The Role

Shape lives. Lead with purpose. Build futures in an outstanding home.

Some leadership roles manage services. This one shapes lives.

At Olive House Children’s Home, every decision you make helps create a safe, nurturing environment where children build trust, grow in confidence and thrive.

At Southwark, we are committed to giving every child and young person the stability, care and support they need to flourish. If you are an experienced residential leader ready for your next step, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact.

About Olive House

Olive House is a nurturing children’s home supporting up to five children and young people with complex emotional, behavioural and social needs, often linked to trauma and associated difficulties.

We are proud to be rated Outstanding by Ofsted, recognising the strength of our relationships, leadership and the progress children make every day.

Our approach is firmly rooted in trauma-informed practice. We have a clinical practitioner who works directly with both the children and the staff team and who also leads monthly group supervision.

We are also proud that all our children are in education. To support this, an education advisor from the Virtual School is based in the home two days each week.

We are building on this success and are looking for a Deputy Manager to help take Olive House even further. Could this be you?

What You'll Be Doing

As Deputy Manager, you will work alongside the Registered Manager to lead the home and shape a culture where children feel safe, valued, and understood.

You will deputise for the Registered Manager as required, ensuring strong leadership continuity and effective oversight of the service in their absence.

You will also be responsible for managing and overseeing operational systems and programmes as directed by the Registered Manager. This includes:

Ensuring care planning, recording and monitoring systems are accurate, consistent and up to date
Supporting the implementation and ongoing management of key programmes, frameworks, or initiatives within the home
Monitoring compliance with internal systems and regulatory requirements
Supporting staff to use systems effectively to improve outcomes for children

This is a visible, hands-on leadership role where you will:

Lead and support staff in delivering high-quality, trauma-informed care
Influence daily practice and safeguarding decisions
Ensure consistency, stability, and strong relationships for every child
Help shape each child’s lived experience and long-term progress

You will also deputise for the Registered Manager when required, ensuring strong leadership continuity across the service.

Why join Southwark?

You will join a supportive, forward-thinking service where children are at the centre of every decision and reflective practice is part of everyday work.

In return, you will:

Work in an Outstanding-rated children’s home
Be part of a values-led leadership culture
Access career development and progression opportunities
Make a meaningful, lasting difference every day
Help shape the future of residential care in Southwark

What We're Looking For

We’re looking for a confident, emotionally intelligent leader who combines high standards with genuine care.

You will bring:

Experience in residential children’s homes (senior/deputy level desirable)
QCF Level 4 Diploma in Children, Young People and Families Practitioner (or equivalent), or willingness to work towards it
Strong understanding of trauma, attachment, and child development
Knowledge of safeguarding and Ofsted frameworks
Experience supporting children with emotional and behavioural needs
Proven leadership, supervision, and team development skills
Strong communication and decision-making abilities
Flexibility to work shifts and deputise when required

For detailed qualifications and requirements, please refer to the job description and person specification located at the bottom of the advert.

Contact Details:

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Ann Simpson via email at ann.simpson@southwark.gov.uk

Additional Information:

Pay scale: Grade 11, £50,175 - £57,495 per annum
Working hours: 36 hours per week, Monday to Friday
Contract type: Permanent
Location: Olive House
Benefits: A full list of benefits can be found here: https://jobs.southwark.gov.uk/why-us/

To be considered for interview, you will be required to upload your CV and respond to three key questions based on the person specification. Your responses should demonstrate how your knowledge, skills and experience meet the requirements of the role.

Recruitment Timeline:

Advert close date: 11:59pm on Sunday 31^st May 2026

Shortlisting: Week commencing 1^st June 2026

Interviews: Week commencing 8^th June 2026

The interview process will include young persons panel. If you are successful in securing an interview, full details will be shared with you at that stage.

The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. We strongly advise you to complete your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together initiative. We particularly welcome applications from members of the black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:

Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

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Attachments

Job Description & Person Specification - Deputy Residential Manager