Do you want to play a pivotal role in changing the lives of Stoke-on-Trent’s looked after children? We’re seeking Assistant Care Managers to join our small group homes and lead on providing the best possible outcomes for our residents. This role is a fantastic chance to develop your career in social care, with a wealth of learning and development opportunities on offer. About the job Stoke-on-Trent is home to over 1,000 children in care. The Council’s service operates nine residential homes which are all rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted. As an Assistant Care Manager, you’ll support the Registered Care Manager to provide a successful service for looked after young people in one of our small group homes. You’ll support young people with complex challenges, fostering a safe and nurturing environment. You’ll manage the Residential Care team, ensuring the delivery of effective relationship-based care, as well as oversee care plans, risk assessments and daily operations. By collaborating with families, staff and agencies, you’ll provide holistic support to help young people achieve their educational and social goals. Your leadership responsibilities will include monitoring staff performance, organising training, and maintaining compliance with regulations, budgets and quality standards. When needed, you’ll also deputise for the Registered Care Manager, ensuring your group home runs smoothly. The ideal candidate In order to succeed in this role, you’ll hold a Level 4 or equivalent qualification in a relevant discipline, with proven experience of managing staff to deliver quality care. Considerable experience working in a residential care setting is also critical for understanding the needs of our young people. You’ll also possess good understanding of relevant legislation and the standards set out in the Care Standards Act 2000 and Children’s Home Regulations. You’ll have strong interpersonal and communication skills, with a commitment to fantastic outcomes for looked after children. Why join Stoke-on-Trent? “We are non-profit and fully committed to helping shape the future of our young people. We are a shoulder to cry on, a person to vent frustrations to, someone to shout at because they’re upset, and the people who our children know will always keep them safe. We are many things to our children but most of all we are always here and always willing.” - Nuno, Assistant Care Manager The Children’s Social Care teams at Stoke-on-Trent are a close-knit group and provide a supportive and friendly work environment for our colleagues. We offer generous salary packages as well as fantastic professional development opportunities. Our training packages are hugely comprehensive, with programmes to help you develop and progress into management roles or achieve new diplomas. We also provide a broad range of wellbeing support, such as staff counselling, occupational health support and the Able Futures ‘Access to Work’ scheme. Flexible working opportunities are also on offer, providing you are available to fulfil the duties of your role. For more in-depth details about our benefits and life at Stoke-on-Trent, please visit our careers site: https://stokechildrensocialcarecareers.co.uk. Additional information For an informal discussion about this role, please contact a member of our management team: Stacey Hegarty – Registered Care Manager: Stacey.Hegartystoke.gov.uk Chris Whalley – Head of CWD Residential Services and Outreach: Chris.Whalleystoke.gov.uk We will be shortlisting on a rolling basis, with interviews taking place bi-weekly on Wednesdays. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and we expect all our employees and volunteers to share this commitment. This position is exempt under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the successful applicant will be subject to a criminal record check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). Stoke-on-Trent City Council values the diversity of its community and aims to have a workforce that reflects this – we therefore encourage applications from all sections of our community. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees – a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed together. Please note that if an employee who is currently at risk of redundancy within the organisation applies for this vacancy their application will receive priority. If this happens you will be advised accordingly.