Job Title: Ofsted Registered Manager – Family Assessment Centre
Hours: 37, full time
Salary: PO6 £51,356 - £54,495
Contract: Permanent
Location: Leeds

About the Service

Leeds City Council is establishing a new Family Assessment Centre to deliver high-quality, child-centred residential parenting assessments for families requiring targeted support.

Our vision is to create a safe, respectful, and nurturing environment grounded in evidence-based practice, supporting our commitment to keeping children safe and helping them achieve positive outcomes.

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Registered Manager to lead this new service from development through to full operational delivery and Ofsted registration.

The Role

As Registered Manager, you will play a key role in shaping the culture, practice, and operational standards of the centre.

You will:

Lead the successful Ofsted registration of the Family Assessment Centre
Provide strong, inspirational leadership, building a resilient and values-driven team
Oversee the day-to-day management of the service, ensuring high standards of safeguarding, recording, and assessment practice
Ensure all parenting assessments are evidence-based, trauma-informed, and aligned with legislation and local authority requirements
Maintain regulatory compliance, oversee quality assurance systems, and ensure inspection readiness
Manage budgets, staffing, and resources, including rota planning
Work collaboratively with social workers, courts, health professionals, and partner agencies
Embed a reflective, restorative, and learning-focused culture aligned with Leeds’ Child Friendly City principles

About You

We are looking for a skilled and committed leader who demonstrates:

A recognised Social Work qualification and registration with Social Work England
Significant experience conducting and overseeing parenting assessments
Extensive experience working with high-risk child protection cases, safeguarding procedures, and court processes
Experience within residential family assessment or regulated childcare settings
Strong working knowledge of Ofsted regulations and residential service requirements
Proven leadership and management experience in multidisciplinary teams
Excellent communication, decision-making, and partnership-working skills
A passion for improving outcomes for children and families
The ability to develop and lead a new service from inception

A Level 5 Diploma in Leadership & Management for Residential Childcare is desirable.

What We Offer

Competitive salary and local government benefits package
Generous annual leave, pension, and wellbeing support
Access to high-qualitytraining and development opportunities
The opportunity to lead and shape an innovative new service
A supportive leadership environment within a strong, child-focused organisation

How to Apply

Please complete the online application form.

Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children’s or Adults’ barred list as applicable will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job purpose

The Registered Manager’s role is to manage the home and staff team, leading the provision of inspirational care tailored to the individual needs of the children and young people. You will deal with staff management issues promptly ensuring that policies and procedures are followed. You will be responsible for the provision of a safe and stimulating environment which provides for assessment, care, control, education and health whilst nurturing emotional and physical wellbeing.

You will hold responsibility for all aspects of the management of the home in line with the Children’s Homes Regulations 2015 and the associated quality standards.

Responsibilities

Foster positive relationships, encouraging strong bonds between children and staff
Work with the wider system of professionals, families and communities of origin
Lead on the recruitment, selection, induction, supervision, training, development and support processes
Deputise for the Service Delivery Manager as required commensurate to the grade
Be an advocate for children and young people and help them understand how their views, wishes and feelings have been considered
Nurture children’s ambitions for their future and their learning, both in and out of school
Develop and sustain effective working and information sharing protocols
Understand and lead on local approaches to multi-agency assessment and promote within the team
Keep up to date with local and national developments in respect of children and young people who are looked after and ensure staff members are informed
Create a stable and secure base, where young people have a sense of belonging and where they can begin to understand, address and work through past experiences, present difficulties and behaviours
Ensure adherence to all the requirements in relation to the safe handling and administering of medication
Ensure individual and environmental risk assessments are in place and risk management plans are implemented, regularly reviewed, updated and managed effectively by the staff team
Manage complex and challenging behaviour in an assertive, restorative and sensitive manner
Work to proactively reduce the likelihood that a child/young person becomes criminalised
Manage matching and admissions to the home and support colleagues in the same task.
Ensure individual care plans are developed, delivered and evaluated, and address key identified needs
Be flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required, commensurate to grade
Participate in appraisal, training and development activities to ensure up-to-date knowledge and skills
Improve own practice through observation, evaluation, discussion and development programmes
Work collaboratively with colleagues, knowing when to seek help and advice
Contribute to the overall ethos, work and aims of the service by attending relevant meetings, training days and events as requested
Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures such as child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person
Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all by working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding and promoting the values, standards and equal opportunities of Leeds City Council
Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment or victimisation and any form of abuse of equal opportunities, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and procedures
The postholder is expected to work within the parameters of the council’s flexibility protocol
The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post

Qualifications

You must be educated to degree level plus the NVQ/QCF Level 3 Diploma in Residential Child Care, or equivalent qualifications. You will also require the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare. We will fund your studies if you do not already hold these diplomas, and you must achieve Level 5 within a reasonable period, normally 2 years after starting work. A social work qualification is an advantage but not essential to appointment.

The postholder must apply to Ofsted (HMCI) to become the Registered Manager for the home, within 7 working days of assuming the post. Failure to secure Registered Manager status will prevent you from continuing in this post with immediate effect. If you are required to manage another home to meet specific service needs you may have to re-register for that home.

Person specification

Essential requirements: The candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities. We will use one or more methods to assess whether candidates meet the essential requirements, including application form, interview, test and certificate.

We will only shortlist candidates for interview if they can demonstrate that they meet all the following essential requirements.

Skills required

Management of staff, contributing to their development through appraisal, supervision and training
Clear and decisive leadership and direction, with the ability to plan, deploy resources, follow procedure and maintain accurate records
Effective team working, organisational and time management skills, prioritising own and team’s work to meet conflicting deadlines
Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of people including sensitive and complex information
bility to chair meetings constructively, arbitrating and resolving Aconflict when necessary
Understanding of the importance of advocacy, ensuring that children and young people’s views, wishes and feelings are considered and influence the care they receive
Ability to engage with children and young people, build rapport and develop positive relationships

Knowledge required

In-depth knowledge of the Children’s Homes Regulations 2015 and associated quality standards
Good knowledge and experience of law and practice relating to looked after children
In-depth knowledge of adolescent growth and development
In-depth knowledge of child protection procedures and impact of abuse and neglect
Working knowledge of team building, teamwork, group dynamics and motivation
Computer literate with a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications

Experience required

Within last 5 years, at least 2 years’ experience in a position relevant to residential care of children and of working for at least one year in a role requiring supervision/management of staff in a care role
Chairing meetings and reviews, care planning and case management
Leading a team, providing staff training, development, and associated performance appraisals
Managing difficult, demanding and challenging children and young people
Working with budgets and financial management
Behavioural and other characteristics required
Be physically fit enough to carry out all requirements of the role including the use of Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) to manage challenging behaviour as required
Committed to continuous improvement
Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council’s Equality and Diversity Policy
Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under the council's Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy
Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities to ensure up-to-date knowledge, skills and continuous professional development
Understand and embrace our values, behaviours and codes of conduct.