Service Manager, Children’s Homes Service

Durham County Council

  • Spennymoor, County Durham
  • Permanent
  • Full-time
  • 15 days ago
Lead with Purpose. Inspire Change. Transform Lives.Your Next Chapter Starts HereAre you a visionary leader with a passion for making a lasting difference in the lives of children and young people? Do you believe in the power of compassionate leadership, high standards, and continuous improvement? If so, we invite you to join us in shaping the future of residential care in Durham.As our Service Manager, you’ll be at the heart of a service that’s not just about care—it’s about hope, growth, and transformation. You’ll lead with integrity, inspire excellence, and drive innovation across our Children’s Homes, ensuring every child receives the nurturing, stability, and opportunity they deserve.What You’ll DoIn this pivotal role, you will:
  • Provide strategic leadership to our Registered Managers, empowering them to deliver outstanding care.
  • Champion a culture of continuous improvement, ensuring our services exceed regulatory standards.
  • Lead robust audits and impactful projects that drive real change.
  • Collaborate across systems to shape a brighter future for children in care.
  • You’ll work closely with the Strategic Manager to ensure our homes are not only compliant but are beacons of best practice in children’s residential care.
What You’ll BringWe’re looking for someone who:
  • Brings deep expertise in children’s residential care and regulatory frameworks.
  • Has a proven track record in quality assurance, service improvement, and change management.
  • Is eligible to be registered with Ofsted as the Responsible Individual.
  • Holds a Level 5 (or higher) qualification in Leadership and Management—or equivalent.
  • Has been a Registered Manager or Responsible Individual and registered with Ofsted for the last 2 years.
  • Can lead with clarity, compassion, and courage.
This is more than a job—it’s a calling. If you’re ready to lead with purpose and be part of a service that’s transforming lives, we’d love to hear from you.Our ValuesDurham Cares incorporates our core values and strategic objectives, shaping our work and the high-quality care we provide for young people, as well as the culture across the Children’s Homes Service. Our ‘Durham’ values - Dignity, Unity, Responsibility, Heart, Aspiration, and Mindset are at the heart of everything we do for both our young people and our teams.Our Offer to YouWe offer competitive rewards and benefits to help you perform at your best, including:
  • 27 days holiday (plus bank holidays), rising to 32 days after 5 years' continuous local government service
  • Option to purchase up to 10 additional days annual leave per year
  • Excellent Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), with top-up options
  • Wellbeing Portal and Employee Assistance Scheme
  • Learning and development opportunities, including professional qualifications and mentoring
  • Employee Benefits Portal with discounts at major retailers
  • Discounted gym membership
  • Staff-led networks (Race Equality, LGBT+, Carers, Armed Forces, Menopause)
  • Trade Union membership
  • Salary sacrifice schemes, such as car leasing
Take a closer look at ourWe encourage you to contact Paul Rudd, Strategic Manager via email to to arrange an informal discussion.InterviewsIt is anticipated that interviews will be held during September 2025.We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.Removal and LodgingsRemoval, lodging and separation expenses may be available to the successful candidate if at the time of application for appointment their place of residence is outside the administrative area of County Durham and more than 30 miles in a straight line from their new administrative centre, along with several other criteria for eligibility.How to ApplyIn line with the County Council's Recruitment and Selection Policy, please note that we are unable to accept CVs. Applications must be submitted on-line via the Northeast Jobs portal.Please use the ‘Person Specification’ section of your application form to demonstrate that you have the essential and where possible, desirable experience, skills, and knowledge. Candidates who do not evidence that they meet the essential qualifications and experience listed on the person specification will not be short-listed.If you have any support needs or require assistance when applying for this role, please contact our Recruitment Helpdesk on 03000 26 27 27 (option 2), or the Recruitment Team via email atWe collect personal information from you when you register with North East Jobs and make an application. Details on how we process your personal data is available in our Privacy Notice.PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION REGARDING YOUR APPLICATION FOR THIS POST WILL BE SENT TO THE EMAIL ADDRESS THAT YOU HAVE REGISTERED WITH NORTH EAST JOBS, INCLUDING YOUR INVITE TO INTERVIEW IF YOU ARE SHORTLISTED. PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL AFTER THE CLOSING DATE FOR NOTIFICATION FROM AS YOU WILL NOT BE NOTIFIED BY ANY OTHER MEANS. PLEASE ENSURE YOU CHECK YOUR JUNK MAIL.

Durham County Council