An Exciting Opportunity to Lead a Brand-New Children's Residential Home

Care First UK Recruitment is working in partnership with a confidential client to recruit an experienced and ambitious Registered Manager for a brand-new Children's Residential Home specialising in Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (EBD) in Basingstoke, Hampshire.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a passionate children's social care professional to lead a new service from the ground up, taking ownership of its development, regulatory compliance, team recruitment and operational success.

The home will offer a modern, state-of-the-art environment with four bedrooms, designed to provide specialist residential care and therapeutic support for children and young people with complex emotional and behavioural needs.

We are seeking a high-calibre leader who can establish strong foundations, build a dedicated care team and develop a service focused on safeguarding, positive outcomes and high standards of therapeutic care.

With a competitive salary of £55,000–£75,000 and an attractive bonus scheme, this is an excellent opportunity to shape a new children's home and make a lasting difference.

The Role

As Registered Manager, you will take the lead in establishing and developing the service, working towards Ofsted registration and ensuring the home is equipped to deliver safe, effective and child-centred care.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Ofsted Registration and Compliance: Lead the initial setup of the home and manage the process of securing Ofsted registration.

• Policies and Procedures: Develop and implement robust, Ofsted-compliant policies, procedures and therapeutic care frameworks tailored to children with EBD.

• Team Recruitment and Development: Recruit, train, lead and mentor a dedicated residential care team, creating a positive culture focused on safeguarding and high-quality care.

• Operational Management: Oversee the day-to-day running of the home, maintaining high standards of care and working towards achieving a Good or Outstanding Ofsted judgement.

• Safeguarding and Therapeutic Care: Ensure children's safety, wellbeing and individual needs remain at the centre of all care planning and decision-making.

• Stakeholder Relationships: Build strong working relationships with Local Authorities, Children's Services and commissioning teams to support referrals, placements and effective partnership working.

• Occupancy and Financial Performance: Manage budgets, monitor occupancy and contribute to the financial sustainability and commercial success of the service.

• Quality Improvement: Establish effective monitoring systems and promote continuous improvement across all aspects of the home's operation.

About You

We are looking for an experienced children's residential care professional with the leadership skills, regulatory knowledge and commitment required to establish a successful new service.

To be considered, you will have:

• Extensive experience managing a children's residential home or specialist service supporting children with Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (EBD).

• A strong understanding of Ofsted regulations, safeguarding, child protection and children's residential care requirements.

• A proven track record of achieving positive regulatory outcomes, ideally Good or Outstanding Ofsted inspection judgements.

• Experience developing and implementing policies, procedures and care frameworks.

• Strong leadership skills, including staff recruitment, training, supervision and performance management.

• Established relationships with Local Authorities, Children's Services and commissioning professionals.

• Experience managing referrals, placements, occupancy and budgets within a residential care setting.

• The ability to lead a new service, establish effective operational systems and maintain high standards from the outset.

• A genuine commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people with complex emotional and behavioural needs.

What's on Offer?

• Competitive salary of £55,000–£75,000 per annum, depending on experience.

• An attractive bonus scheme.

• The opportunity to lead a brand-new, modern four-bedroom children's residential home.

• The chance to build and develop your own team.

• A key leadership role with responsibility for service setup, Ofsted registration and operational development.

• The opportunity to shape a specialist EBD service and make a meaningful difference to children's lives.

Apply Today

If you are an experienced Children's Residential Registered Manager looking for your next challenge, this is an opportunity to take the lead in building a new service from the ground up.

Whether you have previously managed a children's home or have experience developing a new residential service, we would welcome a confidential conversation about your suitability for this opportunity.

Apply today through Care First UK Recruitment to find out more about this Registered Manager position in Basingstoke, Hampshire.

This vacancy is being managed by Care First UK Recruitment on behalf of a confidential client.

Contact information

James Maclean