RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUAL

VACANCY REF: WLTD/RI/006

SALARY: £18,000 – £28,000 per annum (part-time governance role)

SERVICE TYPE: Children’s Homes (Ages 13–18)

WORKING PATTERN: Part-time senior leadership role (flexible hours, on-call as required)

REPORTS TO: Registered Provider / Board of Directors – Willboag Ltd

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB PURPOSE

The Registered Manager is responsible for managing and overseeing the daily operations of the service, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, person-centred care to service users across children and adult settings. The role demands compliance with all relevant legislation, statutory guidance, and CQC requirements, with a strong focus on safeguarding, inclusion, health and safety, and quality improvement.

The Registered Manager will be accountable for safeguarding, staff performance, service development, digital system usage, and continuous improvement. They will act as a Designated Safeguarding Lead, support business growth, and actively promote Willboag’s values and care ethos within the team and wider environment.

JOB PURPOSE

The Responsible Individual (RI) is accountable for ensuring that Willboag Ltd meets all statutory, regulatory, and safeguarding responsibilities in relation to its Children’s Homes provision for children and young people aged 13–18.

The RI will provide strategic leadership, governance oversight, and professional challenge, ensuring that each children’s home operates in full compliance with the Children’s Homes Regulations 2015, the Quality Standards, and relevant statutory guidance.

The post holder will ensure that children experience safe, nurturing, and high-quality care, and that leadership arrangements across the homes are effective, robust, and sustainable. The RI will also ensure appropriate governance and separation across the wider Willboag group, including care, transport, and property functions.

 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Regulatory Governance & Compliance

• Act as the designated Responsible Individual in accordance with Regulation 26 of the Children’s Homes Regulations 2015
• Ensure both Children’s Homes operate in compliance with:
  • Children’s Homes Regulations 2015
  • Quality Standards
  • Working Together to Safeguard Children
  • Relevant safeguarding, equality, and health & safety legislation
• Ensure statutory notifications to Ofsted are submitted promptly and accurately
• Ensure all policies, procedures, and governance systems are implemented, reviewed, and embedded in practice

 

Oversight of Children’s Homes Provision

• Provide strategic oversight across two Ofsted-registered Children’s Homes, including one 6-bed home
• Line-manage and supervise:
  • Registered Manager – Children’s Home 1
  • Registered Manager – Children’s Home 2
• Monitor the effectiveness of leadership, safeguarding, and care practice in each home
• Ensure appropriate management cover, escalation, and contingency arrangements are in place

 

Leadership, Supervision & Accountability

• Provide regular, formal supervision to each Registered Manager
• Hold Registered Managers accountable for:
  • Compliance with regulations and quality standards
  • Quality of care and experiences of children aged 13–18
  • Staffing, recruitment, induction, training, and supervision
  • Effective safeguarding practice and risk management
• Provide challenge, guidance, and professional support to drive service improvement

 

Safeguarding & Child Protection

• Maintain strategic oversight of safeguarding arrangements across both homes
• Ensure robust and timely responses to:
  • Safeguarding and child protection concerns
  • Allegations against staff or managers
  • Missing-from-care episodes, exploitation risks, and serious incidents
• Ensure effective liaison with:
  • Local Authority children’s services
  • LADO
  • Police and safeguarding partners
• Ensure learning from safeguarding incidents informs service development and staff practice

 

Quality Assurance & Regulation 44 Oversight

• Ensure effective quality monitoring and assurance systems are in place
• Oversee:
  • Regulation 44 independent visits and reports for each home
  • Action plans arising from Regulation 44 findings
• Undertake regular Responsible Individual monitoring visits to each home
• Review:
  • Incident and safeguarding data
  • Complaints and representations
  • Children’s views and lived experiences
  • Placement stability and outcomes
• Ensure actions from audits, monitoring, and inspections are implemented and reviewed

 

Workforce & Safer Recruitment

• Ensure safer recruitment practices are followed in line with Willboag policies and regulatory requirements
• Oversee DBS compliance and fitness checks for all staff
• Ensure staff receive appropriate:
  • Induction
  • Mandatory and specialist training
  • Supervision and appraisal
• Promote a culture of professionalism, accountability, and safeguarding awareness

 

Group Governance & Property Oversight

• Ensure clear governance and accountability across the Willboag group, including:
  • Separation between CQC-regulated services and Children’s Homes provision
  • Safe, risk-assessed use of Willboag Logistics Ltd for transport services
  • Safe, suitable, and well-maintained accommodation managed by Willboag Estates Ltd
• Ensure property standards support children’s safety, privacy, and wellbeing
• Identify, manage, and mitigate potential conflicts of interest

 

Ofsted & External Engagement

• Act as the strategic point of contact with Ofsted
• Support registration, inspection, and regulatory engagement
• Ensure inspection outcomes, requirements, and recommendations are addressed promptly
• Promote a culture of openness, accountability, and continuous improvement

 

ADDITIONAL DUTIES

• Be available on-call for serious incidents and safeguarding matters
• Attend supervision and engage in continuing professional development
• Contribute to the strategic planning, development, and growth of Willboag’s Children’s Homes provision
• Work flexibly to meet the needs of the service
• Undertake any other reasonable duties commensurate with the role

PERSON SPECIFICATION

The person specification is a picture of skills, knowledge and experience required to carry out the job.  It has been used to draw up the advert and will also be used in the shortlisting and interview process for this post. You should demonstrate on your application form how you meet the following essential criteria

Service type: Children’s Homes (Ages 13–18)				Section: Children Service
Job title: Responsible Individual
EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE
E1			Relevant senior qualification in Health & Social Care, Children’s Services, or equivalent		A/I
E2			Significant senior leadership experience in children’s social care or regulated services		A/I
D1			Previous experience as a Registered Manager or Responsible Individual		A/I
EXERIENCE
E3		Experience providing governance oversight rather than day-to-day operational management			A/I/T
E4		Experience overseeing safeguarding arrangements and managing serious incidents			A/I/T
E5		Experience working within or alongside regulated inspection frameworks (Ofsted and/or CQC)			A/I
D2		Experience overseeing multi-home provision			A/I
E6		Strong working knowledge of: Children’s Homes Regulations 2015 Quality Standards Safeguarding legislation			A/I
E7		Understanding of quality assurance, auditing, and regulatory monitoring systems			A/I
D3		Knowledge of governance within complex or group structures			A/I
E8		Strong leadership, communication, and decision-making skills			A/I
KNOWLEDGE
E9	Ability to challenge, support, and hold senior managers to account					A/I
E10	Ability to analyse risk, incidents, and performance data					A/I
E11	High level of professional integrity and sound judgement					A/I
E12	Commitment to safeguarding, child-centred practice, and continuous improvement					A/I
E13	Ability to work independently and at strategic level					A/I
E= Essential, D= desirable
*Assessed by:     A= Application        I= Interview      T= Test