Desirable:

• Practice Educator Award.
• Management or Leadership qualification above Level 5.
• Training in Quality Assurance, Auditing, or Inspection Readiness.

Experience

Essential:

• Minimum five years' post-qualification experience within children's social care, including substantial experience within fostering services.
• Experience of completing and/or quality assuring Form F Assessments.
• Experience of managing fostering panel processes.
• Experience of quality assurance, auditing, and service improvement.
• Experience of supervising, mentoring, and developing social workers or operational staff.
• Experience of recruitment and retention of foster carers.
• Experience of preparing for and contributing to Ofsted inspections.
• Experience of managing performance through KPIs and quality standards.

Desirable:

• Experience working within an Independent Fostering Agency.
• Experience of leading recruitment, home-finding, or marketing functions.
• Experience deputising for a Registered Manager.

Knowledge

Essential:

• Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011.
• National Minimum Standards for Fostering Services.
• Children's Act 1989 and 2004.
• Care Planning, Placement, and Case Review Regulations.
• Working Together to Safeguard Children.
• Ofsted Inspection Framework.
• Foster carer recruitment, assessment, and approval processes.
• Safeguarding, risk management, and quality assurance frameworks.

Skills

Essential:

• Excellent leadership and people management skills.
• Strong analytical and quality assurance skills.
• Excellent report writing and presentation skills.
• Ability to make sound professional judgements.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• Strong organisational and project management skills.
• High level of IT competence.

Personal Attributes

• Child-centred and committed to achieving excellent outcomes.
• Values-driven with high professional integrity.
• Resilient, adaptable, and solution-focused.
• Confident decision maker.
• Collaborative leadership style.
• Committed to continuous improvement and learning.
• Able to work independently and as part of a senior leadership team.

Other Requirements

Essential:

• Full UK driving licence.
• Access to a vehicle insured for business use.
• Ability to travel throughout England.
• Enhanced DBS clearance.
• Flexibility to work occasional evenings for Fostering Panels, recruitment events, and meetings.
• Ability to deputise for the Registered Manager in their absence, ensuring the safe and effective operational management of the fostering service.
• Participation in the management of the Out of Hours (OOH) rota, providing senior management support and decision-making outside normal office hours as required.

Additional Job Description Responsibilities

Deputy Registered Manager Responsibilities:

• Deputise for the Registered Manager during periods of annual leave, sickness, or other absence, ensuring continuity of leadership and operational oversight.
• Support the Registered Manager in ensuring the fostering service remains compliant with all statutory, regulatory, and contractual requirements.
• Contribute to strategic planning, business development, and continuous service improvement.
• Support the implementation of recommendations arising from Ofsted inspections, audits, and quality assurance activity.
• Act as a senior decision maker in relation to safeguarding, placements, recruitment, and operational issues when required.
• Represent the agency at external meetings and with commissioning authorities as delegated by the Registered Manager.

Out of Hours Responsibilities:

• Participate in the management Out of Hours (OOH) rota.
• Provide advice, guidance, and management oversight in response to safeguarding concerns, placement disruptions, allegations, significant incidents, and other emergencies occurring outside normal office hours.
• Ensure all Out of Hours decisions are recorded appropriately and communicated promptly to the Registered Manager and relevant operational teams.
• Support foster carers and staff by providing responsive management decision-making to maintain placement stability and safeguard children.