Location: Home based with frequent travel throughout England

Salary: c£73,500 per annum

Contract: Permanent, Full-Time, 35 hours per week

Are you a highly experienced leader in the world of Residential Care? Are you looking for the opportunity to make a real difference within an organisation with great moral and social values?

This is a fantastic opportunity to create real change in our organisation and we hope you want to come in with your sleeves rolled up, ready for action!

How we work:

Action for Children does what's right, does what's needed and does what works for children in the UK. Every year. Our team changes the lives of 400,000 children, young people and families.

How you'll make a difference:

In this newly created, fundamental post, you are going to be given extraordinary responsibility within Action for Children; jumping straight in to an exciting project to establish up to 40 brand new residential home services across England.

We need you to provide professional leadership and overall management to drive the development, commercial growth and sustainability of high-quality residential care services in England, ensuring that that the needs of children and young people are fulfilled.

The role will include strategic and operational oversight of 15 well established Learning Disability Services. Currently at 3 homes, this new development of services will grow in line with a robust plan over the next 5 years.

You will need to expertly navigate DFE and other governmental reports and to network within our organisation to gain deep insight into the needs across geographical areas; you will also need to network with external organisational leaders at events who may prove to be future partners or suppliers; you will lead the design and implement infrastructures for each new service, for workforce, financial and most importantly, care.

This post really does hold enormous responsibility as you will take on the role of Responsible Individual but the positive impact that it will have on so many lives is equally enormous. The ideal candidate will work at a senior strategic level, have a business head whilst having a child centred approach. Your passion for the AFC values will shine through while your first thought should always be that residential care is always the first option.

What you will need?

Possess or working toward NVQ 5 Management or equivalent demonstrable experience
Substantial and relevant experience of leading and managing residential services as a Registered Manager
Previous experience as a Responsible Individual preferred and a significant advantage
Demonstrable project management skills
Experience of managing dispersed services over a geographical area
Significant experience of managing safeguarding in a large organisation
Significant experience of overseeing complex, fee-based budgets to ensure that our services remain not only viable but grow year on year
Significant experience in leading and managing change
Experience of recruitment, support and development of residential care staff
Managing commercial budgets successfully to achieve realistic income and growth targets
Effective communication skills, both verbally and in writing gained through speaking to audiences of varies sizes and membership of recognised professional fora
Production of specialist and detailed internally and externally focused reports

The benefits and rewards:

Salary c£73,500
Minimum 29 days' holiday (pro rata)
Maternity, paternity and adoption packages
Season ticket travel loans
Company pension scheme
Discounts at major high street retailers
Plus a lot more

This is a rare chance to make a real difference to vulnerable children's lives and to build a fulfilling and meaningful career with a leading UK children's charity.

Action for Children is committed to safer recruitment practices, designed to protect the welfare of the children and young people using our services.

Closing Date: 22nd January 2020

Interview Date: 3rd February 2020

If you have planned holiday around this time please make us aware in your personal statement.

For any questions please contact Dione Riach quoting reference 2372 on dione.riach@actionforchildren.org.uk

Guidant is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.