Vacancy Detail

Registered Manager - Residential Children's Home

Keenan Recruitment has been retained by a forward thinking and innovative service which aims to provide a high level, professional residential service for children and young people in care. 

Position: Registered Manager - Residential Children's Home

Pay:  £50,000 - £55,000 depending on experience

Location: Dromore Area

Contract: Full-time, Permanent

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Health & wellbeing programme
• On-site parking

Our client is a therapeutic, trauma-informed children’s home offering medium to long-term placements for up to two children aged 6–11. Their Dromore home provides a safe, stable, carefully structured environment where children can heal, grow, and thrive through nurturing relationships, consistent routines, and an integrated model of care rooted in attachment, trauma understanding, positive behaviour support, and multidisciplinary collaboration .

They are proud of their excellent facilities, strong organisational culture, and their commitment to staff development, reflective practice, and child-centred care.

The Role

We are seeking an exceptional Registered Manager to lead our client's Dromore home and ensure the highest standards of care, compliance and safeguarding for the children they support.

As Registered Manager, you will:

• Provide strong, compassionate, values-based leadership to a skilled staff team
• Ensure the home operates in line with The Children’s Homes Regulations (NI) 2005, Minimum Standards for Children’s Homes (2023), NISCC Codes of Practice and their organisational policies
• Maintain a safe, nurturing, trauma-informed environment consistent with our client's ethos and therapeutic model
• Work collaboratively with Social Workers, Trust personnel, families, schools, and their multidisciplinary team (including Clinical Psychology, OT, and therapeutic consultants)
• Lead on placement planning, reflective practice, staff supervision, and quality assurance
• Oversee the home’s rota, reporting systems, budget management and regulatory documentation
• Drive continuous improvement and uphold a strong safeguarding culture
• Represent the service at LAC reviews, professional meetings and regional forums
• Ensure all staff uphold our organisational values and positive behaviour support approach, including TCI de-escalation and trauma-informed practice

This is a vital leadership role for someone who shares our belief that residential care, done well, changes lives.

What We’re Looking For

Essential Criteria:

• Degree in Social Work
• NISCC registration
• Full UK valid Driving Licence
• Minimum 3 years post social work qualification
• Minimum 5 years’ experience working in residential childcare or a closely related social care setting
• Minimum 2 years’ experience in a leadership role (managing a team)

Additional Essential Criteria (to be demonstrated at interview):

• Strong understanding of trauma-informed practice, safeguarding and positive behaviour support
• Experience supervising staff and leading teams
• Sound knowledge of regulation, inspection frameworks, risk management and quality assurance
• Ability to build relationships with Trust partners and external professionals
• Excellent communication, organisational and problem-solving skills

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience as Deputy Manager or Registered Manager in a children’s home
• Experience delivering or participating in multidisciplinary planning
• Knowledge of TCI or similar behaviour support frameworks

Why Join?

Staff wellbeing and development are prioritised. You will benefit from:

• A supportive senior management and compliance structure
• Regular structured reflective practice facilitated by clinical psychology
• Comprehensive CPD pathway, including leadership development
• Access to wellbeing supports such as counselling and the private medical care through Benenden Health
• A strong, values-led organisational culture and consistent operational support

Our client adheres to the Access NI Code of Practice; a copy of the policy be made available to you upon request. An enhanced Access NI disclosure check will be required for this post. Having a criminal record will not necessarily debar you from working within our clients unit. A copy of the Ex-Offenders’ Recruitment Policy can be made available upon request. A copy of our client's Secure Handling of Storage and Retention of Disclosure Information Policy is also available upon request.

Apply Now

If you are a motivated, child-centred leader who wants to shape a new, high-quality therapeutic service from the ground up, we would love to hear from you.

Contact Aideen Duggan for a confidential chat T:02890021616 or perm@keenanrecruitment.co.uk 

Keenan Recruitment is an equal opportunity employer, acting as an Employment Business on behalf of our Clients for temporary work and an Employment Agency for providing permanent employment with our Clients.

Keenan Recruitment is proudly a Corporate Member of REC - 10638 (Recruitment and Employment Confederation) adhering to all current employment legislation.

Location: Dromore | Salary: £50000 - £55000 per year | Job type: Permanent | Posted: 10/03/2026