Registered Manager

About the role

Oxfordshire County Council is recruiting a Registered Manager to lead one of its new children's homes, opening in 2026 as part of a planned expansion to enable more Oxfordshire children to remain within the county when they become Children We Care For.

This is a rare opportunity to make this role your own and to create a safe and nurturing environment where children can thrive. With the support of the leadership team, you can be creative and bold in how you bring the home to life, as Oxfordshire continues to live into its value of daring to do it differently.

The homes work in line with the Family Safeguarding Plus model, a strength-based, multi-agency approach using Motivational Interviewing as a core communication approach. Teams engage in group supervision with shared risk assessments, allowing for diverse perspectives and improved collaborative decision-making.

This role includes:

• Delivering integrated and individualised interventions to promote the best outcomes for children and their families
• Creating and sustaining a safe, nurturing environment in line with residential children's homes regulations
• Supervising and managing staff within a residential childcare setting
• Working alongside Oxfordshire's leadership team during this period of growth, with full access to psychologists, clinical and medical interventions
• Maintaining high standards of practice consistent with Oxfordshire's restorative, relational and Social Learning Theory based approach

Working hours are 37 hours per week. Shift pattern details are not stated in the advert — candidates are encouraged to raise any questions at application or interview stage.

To apply, click Apply Now. For informal enquiries, contact details are not provided in this listing — please refer to the application portal for further information.

About You

Oxfordshire is looking for an enthusiastic and highly motivated Registered Manager who is ready to take on a leadership role in a children's home environment. This is a role that calls for someone who can combine strong regulatory knowledge with a genuine commitment to the children and young people they support.

The ideal candidate will:

• Have worked, within the last five years, for at least two years in a position relevant to the residential care of children
• Have worked for at least one year in a role requiring the supervision and management of staff in a residential childcare setting
• Have knowledge of managing residential children's homes regulations
• Hold the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (England), or an equivalent qualification, or be willing to work towards this and complete it within the first 18 months of employment with Oxfordshire County Council

Oxfordshire County Council is proud of its diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or parental status. As a Disability Confident employer, Oxfordshire guarantees an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria. Interviews are also guaranteed for care leavers who have completed further education and meet the essential criteria, and for those who have left HM Armed Forces within the last three years and can demonstrate the essential criteria for the role.

This post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check with barred list information, in line with Ofsted registration requirements. All appointments are subject to right-to-work checks. Oxfordshire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.

Oxfordshire's Offer to You

Oxfordshire's children's homes hold Good and Outstanding Ofsted ratings, and the service is growing with new homes opening in 2026. The homes operate within a restorative, relational practice framework grounded in Social Learning Theory, with access to a full multi-disciplinary resource base including psychologists and clinical and medical interventions — something not every local authority can offer.

The offer to Registered Managers includes structured management development through a 12-module training programme, alongside a wide range of learning and development opportunities and secondment possibilities within the local authority. Flexible working arrangements are actively supported, including flexi-time, job sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours where the role permits.

• Local government pension scheme with an employer contribution of up to 19.9%
• Up to 33 days' annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to buy additional days
• Occupational sick pay and a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption entitlements, childcare vouchers and a cycle-to-work scheme
• 24/7 health and wellbeing resources
• Local and national discounts covering shopping, travel, insurance, food and leisure
• And more, including an employee volunteering scheme and staff networks providing peer support and safe spaces for all