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 Deputy Manager to help run our children's home.

The service is made up of

• A Service Manager
• A Registered 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

Due to the continued growth and development of Route 29, we are seeking an experienced, passionate, and child centred Deputy Manager to join our leadership team. This is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious professional who is committed to improving outcomes for children and young people experiencing crisis and who wants to play a key role in the ongoing development of an innovative Edge of Care service.

As a Deputy Manager, you will lead on accommodation services across Route 29, taking responsibility for ensuring children and young people have access to safe, appropriate, and timely accommodation pathways when they are unable to remain at home. This will include deputising for the Registered Manager of our Ofsted-registered Children's Home, working collaboratively with our 16+ accommodation providers and foster carers, and coordinating emergency placement requests to ensure children receive the right support at the right time.

Route 29's Children's Home provides emergency and short term accommodation for up to six children and young people aged 10 to 17 who are experiencing crisis situations that place them at risk of entering care. Through our specialist 28-day assessment and intervention model, we provide a safe, nurturing, and structured environment where young people can stabilise, rebuild relationships, and work towards sustainable outcomes that reduce the need for longer-term care arrangements wherever possible.

A central part of this role will be supporting the Registered Manager to ensure the Children's Home consistently delivers outstanding, child-focused care in line with its Statement of Purpose and regulatory requirements. You will play a key role in creating a culture where the voice of the child is at the heart of decision making and where every intervention is focused on safety, stability, and positive change.

You will support social care with placement finding and emergency admissions, supporting the assessment of need, care planning, risk management, and intervention delivery. Working closely with families, social workers, education professionals, fostering services, and commissioning teams, you will ensure children receive coordinated and effective support.

As a member of the management team, you will directly supervise a small number of Portfolio Leads (Senior Key Workers) whilst providing leadership, support, and professional guidance across the wider service. You will champion best practice, drive continuous improvement, and ensure consistently high standards of safeguarding, care, and intervention delivery across Route 29.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a motivated and forward thinking manager who thrives in a fast paced environment, enjoys the challenge of responding to crisis, and is passionate about helping children and young people achieve positive and lasting change.

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

About you

As a Deputy Manager, you will be an integral member of an experienced and dedicated management team, bringing strong leadership, sound professional judgement, and an unwavering commitment to improving the lives of vulnerable children and young people.

You will have substantial experience of working with children who have experienced crisis, trauma, family breakdown, or are at risk of entering care. You will understand the importance of relationship based and trauma informed practice and be passionate about creating environments where children feel safe, valued, listened to, and supported to reach their full potential.

You will be a confident and resilient leader who can motivate, develop, and support a large staff team to deliver high quality, child centred interventions. You will be comfortable balancing competing priorities, making decisions under pressure, and responding effectively to emerging risks whilst maintaining a clear focus on positive outcomes for children and families.

You will have experience of managing complex and crisis situations, working creatively with children, families, and partner agencies to identify solutions that prevent escalation and reduce the need for care. You will be skilled in building strong professional relationships and will work collaboratively with social care teams, fostering services, accommodation providers, and commissioning colleagues to ensure children are supported through transitions and can access the most appropriate placements when accommodation is required. You will be confident to deputise for the Registered Manager and Service Manager when required.

You will be committed to achieving the best possible outcomes for children and families and will share our belief that, wherever it is safe to do so, children should be supported to remain within or return to their family networks. You will bring creativity, innovation, and determination to your practice, helping to shape interventions that build resilience, strengthen relationships, and create sustainable change.

Essential Requirements

• Experience of working effectively in a fast paced environment, demonstrating resilience, adaptability, and sound decision making under pressure.
• A Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare, or an equivalent qualification recognised within the Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the Quality Standards.
• Significant experience of working with vulnerable children and young people, including those at risk of entering care.
• Strong safeguarding knowledge and a thorough understanding of child-centred and trauma-informed practice.

Above all, you will embody our values of Pride, Passion, People, and Personal Responsibility. Through your leadership, you will help ensure that children and young people accessing Route 29 experience safety, stability, meaningful support, and opportunities to achieve brighter futures.

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. If you do not commence employment for any reason but the DBS has been processed, you will be sent an invoice for the payment.

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.

Criminal records checks for overseas applicants - GOV.UK