About us

Route 29 is inspired by the 'No Wrong Door' approach which is an exciting way of working collaboratively to meet the needs of our most vulnerable children and families in Salford. Route 29 focuses on providing a robust trauma informed intervention to young people aged 8 -18 years who are on the edge of care, in care or at risk of placement instability. Route 29 embrace a close working relationship with adolescents a ‘working with’ rather than a ‘doing to’ approach. We want to be seen as a listening organisation and one where young people do not need to repeat their story to each professional, no matter which agency is involved. Our service includes an outreach service, residential home, 16+ accommodation and a network of specialist foster carers that support young people in times of crisis.

The team work out of The Hub which includes our residential and outreach support.

Due to the expansion of the service we are now looking for a dedicated Registered Manager to run our children's home.

You will be supported by:

• A Service Manager
• Two Deputy Managers (With lead areas for outreach and accommodation)
• Portfolio Leads
• Key workers who support young people and their families within the hub and by outreach work in the community
• A Senior Mental Health practitioner
• A Speech and Language therapist
• An Educational Psychologist
• Specialist Nurses
• Police contacts

About the Role

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced and passionate leader to join Route 29 as the Registered Manager of our Children's Home.

Route 29 is an Ofsted-registered children's home providing emergency and short-term accommodation for up to six young people aged 1017 who are experiencing crisis situations. Through our specialist 28-day placement model, we offer a safe, supportive, and structured environment where children and young people can stabilise and receive the help they need to move forward positively.

As the Registered Manager, you will be responsible for the overall leadership, management, and development of the home, ensuring it operates in full compliance with Ofsted regulations, safeguarding requirements, and council policies. You will create a nurturing, trauma-informed, and therapeutic environment where young people feel safe, valued, and supported to achieve positive outcomes.

The successful candidate will provide strong and visible leadership, driving continuous improvement and maintaining the highest standards of care and practice. You will be responsible for effective budget and resource management, quality assurance, and performance monitoring, while building and maintaining positive relationships with children, families, social workers, and partner agencies.

A key aspect of the role will be ensuring the home consistently operates in line with its Statement of Purpose, delivering high-quality, child-centred care within the specialist 28-day placement framework. You will oversee admissions, care planning, risk management, and intervention strategies, ensuring all practice is outcome-focused and tailored to meet the individual needs of each young person. Working collaboratively with families and professionals, you will ensure assessments, intervention plans, and reports are completed to a high standard and within required timescales to support effective placement planning and successful transitions.

Through robust governance, effective decision-making, and a commitment to excellence, you will ensure the service remains fully compliant with regulatory requirements while meeting the needs of children and young people within the home's defined purpose and ethos.

You will directly supervise and support a small number of staff, while providing leadership and professional guidance across the wider service to ensure a consistent, high-quality approach to practice, safeguarding, and care delivery.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a motivated and ambitious residential childcare leader with a proven track record in children's home management to make a lasting difference to the lives of vulnerable children and young people, while helping to shape and develop an important and dynamic service.

The salary includes a +2 allowance due to regular evening and weekend working.

About you

As Registered Manager at Route 29, you will lead a dedicated team, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to the safety, wellbeing and positive outcomes of vulnerable children and young people. You will be passionate about making a difference to the lives of those who have experienced crisis, providing strong leadership and creating a nurturing, therapeutic environment where young people can feel safe, valued and supported.

You will possess excellent organisational and leadership skills, with the ability to motivate and develop staff to deliver high-quality, child-centred care. You will thrive in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, balancing competing priorities while maintaining high standards of care and support. Working collaboratively with children, families and partner agencies, you will be committed to supporting young people to safely return home wherever possible and will take a creative and innovative approach to developing intervention plans that meet individual needs during their stay at Route 29.

To be successful in this role, you will have significant experience of working with children and young people and a proven ability to lead and manage teams effectively. In line with regulatory requirements, you will have:

• At least two years' experience, within the last five years, in a role relevant to the residential care of children.
• At least one year's experience supervising and managing staff working in a care setting.
• Experience of working effectively in a fast-paced environment, demonstrating resilience, adaptability and sound decision-making under pressure.
• A Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (or an equivalent qualification) as outlined in the Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the Quality Standards (April 2015).

Above all, you will embody our values of Pride, Passion, People and Personal Responsibility, inspiring others to do the same. Through your leadership, you will help provide young people with the stability, opportunities, skills and support they need to navigate their journey with Route 29 and achieve their full potential.

Please be aware that this post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and that you will be required to meet the cost of the DBS check currently £49.50. The payment for this will be deducted from your first four months’ salary payments at a rate of £12.38 per month. If you do not commence employment for any reason but the DBS has been processed, you will be sent an invoice for the payment of £49.50.

If you have lived or worked abroad for 3 months or more in the last 5 years or 12 months or more (whether continuously or in total) in the last 10 years whilst aged 18 or over, please refer to the link below for details for how to obtain your Certificates of Good Character.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-records-checks-for-overseas-applicants

If you have completed the GM Elevate Leadership Development Programme within the last 2 years, please indicate this within the ‘About You’ or ‘Supporting Statement’ section of your application.