Lancashire County Council
Deputy Manager | Willow Space Hub | Skelmersdale
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Children's Residential Deputy Manager
Salary: £40,777 – £46,142 per annum
Hours: Permanent, Full-Time, 37 hours per week (core hours: Monday to Friday, 7am – 7pm)
Location: Skelmersdale, Lancashire
International Sponsorship Note: This role is not open to international sponsorship.
About the Role
We are proud to announce new Deputy Manager roles within Lancashire County Council’s Residential Children’s Services, introduced as part of our "Where Our Children Live" programme. This strategic investment aims to create safe, supportive homes for vulnerable children in Lancashire while modernising and expanding residential childcare services across the county.
These roles are ideal for experienced Assistant Managers seeking career progression. Deputy Managers will oversee teams of Senior Residential Childcare Workers and Residential Childcare Workers, providing leadership, supervision, and guidance in a range of vibrant settings including:
- Small children’s homes
- Specialist homes for children with complex mental health needs
- Innovative hubs providing intensive support to prevent children from entering care
As a key leadership position, this role sits closely alongside the Home Manager, balancing operational duties with direct care responsibilities. Your work will include:
- Overseeing individual care plans
- Monitoring health and educational outcomes
- Collaborating with external professionals (e.g., social workers, education teams)
- Attending reviews and multi-agency meetings
- Supporting workforce development, training, and service initiatives
Deputy Managers will also play a critical role in shaping Children’s Residential Services, driving forward key areas of development to further our vision: that children, young people, and their families are safe, healthy, and able to achieve their full potential. This vision is underpinned by five core outcomes:
✅ Vulnerable children are safe from harm and resilient ✅ They achieve in education and employment ✅ They lead healthy lifestyles and support others ✅ They have a voice in shaping their support ✅ They thrive in a Lancashire that offers a good quality of life
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Responsibilities
Key duties include:
- Providing leadership and managerial supervision to staff within the residential setting.
- Ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of the home, supporting the Home Manager in administrative and operational tasks.
- Developing and implementing best practice care plans in collaboration with carers.
- Monitoring progress against outcome measures, such as health, wellbeing, and education/employment targets.
- Representing the home at reviews (e.g., child in need/review, looked-after child reviews) and statutory meetings with social workers, education staff, and other professionals.
- Supporting residential staff with training and development, attending wage negotiations where required.
- Contributing to wider service initiatives, such as safeguarding training, safeguarding protocols, and team-building activities.
- Ensuring health initiatives, including safeguarding, nutrition, and mental health, are prioritised.
- Supporting the *geographical team, managing both internal and external communication effectively.
- Encouraging a high standard of practice with a strong emphasis on relationships, child-centred care, and continuous improvement by leaning on best professional and in-house practice.
Requirements
Essential Skills & Experience
- A passion for working with children, with a commitment to safeguarding their well-being.
- Qualification: Full award or merit and distinction at QCF 4 or NVQ Level 3 or 4 in Leadership & Management in Health & Social Care (or equivalent).
- Experience: A minimum of three years working within Residential Children and Young People’s Services (or equivalent).
- Driving license required, with access to a vehicle. Updated car insurance for business use is also an essential requirement.
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Benefits
A range of generous benefits include:
- Leave: 25 days annual leave (rising to 32 days after five years), plus eight public holidays and two extra statutory days.
- Pension: Access to Santander Plc’s Defined Benefit Scheme (●PS37) under the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
- Flexible Working: Flexible working arrangements available.
- Wellbeing Services: Health and Wellbeing Initiatives including Wellness programmes, Occupational Health Services, Cycle to Work scheme, eyesight tests, and an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).
- Family Support: Generous maternity, paternity, and adoption leave policies.
- Discounts: Access to discounts (e.g., Viv Up) on products, services, and car purchases.
- Convenience: Free parking and meals/drinks provided during shift hours.
- Stability: Work within a stable and experienced management team.
- Training & Development: Significant training opportunities, including funded apprenticeships up to degree level.
How to Apply
To apply, upload a CV and a Supporting Statement demonstrating how you meet the criteria. You will need to show clear evidence of meeting the DBS-checked role requirements.
For queries or an informal conversation, contact the Talent Team:
talent@lancashire.gov.uk talent@lancashire.gov.uk
Key Dates
- Closing Date: 31 July 2026 (Lancashire reserves the right to close the role early if sufficient applications are received)
- Interviews: To be announced
No sponsorship gateway is available for this role.
Additional Information
- Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) approved checks are required.
- Must have access to a car for business use. However, exceptions may apply due to disability (please contact Lancaster People antes").
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