Next Steps Children's Care Ltd
Location: Castle Donington DE74
Salary: £50,000 – £55,000 per annum (depending on experience) + up to £5,000 performance bonus
Hours: 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday (flexible start/finish times)
Working Pattern: Option to work from home one day per week once the home is settled
We’re looking for a passionate, experienced Registered Manager to lead our brand-new, small children’s home in DE74
This isn’t just another management job.
Hive Lodge is a solo placement home supporting a child with mild learning disabilities and social, emotional, and mental health needs on a medium to long-term basis. You’ll have the rare opportunity to provide truly personalised, high-quality care in a calm, nurturing environment where every decision genuinely impacts one child’s life.
We’re a new organisation, but our founder brings deep sector knowledge and a strong network built from her own lived experience in care. We’re driven by a genuine desire to make a real difference, not just for the young people we care for, but for the staff who look after them too. We are reinvesting profits to open up more homes.
About the Role
As Registered Manager, you’ll lead a small, dedicated team and shape the culture of the home from the very beginning. You won’t be left on your own, you’ll be fully supported by an experienced RI and a helpful head-office/HR team who take care of referrals, finance, HR, IT, and recruitment. This means you can focus on what matters most: leading your team and providing outstanding care to the young person.
What You’ll Be Doing
* Leading and inspiring a small team to deliver high-quality, trauma-informed care
* Taking full responsibility as the Ofsted Registered Person for the home
* Building strong, positive relationships with the young person, their family (where appropriate), and placing authorities
* Ensuring excellent safeguarding, risk management, and personalised care planning
* Creating a warm, stable, and therapeutic environment where one child can truly thrive
* Working collaboratively with our head-office team to maintain outstanding standards
Who We’re Looking For
We’d love to hear from you if you have:
At least 2 years’ leadership experience in residential childcare (Deputy Manager level or above)
Recent experience as a Deputy or Registered Manager
A genuine passion for working with children who have social, emotional, and mental health needs
Strong leadership skills and the ability to motivate and develop a small team
A warm, reflective, and child-centred approach
(We are particularly interested in candidates who hold or are working towards the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare.)
Why You’ll Love Working With Us
We genuinely care about our staff as much as the young people we support. That’s why we offer:
Salary £50k – £55k + up to £5,000 performance bonus
28 days annual leave + bank holidays
Option to work from home one day per week once the home is settled
Access to an advanced leadership development programme with real opportunities for career progression to dual manage small homes and increased earnings
Life assurance
Mental health and wellbeing support
Monthly prize draws, store discounts, and other staff rewards
We pride ourselves on retaining great people by treating them well and investing in their growth.
If you’re an experienced, caring leader who wants to make a meaningful difference in a small, high-impact home, where you’re genuinely supported and not lost in a large organisation, we’d love to hear from you.
This is a chance to lead a home where quality of care and quality of life for both the young person and the staff truly matter.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: Up to £60,000.00 per year
Benefits:
* Casual dress
* Company events
* Company pension
* Employee discount
* Employee mentoring programme
* Gym membership
* On-site parking
* Private medical insurance
* Referral programme
* Store discount
Application question(s):
* Do you hold a Level 5 in Leadership & Management
* Do you have experience as an Ofsted Registered Manager?
Experience:
* Leadership: 2 years (preferred)
Work Location: In person
Salary description
£55000.00 - £60000.00 per year