Post:Head of Residential Services

Reports to:Chief Operating Officer (Operations)

Location:United Kingdom and Ireland

Primary Objective of Position

To hold complete accountability for residential care in relation to:

  • Ensuring that homes are maintained at optimum occupancy.
  • Ensuring positive outcomes of care for young people and good placement stability.
  • Managing within an allocated budget and continually improving the financial performance of your region.
  • Ensuring regulatory requirements are being met and Ofsted ratings are improving
  • Ensuring homes are maintained to a good standard and all health and safety concerns are addressed immediately within budget constraints.
  • To build and improve relationships with the Local Authorities in your region and actively prevent serious complaints/quality concerns or non referring.
  1. Financial
  • To actively ensure that homes are managed at optimum occupancy and that all homes with vacancies are prepared to take an admission.
  • To have an understanding of how homes are trading at all times by managing costs in relation to revenue.
  • To provide a monthly report on financial performance of the region.
  • To develop a business plan, ensuring its contribution to the company business plan.
  • To constantly review the services being offered in line with regional demands and design new services.
  1. Delivery of Care
  • To ensure that the Ofsted ratings for your region improve and that an investigation takes place if a home drops to satisfactory or inadequate.
  • To analyse the information produced by Reg44/32 Summary reports and take action as required
  • To ensure that all requirements following an inspection are addressed within the necessary timescales
  • To monitor action plans for high risk/extreme risk homes
  • To provide monitoring visits to very high risk homes as required
  • To oversee the management of all complaints and ensure holding letters and responses are sent within the specified time scales.
  • Contacting Local Authorities in relation to any concerns. Attend meetings as necessary.
  • Send information re HR, training and maintenance to Head Office as requested.
  • To ensure that all staff are inducted and that mandatory training in kept up to date. This will be within an allocated budget.
  • To monitor behavior management and children at risk of injury and ensure appropriate action is taken. Referrals can be made for behavior management advice, therapeutic consultancy and or training.
  • To ensure that all homes meet the regulatory requirements as stipulated
  • To ensure each home has a Business Continuity Plan.
  • To personally oversee block contracts with purchasers liaising where necessary and attending meetings to ensure the contract runs smoothly.
  • To actively ensure that residential is working closely with education and therapy and that communication is streamlined.
  1. Customer Relationships
  • To actively build relationships with purchasers in your region
  • To contact placing authority immediately if there are any serious concerns relating to the young people they currently have placed eg unplanned discharges, internal transfers, serious incidents.This may be in relation to children placed in another Directors region.
  • Attend review meetings with local Authorities in your region as planned.
  • Ensure information is sent to the Local Authorities in your region if they have requested it.
  • To actively market your homes in conjunction with the marketing team.
  1. Human Resources and Training
  • To line manage and supervise the Residential Directors
  • To ensure performance management, capability and disciplineries are managed within the region.
  • To ensure adherence to HR policies.
  • To ensure recruitment and selection is pro-active and agency costs are kept to a minimum.
  • To ensure all staff are inducted and receive mandatory training in line with the NMS.
  1. Maintenance
  • To ensure all maintenance concerns are reported to the Maintenance Department.
  1. Other
  • To participate in the company executive on call.
  • To manage referrals on allocated days.
  • To ensure proposals are submitted as required.
  • To deputise as directed for the Chief Operating Officer.
  • Any other duties as directed for the Chief Operating officer.

The Keys Group seeks to provide for the community the highest possible standards of efficiency and therefore considers applicants for appointment purely on merit and ability and without regard to an applicant’s sex, marital status, religion, political affiliation, disability, race or colour. This job description is not exhaustive and may be subject to modification to meet changing needs.

The ideal candidate must be able to demonstrate through their application form :

  • a minimum of 2 year’s experience at Regional Senior Management Level or above and five years working in Residential Care in a management position
  • Experience in multi site management and extensive experience of people management.
  • You will be qualified to degree level in a relevant discipline,
  • You must possess the ability to demonstrate excellent leadership and management skills and have the confidence to make autonomous decisions relating to care.
  • Furthermore you must have a proven track record of managing budgets and developing business plans.
  • Extensive travel will be required so a full driving license or access transport is essential
  • In addition to this the post holder must possess the ability to demonstrate excellent leadership and management skills and demonstrate the ability to work independently and make informed decisions relating to residential childcare.