (deputy/senior level experience).
• Experienced working with teenagers with emotional, social and behavioural difficulties
• A reflective leader who can contribute to a positive, relationship-focused culture
• Warm, consistent and able to build trust with children, families and colleagues
• Resilient, adaptable and committed to continuous learning and improvement
• A strong advocate for children’s safety, wellbeing and voice
• Eager to grow and progress into a Registered Manager role as we expand
• Hold the Level 3 Diploma or equivalent and be willing to work towards the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management

Safer Recruitment 

At Lighthouse Pedagogy Trust, we safeguard all children and young people in our care. As part of our recruitment process, we conduct rigorous checks and vetting of all applicants, in line with legal and regulatory requirements and best practices. Everyone who works in our homes will be responsible for safeguarding young people and putting their safety and wellbeing first.

This role is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (police records) check, including overseas police checks where necessary. Please note that this post is exempt from the limitations of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, and as such, all previous cautions and convictions will need to be disclosed as part of any application.

At Catch22 we value equality, diversity and inclusion. We are wholeheartedly committed to the principle of equality of opportunity, both as an employer and as a provider of services. Diversity and Inclusion is part of what we do every day, working to deliver our vision to build a strong society where everyone has good people around them, a purpose, and a good place to live.

To Apply

If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for Catch22, please do not hesitate to apply.

Children's Home Registered Manager

Location:  Banstead, Sutton, United Kingdom

Contract type: Full time – permanent

Hours: 40 hours, Monday-Friday 9-5 (with flexibility as needed)

Salary: £55,000 - GBP 60,000 - yearly

Company Description

Lighthouse Pedagogy Trust is a charity creating children’s homes where children can thrive. We believe every child deserves the chance to achieve great things and lead fulfilling lives.

Our first home opened in Sutton in February 2022, supporting up to six children aged 11–18 with emotional and behavioural needs. We are currently renovating a second property in Banstead (SM7), a 5-bed children’s home due to open in autumn 2026. Our first children's home is an award-winning building that has set a new standard for UK children's homes.

We are part of the Catch 22 family, who’s work spans education, social justice and rehabilitation, children's social care, family support, social action and getting people into work.

What this role offers:

• Opportunity to set up a new home, recruit your team and shape it from the very beginning.
• Backing from an experienced and supportive leadership team and RI
• Starting holiday allowance of 36 days (inclusive of bank holidays),increasing to 38 days at 2 years and 41 days at 5 years
• 4% employer pension contributions and life insurance
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption pay
• Employee assistance programme, discounted shopping, cycle-to-work scheme and lots more benefits

Why work for LPT?

• We have an annual staff retention rate of 94%. This is significantly above the sector average, reflecting our commitment to employee wellbeing, development and job satisfaction.
• LPT is a charity, so any surplus revenue generated is reinvested into improving experiences and outcomes for children in care
• Our first children’s home has been running for 4 years, and consistently achieving Good Ofsted grading
• We are a values-driven organisation grounded in Social Pedagogy, prioritising relationships, empowerment, and wellbeing
• LPT has partnered with Kingston University to develop a Level 6 Diploma in Residential care, and offers fully funded places on the course for our team 
• We have won several awards for the therapeutically informed and high-quality design of our home, including the Innovation in Care Award at the National Children’s Homes Awards and the Stephen Lawrence Prize

Job Description

As the Registered Manager of our new 5-bed home, you’ll have the unique opportunity to shape it from the very beginning. Opening in Autumn 2026, the home will provide a safe, nurturing environment for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, helping them thrive.

• Open and lead a brand-new home from the start – Be the driving force behind our new 5-bed home, benefitting from LPT’s established systems and processes while having the freedom to innovate and give your home its own identity.
• Create a nurturing and safe home for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, helping them thrive.
• Lead with purpose – Recruit, inspire, develop and lead a passionate team, setting high standards and ensuring every child receives exceptional care.
• Champion a holistic approach – Our approach is grounded in evidence and underpinned by Social Pedagogy, a holistic, strengths-based model that prioritises relationships, empowerment, learning, and wellbeing. While you don’t need to be an expert in Social Pedagogy, you must be open to learning and leading with this ethos.
• Drive service development – Trial new ways of working, collaborate with partner agencies, and influence best practice across the residential childcare sector.
• Enjoy strong support – Access guidance from an experienced Quality Assurance Manager, a nearby leadership team, and a deeply committed Responsible Individual.
• Be part of something bigger – Your leadership will be pivotal in shaping best practice, not just within our home, but across the wider sector, helping influence improvements in children’s social care.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will be:

• Experienced working in a children's residential setting as a Registered Manager, or as a Deputy Manager looking to progress into a Registered Manager role.
• A resilient, hands-on leader with a clear vision for delivering exceptional, relationship-centred care and creating an inclusive, ambitious culture.
• Strong decision-making and risk management skills, with the ability to navigate residential care confidently and drive high-quality performance.
• A passionate advocate for children, experienced in supporting diverse social, emotional, and behavioural needs, and committed to building empowering relationships.
• Knowledgeable in Ofsted regulations, safeguarding, and children’s residential care standards.
• Hold a Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare (or equivalent) and either have, or be working towards/committed to achieving the Level 5 Leadership and Management qualification (or equivalent)

Safer Recruitment 

At Lighthouse Pedagogy Trust, we safeguard all children and young people in our care. As part of our recruitment process, we conduct rigorous checks and vetting of all applicants, in line with legal and regulatory requirements and best practices. Everyone who works in our homes will be responsible for safeguarding young people and putting their safety and wellbeing first.

This role is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (police records) check, including overseas police checks where necessary. 

To Apply

If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for Catch22, please do not hesitate to apply.

Deputy Programme Manager (ACP 360, MAEP, CAPSS) - Maternity Cover
£35,791 - £39,651 pa, plus excellent benefits
London (including flexible working)
Full-time, 35 hours per week
Fixed-Term Maternity Cover until 28 September 2027

This is an exciting opportunity that will require the post-holder to work across multiple projects based within the College Centre for Quality Improvement at RCPsych, primarily:

· Multi-source assessment for Consultant Psychiatrists (ACP 360)

· Multi-source Assessment of Expert Practice (MAEP)

· Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Surveillance System (CAPSS)

ACP 360 and MAEP provide online multi-source feedback systems for psychiatrists, supporting their appraisal and revalidation as doctors. CAPSS facilitates epidemiological research into rare mental health disorders and clinical events amongst children and adolescents.

The role will also involve support to the Invited Review Service (IRS), which provides independent reviews commissioned by mental health services in response to concerns over the quality of care, management and governance.

The successful candidate will have an interest in multi-source feedback, quality improvement in patient care and mental health research. They will have experience of project management, an exceptional eye for detail and have excellent organisational, writing and communication skills.

Responsibilities include supervising the Project Administrator, overseeing project plans, managing, developing and testing online systems, data management, event planning, website management and support to the CAPSS Executive Committee and other advisory and review groups.

The successful candidate will be required to undertake a Disclosure Barring Service check.

The College values a diverse workforce and welcomes applications from all sections of the community, reflecting the population it serves.

We are committed to building and maintaining an inclusive and supportive culture, a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed on merit.  We aim to promote a more inclusive environment, which attracts all candidates and signals our commitment to celebrate and promote diversity.

We will provide appropriate reasonable adjustments for candidates who may have a disability.

We only recruit the best and in return for your commitment, the College offers an attractive salary and benefits.

We operate a hybrid working model of on-site and working from home/remote, which helps to ensure a flexible work life balance.

We welcome applications from all sections of the Community.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) is the professional membership body for psychiatrists and promotes excellent care for people with mental illness. It has 21,000 members and engages with government and the media as the leading voice of the UK’s mental health services. The College is an award winning, values-based organisation

Closing date: 30 July 2026.

Drive quality, lead change and make a lasting difference! 

About Us

Carers Trust Heart of England exists to improve the lives of family carers and the people they care for. We provide information, advice, and a wide range of practical and emotional support to unpaid carers and people with care and support needs. Our work is rooted in compassion, partnership, and a commitment to high-quality, person-centred services.

Our Regulated Activities and Contract Scope

The Care Services Manager will have responsibility across our regulated and associated services, which currently include:

•  Domiciliary care (personal care in people's homes)

  •  Short Breaks and Emergency Respite (including sleep-in provision)

  •  Dementia Wraparound Support

  •  Day Break Day Services (currently unregulated)

We hold contracts and funding arrangements across several commissioners and funders. The postholder will be responsible for ensuring that care and support is delivered in accordance with all relevant contractual and funding requirements.

The Role

The Care Services Manager will hold personal CQC accountability for the quality, safety, and compliance of our regulated services. While this is fundamentally a strategic leadership and governance role, our regulated services are currently at an important stage of development. As such, we are looking for someone who is equally comfortable providing visible, hands-on operational delivery when needed.

Initially, the successful candidate will spend time working closely with the day-to-day operation of the service, building strong relationships with Care Support Workers and the people we support, strengthening systems and processes, and ensuring consistently high standards of care.

This is an opportunity to play a key role in embedding best practice and supporting the continued growth and improvement of the service. As the service develops, the emphasis of the role will increasingly shift towards strategic leadership, quality assurance, governance, service improvement and future development.

The successful candidate will be able to recognise what the service needs at any given time and adapt their approach accordingly, remaining visible and involved operationally where appropriate, while driving long-term quality, compliance and continuous improvement.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary

• Starting annual leave entitlement of 25 days, increasing with service to a maximum of 30 days (and Bank Holidays),             plus your 'birtholiday'

• Pension contribution scheme

• Benefits platform offering flexible high street savings and discounts on top brands

• Employee Assistance Programme and wellbeing platform

• Ongoing training and development opportunities

• A supportive, values-led organisation that makes a real difference to carers’ lives and the people they care for

Key Responsibilities

1. Leading and Managing the Service

• Hold CQC registration and personal accountability for the quality, safety and compliance of all regulated care activities delivered by the organisation.

• Provide day-to-day operational leadership of the care service(s), being genuinely present and accessible to care support workers, coordinators, and senior staff, particularly in the early period of the role.

• Line manages the coordination and care team, providing regular supervision, clear direction, and honest feedback.

• Be willing to get involved in operational problem-solving when needed, covering gaps in coordination, stepping in on complex cases, supporting the team through difficult periods, while also working to build the capacity that, over time, reduces the need for this.

• Build and sustain a team culture where staff feel supported, valued, and clear about what is expected of them.

• Manage performance and conduct fairly and consistently, with appropriate HR support.

2. Quality, Compliance and Safeguarding

• Ensure the service always operates in compliance with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and CQC Fundamental Standards.

• Maintain continuous inspection readiness under the CQC Single Assessment Framework, understanding that ratings can be updated at any point, not just following a scheduled visit.

• Act as a named safeguarding lead, recognising, reporting, managing, and recording safeguarding concerns across all regulated services.

• Lead a meaningful quality assurance programme, involving audits, spot checks, care plan reviews, complaint analysis, and use findings to drive improvements.

• Submit CQC notifications accurately and on time and ensure the Statement of Purpose and all governance documentation accurately reflects what the service does.

• Monitor care quality through ECM data, visit records, staff feedback and regular engagement with service users and their families, remaining closely connected to the day-to-day service delivery to identify and address emerging issues before they escalate.

• Ensure care and support delivery across all services remains within the scope of relevant contractual and funding arrangements, and that any changes to the service scope, volume or specification are identified and escalated appropriately.

3. Care Planning and Service User Relationships

• Ensure every service user has a current, person-centred care plan that reflects their needs, preferences and risks.

• Oversee and contribute to care assessments and reviews, including involvement in complex cases, multi-agency reviews and situations where a senior presence is needed.

• Build and maintain positive relationships with service users, their families, and carers, being accessible, responsive, and honest whether managing concerns or recognising success.

• Ensure that the service user experience and what it actually feels like to be supported by our service is at the centre of how quality is assessed, monitored and improved.

4. Safe Recruitment, Staffing and Workforce

• Ensure all staff are recruited safely and in line with statutory and regulatory requirements, with appropriate DBS checks, references, right-to-work verification, and safer recruitment processes completed before delivering regulated care.

• Manage all aspects of the Skilled Worker visa sponsorship process, including sponsorship applications, compliance monitoring, record keeping, and reporting requirements in line with Home Office regulations.

• Lead on workforce development, identifying training needs, commissioning training, maintaining records, and ensuring all staff are competent for the care they deliver.

• Ensure a regular and effective programme of one-to-one meetings, supervision, probation reviews and annual appraisals is maintained across the service, addressing performance, development, wellbeing, and any concerns in a timely manner.

• Support, and where appropriate, lead HR processes, including investigations, disciplinary, performance management, grievance, and absence management meetings, working closely with HR to ensure a fair, consistent and legally compliant approach.

• Ensure the on-call and lone working frameworks are in place, understood by all staff and working in practice.

• Participate in the senior management on-call rota, providing advice, support and decision making in response to serious incidents, safeguarding concerns, deaths, and any other urgent operational matters requiring immediate senior attention.

• Participation in a shared on-call rota, including evenings/over-night and weekends, and bank holidays where scheduled.

5. Working with Senior Leadership

• Work closely with the Head of Operations (Deputy CEO) reporting on service performance, escalating concerns, contributing to strategic decisions, and supporting the organisation's broader development.

• Contribute to commissioner relationships and contract management, including monitoring reporting, quality submissions and attendance at review meetings.

• Play an active part in shaping how the service develops, bringing operational knowledge and professional judgement to decisions about what the service does, how it is structured and where it grows.

• Demonstrate the confidence to communicate honestly, raise difficult issues and challenge constructively in the best interests of the service and the people we support.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Qualifications

· Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Adult Care or actively working toward it with a clear and realistic            completion plan.

· Enhanced DBS with adults' barred list or willingness to apply immediately.

· Full UK driving licence and access to own vehicle.

Knowledge

· Strong working knowledge of the CQC Single Assessment Framework how evidence is gathered, what quality                      statements are assessed against, and what continuous inspection readiness means in practice.

· Comprehensive knowledge of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and CQC Fundamental Standards.

· Knowledge of safeguarding adults' legislation and local procedures.

· Knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and how it applies in domiciliary and community care

· Working knowledge of Working Time Regulations and how this practically applies to care rotas and on-call                            arrangements.

· Understanding of contractual compliance in a multi-contract or multi-funder care environment, and the implications of            changes to service scope or volume.

Experience

· Proven experience as a Registered Manager (or equivalent senior care management role) in a CQC-regulated                      domiciliary or community care service.

· Experience of being hands-on in a care management role, understanding when direct operational involvement is                  needed.

· Experience of managing safeguarding, making referrals, managing investigations, recording outcomes, and learning            from them.

· Experience of directly supervising and developing a care team including coordinators, senior carers, and care                        support workers.

· Experience of managing quality across a regulated service, completing audits, spot checks, care plan reviews and                complaint handling.

· Experience of CQC compliance and notifications, including operating under the Single Assessment Framework.

· Experience of managing across multiple service lines or contracts simultaneously, ensuring compliance with each                  commissioner or funder’s specific requirements.

Skills & Abilities

· Able to assess service performance, recognise what is working well, identify challenges and confidently                                  communicate these in a clear and constructive way.

· Willingness and flexibility to be hands-on when required, and confident enough to step back appropriately as the                  service develops.

· Excellent written communication skills, being able to write clearly, accurately, and professionally for a variety of                      audiences (CQC, commissioners and families).

· Excellent verbal communication skills, being able to speak in a clear, honest, and approachable way with care                      workers, service users, families, CQC inspectors and senior colleagues.

· Strong decision-making skills when under pressure, including in safeguarding, serious incidents and out-of-hours                  situations.

· Competent in care management systems — including rostering, ECM, and digital care planning.

Personal Qualities

· Shows the self-awareness, honesty and professional courage to recognise what is working, what is not, and what                  needs to change.

· Demonstrates resilience and calm judgement, remaining focused and clear when faced with challenging or complex              situations or organisational difficulties.

· A caring and compassionate leader with a genuine commitment to making a positive difference to the people we                    support.

· Accountable and takes ownership of outcomes.

· Adaptable and confident working at different levels, recognising when to move between strategic thinking to                          operational problem-solving.

· Collaborative and approachable, with the ability to build positive working relationships and work effectively with                      people at all levels of the organisation.

· Curious and improvement-focused, with a willingness to ask questions, explore new approaches and learn from                    experience.

Help shape the future of dance.

Some fundraising roles support great organisations. This one helps shape an art form.

Sadler's Wells is one of the world's leading dance organisations; commissioning, producing and presenting more dance than anywhere else. From contemporary to hip hop, ballet to Bollywood, their work reaches millions of people across the UK and internationally while creating opportunities for artists and communities to thrive.

As they continue an exciting new chapter following the opening of Sadler's Wells East, they're looking for an exceptional fundraising leader to join them as Deputy Director of Philanthropy.

This newly created role offers a rare opportunity to build transformational relationships with philanthropists who believe in the power of dance to inspire, connect and create lasting change.

The opportunity

Working closely with the Director of Development, you'll lead the Major Gifts team, driving strategy and personally securing significant support from high-net-worth individuals. You'll develop and grow a portfolio of major, principal and transformational donors, creating compelling opportunities for investment that enable artists to take creative risks, new work to be commissioned and audiences around the world to experience extraordinary dance.

Alongside leading fundraising activity, you'll play a key role in shaping the future direction of philanthropy at Sadler's Wells, collaborating across the organisation, working alongside senior leadership, Trustees and influential supporters whilst helping build an ambitious culture of philanthropy.

We're looking for someone who:

• Has a strong track record of securing six and seven-figure gifts from individual philanthropists.
• Builds authentic, long-term relationships with high-level donors and stakeholders.
• Is a strategic fundraising leader who enjoys balancing big-picture thinking with hands-on fundraising.
• Can inspire, develop and lead high-performing teams.
• Has experience working within arts, culture or similarly complex relationship-led fundraising environments.
• Is excited by the opportunity to help shape the future of one of the world's most influential cultural organisations.

Experience of international philanthropy, US fundraising or legacy giving would be welcomed but isn't essential.

Why Sadler's Wells?

This is much more than a fundraising role.

You'll join an organisation driven by creativity, inclusion, collaboration and innovation, where philanthropy directly enables artists to create bold new work and ensures dance remains accessible to audiences and communities.

Alongside a salary of £55,000 - £65,000, you'll benefit from:

• Hybrid and flexible working.
• 25 days annual leave plus additional service leave.
• Pension scheme.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Learning and development opportunities.
• Interest-free season ticket loan and Cycle to Work scheme.
• Staff ticket opportunities and café discounts.
• A genuinely inclusive workplace committed to equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging.

Application

Sadler's Wells welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds and particularly encourages applications from individuals whose experiences and perspectives will strengthen the diversity of the organisation.

At Valued Recruitment, we're proud to be partnering exclusively with Sadler's Wells on this appointment. We believe recruitment should be inclusive, transparent and human. If you'd benefit from any adjustments throughout the recruitment process, we'd love to hear from you.

Closing date: Sunday 2nd August
1st Stage Interviews (virtual): 10th and 11th August  
2nd Stage Interviews (in person): 18th & 20th August

Salary: up to £41,000 per annum depending on experience and qualifications

Contract Type: Permanent

Working hours: full-time at 40 hours per week; shift work between 7am-10pm including weekends, bank holidays and occasional sleep-ins

Sleep-ins: £50. Enhanced hourly rates for overtime and bank holidays.  

Location: East Croydon

closest station is Sanderstead Station, CR2 - one stop after East Croydon on the Southern Railway.

 Are you a Team Leader looking for your next challenge?

We have a fantastic opportunity to join St Christopher's fellowship as a Team Leader for our new specialist Children’s home in Croydon. You will work alongside the Registered Manager and Deputy Manager to lead and support a professional team of staff committed to transforming young lives and creating positive outcomes. You will be supported by experienced Residential Practitioners, as well as our Wrap Around and Education Teams.

About Us

Our vision is for every child and young person to be safe, loved and happy, to achieve their potential and have a bright future.

St Christopher's is a leading charity for children and young people. We are proud of our history of providing fostering, children's homes and innovative leaving care services across the UK & Isle of Man.  We have a passionate commitment to our young people, placing them at the centre of everything we do.  We provide positive life experiences for young people who are unable to sustain a placement in their parental or foster home.

We are an equal-opportunity employer keen to develop an inclusive workforce where people feel they belong.  We hope to attract applications from under- represented groups, including people from different cultures, nationalities, socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, disabilities, religions, faith, sex, orientation, childcare responsibilities, and gender-diverse identities.

Visit our website and watch our short video to gain an insight into our working life here at St Christopher’s.

About the Role

As Team Leader, you will be directly involved in managing a 4 bed specialist short stay Home and looking after children aged 12 to 18 years old with complex needs; including Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (EBD), Mental Health Disorders, Substance Dependencies and Learning Disabilities.

Whether shift leading or joining in with daily activities, you will also share in the leadership of the team, helping to develop staff by modelling high standards of professionalism. 

St Christopher’s Academy

At St Christopher`s we can offer you a career where you can develop your skills and knowledge while making a difference to young people’s lives.

When you join St Christopher’s, we will set you up in your career with a tailored development plan. Whether you want to move across to a different service, become a Manager or just explore further your current role, we will support you to map out your career trajectory and help you achieve your professional ambitions. If you want to learn more about St Christopher’s Academy, please visit our website.

Check out our staff stories on our website to see how you can develop your career with us

We are proud that 84% of all our Team Leaders, Deputies and Managers are internal promotions. 

The successful candidate will have:

• Level 3 Diploma in Residential Child Care or equivalent
•  GCSE English and Maths grades A-C.
• One year’s experience working at a level of responsibility with children and young people in a residential setting.
• An understanding of the regulatory framework relating to the provision of residential services for children and young people.
• Good understanding of the needs and risks regarding children in care.
• An understanding of trauma  informed practice.
• Experience of taking on leadership responsibilities in a teamwork setting.
• Ability to build genuine and trusting relationships with young people maintaining at all times high personal and professional standards.
• Excellent communication and team working skills.
• Ability to work shifts, including alternate weekend working and occasional sleep ins.

In return we offer:

• Salary up to £41,000 per annum depending on experience and qualifications.
• A friendly working environment, a fun, open and honest culture.
• 25 days holiday rising to 27 days after 3 years’ service, plus Bank Holidays, pro-rata.
• Industry leading training programme including access to level 3 qualifications, children’s right and participation, CSE, empowerment, mental health and social pedagogy.
• Contributory pension scheme, enhanced maternity and company sick scheme.
• UK Life Assurance (Death in service) to the value of 3 times your annual salary.
• BUPA employee assistance programme, offering counselling, financial advice and legal support.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Bluelight card; discount shopping scheme at hundreds of retailers across the UK.
• Discretionary funded training programs.
• Employee awards based on performance and length of service.
• Fantastic opportunities to develop your career within our range of services.

Recruitment Process

At St Christopher’s we are committed to the safeguarding of all children and young people in our care. During the recruitment process you will be expected to complete an online application form to ensure we capture essential information to meet legislation, best practice and vetting requirements.

Applicants will ideally already be on the DBS Update Service; if this is not the case St Christopher's will carry out a DBS (police) check prior to starting.

For your application to be reviewed, it must include a supporting statement addressing the criteria stated in the Person Specification. Please note that CV’s will not be accepted.

For the full Job Description and Person Specification please visit our website.

For more information or assistance during the application process, please contact us via our website.

 First stage- interviews will be held at our head office in Putney.

Second stage- successful candidates will be invited to a second stage interview at one of our services.

 We advise to apply as soon as possible as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and this opportunity might be filled before the stated closing date.

Please note:

• This post has a minimum age restriction of 21 year for roles working directly with children and young people in our residential and supported accommodation Homes in line with the Equality Act ‘occupational requirement’.
• It is illegal to apply for any role that involves working with children and young people under the age of 18, if you know you are barred from working with children.
• All shortlisted candidates invited to interview will be asked to submit a Self-Declaration and Disclosure form which will need to be returned prior to an interview being booked

37.5 hours per week

We are recruiting for an Assistant Programme Manager - A Fairer Start

About Nesta

We are Nesta, the UK’s innovation agency for social good. We design, test and scale solutions to society’s biggest problems. Our three missions are to give every child a fair start, help people live healthy lives, and create a sustainable future where the economy works for both people and the planet.

For over 20 years, we have worked to support, encourage and inspire innovation. We work in three roles: as an innovation partner working with frontline organisations to design and test new solutions, as a venture builder supporting new and early stage businesses, and as a system shaper creating the conditions for innovation.

Harnessing the rigour of science and the creativity of design, we work relentlessly to change millions of lives for the better. 

About the Mission

In our A Fairer Start mission, we want every child to have the fairest possible start in life, so they can thrive and realise their potential.

Children born into disadvantage are far more likely to experience poor health, lower earnings, shorter life expectancy and lower levels of happiness than their peers. Closing the gap through targeted support at crucial moments of development is not just good policy, it is good economics: such interventions and system shifts are easily paid for by the long-term benefits of higher economic productivity and lower social costs.

The AFS mission works to develop innovative, scalable solutions to the factors that prevent children from disadvantaged backgrounds from thriving. We work on a range of projects, from applied innovation through to policy design, across the domains of parenting support, early childhood education and care, family income, integrated family support and funding.

The Role

This role supports the work of Nesta’s A Fairer Start mission. You will work closely with the Programme Manager, as well as the Mission Director, Deputy Directors and Project Leads to support the day to day running of the Mission and its projects, and to help the team function effectively.

Alongside your core duties, you will have the opportunity to support the mission more

broadly, either through supporting overall delivery of projects, and/or through working as a mission representative for critical organisational priorities such as Nesta’s commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

This role is also a part of Nesta’s community of Programme and Project Managers who work together to design and manage Nesta's processes and ways of working around how we plan, deliver and manage our programmes and projects.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Working with the Programme Manager to oversee and track project delivery and key milestones, both narrative and financial, to ensure we are accurately delivering against project schedules
• Supporting the Mission Leadership Team to balance and sequence the Mission’s projects and team’s resources, taking advantage of dependencies where possible, to optimise delivery
• Supporting project leads to accurately plan and implement their projects, for example by helping to create budgets and project plans
• Supporting the Programme Manager to deliver continuous improvement projects within the Programme Management Office and/or Mission team.
• Designing and implementing resources and tools to support project leads and teams to improve the way they work
• Overseeing the team calendar, arranging logistics for meetings events and away days, and coordinating the taking of minutes where required
• Acting as first point of contact for the team for Nesta staff and external stakeholders, responding to inquiries or directing them to the right people
• Collaborating with the operations, financial, legal and communications teams when required and helping to translate their requirements to the other members of the A Fairer Start team.
• Supporting administrative processes within the team where needed and encourage and foster self sufficiency across the team around managing their own individual administrative tasks
• Being an active member of Nesta’s community of programme and project managers, contributing to or owning the development of Nesta’s programme and project management processes and ways of working.

The Person

Essential

• Outstanding administrative, organisational and time management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities simultaneously
• Proactive problem solver who is willing to work both independently and as part of the team
• Strong attention to detail
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders
• Balancing competing priorities for your time effectively and being responsive to the changing needs of the team
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and as a member of a team.
• Good working knowledge of digital tools such as Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Calendar
• Experience managing or supporting small scale projects or programmes of work
• Experience coordinating the efforts of others to achieve a goal

Desirable

• Experience or training in agile project management
• Experience using specific management software to support coordination of projects and programmes (i.e. Asana, Salesforce, Slack)
• Experience managing or tracking budgets
• Experience working in a relevant sector, such as a charity / not-for-profit, or in a subject area related to Nesta’s missions

What we offer

Salary: Circa £40,000 plus array of benefits, including private medical insurance, health cash plans, dental insurance, the ability to buy and sell annual leave, eyecare vouchers and more

Location: This role is based in Blackfriars, Central London, hybrid working arrangement. Nesta’s policy is for staff to spend a minimum of two days a week in the office with the remaining days at your discretion.

Term: Permanent

Hours: This is a full-time role but we offer a range of flexible working arrangements and encourage our people to take advantage of them. Many do.

Reports to: Programme Manager (AFS), Programme Management Office

Making an application

To apply for this role, please submit your application by 3rd August at 8am.

We will aim for interviews to take place on the week commencing 10th August.

At Nesta, we believe that a diverse workforce leads to an organisation that is more innovative, more creative and gets better results.

We want our workforce to represent the diversity of the people and communities we serve. We also want our workplace to be one where different experiences, expertise and perspectives are valued, and where everyone is encouraged to grow and develop.

This means that when we are recruiting, we actively seek to reach a diverse pool of candidates. It also means that we are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that potential employees may need to in order to be successful.

We recognise the importance of a good balance between work and home life, so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including working from home, compressed or part-time hours, job shares and other arrangements.

Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore.

Looking for fantastic career progression, excellent training and therapeutic support? Join our committed and professional Team and make a difference to Children living in residential Care.

Salary: £ 34,919 per annum full time 

Shifts: 40 hours per week; shift work between 7am-10pm including weekends, bank holidays and occasional sleep-ins

Sleep-ins: £50 / overtime and bank holidays paid time and half

Location: London, Balham (SW12)

About Us

Our vision is for every child and young person to be safe, loved and happy, to achieve their potential and have a bright future.

St Christopher's is a leading charity for children and young people. We are proud of our history of providing fostering, children's homes and innovative leaving care services across the UK & Isle of Man.  We have a passionate commitment to our young people, placing them at the centre of everything we do.  We provide positive life experiences for young people who are unable to sustain a placement in their parental or foster home.

We are an equal-opportunity employer keen to develop an inclusive workforce where people feel they belong.  We hope to attract applications from under- represented groups, including people from different cultures, nationalities, socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, disabilities, religions, faith, sex, orientation, childcare responsibilities, and gender-diverse identities.

Visit our website to watch our short video to gain an insight into our working life here at St Christopher’s 

About the Role

As Team Leader, you will be directly involved in managing the home and providing positive support for challenging young people aged 12-17. Whether shift leading or joining in with daily activities, you will also share in the leadership of the team, helping to develop staff by modelling high standards of professionalism. 

St Christopher’s Academy

At St Christopher`s we can offer you a career where you can develop your skills and knowledge while making a difference to young people’s lives.

When you join St Christopher’s, we will set you up in your career with a tailored development plan. Whether you want to move across to a different service, become a Manager or just explore further your current role, we will support you to map out your career trajectory and help you achieve your professional ambitions. If you want to learn more about St Christopher’s Academy, please visit our website.

Visit our website to check out our staff stories to see how you can develop your career with us

We are proud that 84% of all our Team Leaders, Deputies and Managers are internal promotions. 

The successful candidate will have:

• Desirable professional qualification (CQSW, DipSW, NVQ3), or willingness to undertake Diploma Level 3 for Residential Childcare.
• One years’ experience working at a level of responsibility with children and young people in a residential setting.
• An understanding of the regulatory framework relating to the provision of residential services for children and young people.
• Good understanding of the needs and risks regarding children in care.
• Experience of taking on leadership responsibilities in a teamwork setting.
• Ability to build genuine and trusting relationships with young people maintaining at all times high personal and professional standards.
• Excellent communication and team working skills.

In return we offer:

• Competitive salary.
• A friendly working environment, a fun, open and honest culture.
• 25 days holiday rising to 27 days after 3 years’ service, plus Bank Holidays, pro-rata.
• Industry leading training programme including access to level 3 qualifications, children’s right and participation, CSE, empowerment, mental health and social pedagogy.
• Contributory pension scheme, enhanced maternity and company sick scheme.
• UK Life Assurance (Death in service) to the value of 3 times your annual salary.
• BUPA employee assistance programme, offering counselling, financial advice and legal support.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Bluelight card; discount shopping scheme at hundreds of retailers across the UK.
• Discretionary funded training programs.
• Employee awards based on performance and length of service.
• Fantastic opportunities to develop your career within our range of services.

Recruitment Process

At St Christopher’s we are committed to the safeguarding of all children and young people in our care. During the recruitment process you will be expected to complete an online application form to ensure we capture essential information to meet legislation, best practice and vetting requirements.

Applicants will ideally already be on the DBS Update Service; if this is not the case St Christopher's will carry out a DBS (police) check prior to starting.

Your online application must include a supporting statement addressing the criteria stated in the Person Specification.

For the full Job Description and Person Specification plese visit our website.

For more information or assistance during the application process, please contact us via our website.

In order for your application to be reviewed, it must include a supporting statement addressing the criteria stated in the Person Specification. Please note that CV’s will not be accepted.

We advise to apply as soon as possible as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and this opportunity might be filled before the stated closing date.

It is against the law to apply for work with Children/Young People if you are barred from working in Regulated Activity and if your name is added to a Children Barred List.

All shortlisted candidates invited to interview will be asked to submit a Self-Declaration and Disclosure form which will need to be returned prior to an interview being booked.

St Christopher’s Fellowship has a minimum age requirement of 21 for roles working directly with children and young people in our residential and semi-independent Homes.

Programme Director

Calling all Programme Directors!

Anna Freud is seeking a permanent, part-time Programme Director – Child Wellbeing Practitioner (CWP) to join our world-leading mental health charity for children, young people and their families. Our mission is to close the gap in wellbeing and mental health by advancing, translating, delivering, and sharing the best science and practice with everyone who impacts the lives of children, young people and their families. More information about Anna Freud is available on our website.

Our EDI commitment

We are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace and being an equal opportunities employer, whereby equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are core to our recruitment practices. All candidates who meet the job criteria will be considered for employment, regardless of ethnic origin, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, socioeconomic background, caring responsibilities and care experience.

We ask candidates to share their diversity dimensions with us to help us identify, tackle and prevent bias across the employee lifecycle. We believe a diverse workforce enhances our ability to support mental health and wellbeing, allowing us to better meet the needs of the children, young people and families we serve.

As a Disability Confident employer, disabled candidates meeting our criteria are guaranteed an interview. Applications are submitted anonymously and assessed using a fair evaluation process based on the criteria set out in our job profiles.

What we offer

We offer a range of staff benefits, including an all-in-one rewards and recognition platform called Perkbox and wellbeing offers such as finishing early on Fridays and free counselling through our Employee Assistance Programme. We are proud to have staff-led Diversity Networks offering unique opportunities for learning, connection and impact.

What you’ll do

As Programme Director, you will lead the delivery and continued development of the Child Wellbeing Practitioner programme, ensuring it provides an inclusive, high-quality student experience and meets UCL, BPS and national curriculum standards

• Lead, review and develop the programme curriculum, teaching and learning content
• Manage and support the programme team to ensure the course is delivered smoothly and effectively
• Oversee assessment, marking, quality assurance and compliance with UCL and BPS requirements
• Monitor trainee progress and experience, ensuring students receive appropriate academic and pastoral support
• Manage key programme operations, including stakeholder relationships, student recruitment, staffing and the programme budget

What you’ll bring

The ideal candidate will be an experienced child mental health and higher education professional with the leadership skills to manage an accredited postgraduate programme, support a multidisciplinary team and deliver an inclusive, high-quality learning experience

• A PhD or professional doctorate in clinical psychology or child mental health, alongside a relevant professional qualification or substantial experience in children’s mental health
• Experience of curriculum design, teaching, assessment and programme management within a higher education setting
• Strong knowledge of children and young people’s psychological training programmes, CBT interventions and mental health practice in CAMHS or educational settings
• Proven experience of leading, managing and supporting staff while balancing competing priorities and programme demands
• Excellent communication, collaboration and organisational skills, including the ability to manage budgets and maintain the programme’s quality and financial viability

Key details

Hours: Part-time: 14 hours over 2 days - the postholder will need to work on Fridays and either Tuesday or Thursday.  Fridays are in person at Anna Freud, London, during termtime.  Usual working hours are Monday to Friday, 09:00-17:00. Flexible working is possible.

Salary: £64,100 FTE per annum, plus 6% contributory pension scheme

Location: Hybrid (a mixture of home/onsite working): staff are working onsite for at least 20% of their working hours at Anna Freud, 4-8 Rodney Street, London N1 9JH.  The postholder will also need to attend in person for any in-person teaching, team meetings as necessary.

Contract type: Permanent

Next steps

Closing date for applications: midday (12pm), Wednesday, 12 August 2026. Please note that due to high application volumes, we may close this advert early. We encourage you to apply promptly and to keep an eye on our future vacancies for more opportunities.

Notification of interview: shortlisted applicants will be notified no later than Friday, 14 August 2026. During shortlisting, applicants are anonymously assessed using the criteria visible in the Job Profile. Please note: due to the high volume of applications received, we will not be able to provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants.

Interviews: will be held week commencing 17 August 2026

How to apply: click on the 'apply now’ button to apply online. We are unable to accept CVs and kindly request no contact from agencies.

Questions?

Please email us with any job enquiries, or if you require assistance or experience difficulties when applying. Please note that successful candidate(s) will be asked to evidence their Right to Work in the UK post-job offer – we do not hold a sponsor license therefore we are unable to provide Visa sponsorship.

About Kinship

We are Kinship. The leading kinship care charity. 

We're here for kinship carers - friends or family who step up to raise a child when their parents aren't able to. 

We support kinship families across England and Wales and are expanding our work into Scotland.

Let's commit to change for kinship families.

Purpose of the role: 

The Kinship Navigator provides intensive, time-limited support to kinship carers through the Kinship Connected programme, a structured six-month intervention designed to help kinship families stabilise placements and access the support they need.

Working directly with kinship carers in West Dunbartonshire, you will build trusting relationships while completing structured assessments, goal setting and reviews to help families strengthen their support networks and navigate services such as children’s social care, education, health and community support.

This is a community-facing role, working from Y Sort It’s offices and directly in kinship carers’ homes and community spaces. You will work alongside Y Sort It’s Intandem mentors to ensure that both carers and the children they care for receive coordinated, complementary support.

Accurate recording of your work is essential to enable Kinship and Inspiring Scotland to understand what is working, demonstrate impact and learn from this pioneering pilot.

Direct support

You will provide intensive one-to-one support to kinship carers for up to six months, working within the delivery approach set out in the Kinship Connected Service Manual. You will also establish and facilitate a monthly support group for kinship carers in West Dunbartonshire.

This may include:

• Providing emotional and practical support to kinship carers.
• Completing structured needs assessments, SMART goal setting and regular reviews with kinship carers.
• Advocating for kinship carers in meetings with professionals where appropriate.
• Establishing and facilitating a monthly support group for kinship carers in the local area.
• Mapping local services and building relationships with organisations that can provide specialist support, training or activities for kinship families in West Dunbartonshire.
• Liaising with schools, local authorities and other professionals to coordinate support around families.
• Supporting kinship carers with challenges relating to the child(ren) in their kinship care.
• Signposting to relevant services, support organisations and Kinship training opportunities.
• Referring children in kinship care to Y Sort It’s Intandem mentoring programme where appropriate.
• Coordinating celebration and family events (including in Kinship Care Week).
• Supporting applications for grants for essential items or family breaks.

Partnership working with Y Sort It and Inspiring Scotland

• Work closely and collaboratively with Y Sort It colleagues on a day-to-day basis, building a strong co-location relationship that benefits kinship families.
• Develop and maintain clear cross-referral pathways between Kinship Connected and Y Sort It’s Intandem mentoring programme.
• Contribute to joint learning and shared reflection about how the whole-family model is working and what outcomes are being achieved for both carers and children.
• Represent Kinship professionally in all interactions with Y Sort It, Inspiring Scotland and other local partners.
• Participate in any joint reporting, learning or evaluation activities required by Inspiring Scotland.

Collaboration and wider partnership working

• Build constructive relationships with West Dunbartonshire Council and other statutory and voluntary sector partners to support awareness of the programme and effective referral pathways.
• Work closely with colleagues across Kinship, including Peer Support, Training and Communications, to ensure kinship carers in West Dunbartonshire can access the full range of Kinship’s support.
• Contribute to cross-team learning, sharing emerging insights about kinship carers’ experiences and the local landscape in Scotland to inform Kinship’s broader organisational learning.
• Represent Kinship at local meetings, networks or events to strengthen collaboration and raise awareness of kinship care in Scotland.

Safeguarding and risk management

Kinship has a robust safeguarding structure. You will be supported by a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and Designated Deputy Safeguarding Leads (DDSL). In line with this policy, and mindful of the Scottish legislative and practice context, you will:

• Recognise, report, record, respond and refer safeguarding risks via our safeguarding process with the support of the safeguarding team.
• Follow and understand Kinship’s organisational safeguarding policies, as well as relevant Scottish guidance and legislation.
• Complete risk assessments for events in line with Kinship’s policy.
• Follow the Kinship Health and Safety policy.
• Use the StaySafe lone worker app.

Monitoring, evaluation and data quality

Accurate and consistent data recording is a core requirement of this role. As Kinship Connected in West Dunbartonshire is a pilot programme, high-quality records and documentation are essential to demonstrate impact to Inspiring Scotland and to generate the learning that will inform future development of Kinship’s work in Scotland.

• Maintain accurate, timely records of all activity, assessments, support plans, contacts and outcomes on Kinship’s CRM system (Salesforce) in line with organisational policy and programme protocols.
• Complete kinship carer needs assessments, SMART goal setting, reviews and outcome recording in accordance with the Kinship Navigator model.
• Contribute to monitoring and reporting requirements for Inspiring Scotland, ensuring activity and outcomes are documented consistently.
• Fully contribute to quality assurance and learning processes, including collecting feedback and case studies that demonstrate impact for kinship families.
• Contribute to the learning about how co-location with Y Sort It supports whole-family outcomes

Salary: Up to £35,875 per annum, depending on experience and qualifications.

Hours: 40 hours per week, shift-based, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays.

Shifts: Day or Waking Night shifts available. Overtime and bank holidays are paid at time-and-a-half, with alternate weekends off.

Location: Croydon (CR2). Conveniently located — one stop after East Croydon, approximately 10 minutes from Clapham Junction and 20 minutes from Waterloo.

Looking for excellent career progression, outstanding training, and strong therapeutic support?

Join our committed and professional team and make a real difference to young people living in residential care—where no two days are the same.

Please visit our website to watch our short video to gain an insight into our working life here at St Christopher’s

About Us

Our vision is for every child and young person to be safe, loved, happy and able to achieve their full potential with a bright future.

St Christopher’s Fellowship is a leading charity for children and young people, proud of our history of providing fostering, children’s homes and innovative leaving care services across the UK and Isle of Man. We are passionate about placing young people at the centre of everything we do and providing positive life experiences for those who are unable to sustain a placement in their parental or foster home.

We are an equal opportunity employer committed to building an inclusive workforce where everyone feels they belong. We welcome applications from under-represented groups, including people from diverse cultures, nationalities, socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, disabilities, religions, faiths, sexes, sexual orientations, childcare responsibilities and gender-diverse identities.

St Christopher’s Academy

At St Christopher’s Fellowship, we offer more than just a care job—we offer a career. You will have the opportunity to develop your skills and knowledge while making a real difference to young people’s lives.

When you join us, we will support your growth with a tailored development plan. Whether you’re interested in moving to another service, stepping into a leadership role or developing further in your current position, we will support you in planning your career path and achieving your goals. If you want to learn more about St Christopher’s Academy, please visit our website.

We are proud that 84% of our Team Leaders, Deputies and Managers have been promoted internally.

About the role

As a Children’s Residential Worker, you will provide direct care and support to children and young people who have experienced trauma, loss and other adverse experiences, which have led to complex emotional and behavioural needs. You will guide them in understanding and managing their emotions, working within a therapeutic framework to develop meaningful and trusting relationships.

You will support young people aged 12–17 (on admission) and play a key role in ensuring their safety, wellbeing and happiness. You will also work closely with key professionals, ensuring accurate record-keeping and appropriate information sharing to enable the multi-agency support our children need.

If applying for the Waking Night role, you will have the additional support of an on-call manager should there be any emergencies. Further to this, you will be involved in monthly team meetings and receive monthly one-to-one supervision with your manager.

Working Hours 

Our children and young people need support around the clock, so our home operates 24/7 with fixed rotas and a variety of shift patterns (day or waking night shifts). You will typically work an average of 40 hours per week, including weekends and bank holidays. Overtime is available and paid at time-and-a-half, including on bank holidays.

During the interview process, you will have the opportunity to let us know your preferred shift pattern (day or night).

Applicants should have

• Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare or equivalent (e.g., Level 3 Diploma in Children and Young People’s Workforce with the children’s social care pathway), as per the Children’s Homes Regulations 2015 (England).

• Minimum of 2 years’ experience working with and supporting children and young people to achieve their full potential.

• A genuine commitment to supporting children and young people, with the ability to build trusted relationships while maintaining professional boundaries.

• An understanding of the issues facing children and young people and a basic knowledge of safeguarding regulations and procedures.

• The ability to cope effectively with challenging behaviour.

• Strong communication and team-working skills.

• Flexibility to work shifts, including weekends and bank holidays.

• Commitment to undertake mandatory training (outside of working hours) and engage in continuous learning to maintain a high standard of service.

• Creativity, enthusiasm, and energy to inspire and encourage young people to achieve their goals.

What you should expect from us

• Salary: Up to £35,875 per annum depending on experience and qualifications.

• Overtime & Bank Holidays: Paid at time-and-a-half, with alternate weekends off.

• Holiday: 25 days, rising to 27 days after 3 years’ service, plus Bank Holidays (pro-rata).

• Supportive Culture: Friendly working environment with a fun, open and honest culture.

• Training & Development: Industry-leading training programme, including access to Level 3 qualifications and training in children’s rights and participation, CSE, empowerment, mental health and social pedagogy.

• Pension: Contributory pension scheme.

• Enhanced Benefits: Enhanced maternity and company sick pay scheme.

• Life Assurance: UK Life Assurance (death in service) worth 3x annual salary.

• Employee Support: BUPA Employee Assistance Programme offering counselling, financial advice and legal support.

• Career Progression: Fantastic opportunities to develop your career within our range of services.

Recruitment Process

At St Christopher’s Fellowship, the safety and wellbeing of children and young people in our care is our top priority and we are committed to maintaining the highest safeguarding standards.

1. Application

As part of the recruitment process, you must complete an online application form so we can collect the information required for legislation, best practice and vetting checks. Applicants should ideally be on the DBS Update Service; if not, St Christopher’s will carry out a DBS (police) check before your start date.

Your application must include a supporting statement that addresses the criteria in the Person Specification. CVs will not be accepted.

For the full Job Description and Person Specification, please visit our website.

2. Interview

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a face-to-face interview at our Head Office in Putney, SW London.

3. Observation Visit

Successful candidates may be asked to attend a second stage observation visit at one of St Christopher’s residential homes.

We advise you to apply as soon as possible, as applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

Please note:

• Minimum age requirement: 21 years for roles working directly with children and young people, in line with the Equality Act “occupational requirement”.

• It is illegal to apply for a role involving children if you are barred from working with them.

• All shortlisted candidates will be asked to submit a Self-Declaration and Disclosure form before an interview can be booked.

For more information or assistance during the application process, please contact us via our website.