Children's Home Manager at Suffolk County in Ipswich, England, GB

Suffolk County Council | Brandon and Shotley | £49,752 - £60,792 per annum (pro rata for part time) | Full or Part time | Permanent | Closing date: 5 November 2026

• Suffolk County Council • Address: Brandon and Shotley Children's Homes, Suffolk, On-site working across both locations • Salary: £49,752 - £60,792 per annum (pro rata for part time) • Hours: 37 hours per week • Contract: Permanent

At Suffolk County Council, every role is a chance to create positive change for young people in our care. As a Registered Children’s Home Manager, you will have responsibility for two one-bed children’s homes, one based in Brandon and one in Shotley.

This is an opportunity to lead two small, dedicated teams and ensure both homes provide safe, nurturing and stable environments where children and young people can feel valued, build positive relationships and achieve the best possible outcomes.

Reimagine the possibilities.

Your role and responsibilities

You will lead two small, dedicated teams providing high-quality care and support across our two one-bed children’s homes in Brandon and Shotley. You will provide leadership and management across both homes, with overall responsibility for ensuring consistently high standards of care, safeguarding, staff development and regulatory compliance. Each home provides a nurturing, safe and stable environment for one child or young person aged 11-17, enabling the teams to build strong relationships and provide individualised care tailored to their needs.

You will:

• lead and manage both one-bed children’s homes in Brandon and Shotley, achieving the best possible outcomes for the children and young people in our care
• maintain effective management oversight across both homes, ensuring safeguarding, risk management and compliance with Ofsted and statutory requirements
• recruit, supervise, develop and support staff across the two homes to deliver consistently high-quality care
• oversee quality assurance, complaints, regulatory reporting and continuous improvement across both services
• build strong partnerships with families, social workers, education providers and other agencies to support positive outcomes
• provide cover and manage the out-of-hours on-call arrangements, with the flexibility to provide leadership at either home when required.

You will need:

• will have within the last 5 years, worked at least two years in a position relevant to the residential care of children and worked for at least one year in a role requiring the supervision and management of staff working in a care role
• must have or be willing to work towards gaining a Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and management for Residential Childcare
• must be flexible to undertake on-call duties
• must have experience within EBD sector
• must hold a Full UK Driving License with access to your own transport.

To support your development, you will have access to regular training and monthly supervision with your line manager, helping you to feel supported and confident in your role.

You will also have access to virtual clinical supervision with an experienced professional, supporting your wellbeing and reflective practice while helping you to provide the best possible care for children and young people.

Take a look at what makes our Ideal Worker (pdf), shaped by the voices of young people.

We welcome applications from people looking to develop and progress their career within Social Care.

If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don't meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

The Team

This is your chance to join a brand-new team and help shape a children’s home from the very beginning.

Our newly renovated homes in Shotley and Brandon are ready for their next chapter, and we’re looking for fantastic people to be part of it. From a team of Youth Support Practitioners and Senior Youth Support Practitioners through to the Deputy Manager, Home Manager and Handyperson every member of the team will play an important part in creating a home where children and young people can feel safe, supported and valued.

You’ll have the opportunity to grow together as a team, share ideas, learn from each other and create the kind of positive, supportive culture you’d be proud to be part of. It’s an exciting opportunity to make your mark in a new team while making a real difference to the lives of the children and young people you support.

Empowering Everyone

We’re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We’re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.

For more information

For an informal discussion about this role, please contact Beth Fletcher, Residential Service Manager, by calling 07732603793.

You will be required to attend a Warner Interview for this position as part of the recruitment process.

How to apply

Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (word)

Step 2 - Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application.

Step 3 - Upload a supporting statement answering the following questions below (no more than 400 words per question). You should use the Supporting Statement template (Word).

1. Can you describe a time when you led a team through a period of change or improvement in a children’s care setting? What strategies did you use to ensure high-quality outcomes for children and young people?
2. Give an example of how you have recruited, supervised, and developed staff to deliver high-quality care. How do you support staff wellbeing and professional growth in your team?
3. Describe your experience in monitoring quality assurance, handling complaints, and ensuring accurate reporting. How have you used feedback or audit findings to drive continuous improvement in your service?
4. If an Ofsted inspection highlighted an area for improvement in your home, how would you lead your team to address it?

Step 4 - Upload a CV (without name and personal details).

Please note: Without a supporting statement, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format.

We would like to make you aware that priority consideration for this post may be given to current employees who are at risk due to restructure within the organisation or are in a redeployment position.

For guidance on completing your application, please see our How to Apply page.

Planning to use Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Please ensure your application still reflects your own skills, experience and ideas. If used inappropriately, your application may not be processed. Please read our guidance for using AI to understand what’s acceptable.

Do you need any reasonable adjustments to help you to apply? If you are disabled and/or have additional support needs, you can request reasonable adjustments. You can do this by contacting our Recruitment Team at recruitment@suffolk.gov.uk or 03456 014412. You can find examples of possible adjustments on our Reasonable Adjustment pages.

Closing date: 11.30 pm, 5 November 2026

Interview and Warner Interview date: 18 or 20 November 2026

Please note: If you are successful in securing a position, you will be required to provide a full 10-year employment and activity history as part of our pre-employment checks. This includes details of all employment, periods of education, and any gaps, along with referee contact details for each role where applicable. To help avoid delays in the recruitment and onboarding process, we recommend gathering this information in advance.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.  #LI-Onsite

About the Company

As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We’re driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.

In return, you’ll enjoy:

• up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
• membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
• performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase
• training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
• a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
• diverse and active staff networks
• flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day

Plus lots more!

If you want to know more about our benefits, values and equality commitments please visit our Suffolk County Council careers website (careers.Suffolk.gov.uk).