Operational Manager - Residential Services

Lead Change. Shape Services. Improve Children's Lives.

Cardiff is a vibrant, ambitious and fast-growing capital city, and the first city in the UK to be awarded UNICEF Child Friendly City status. At the heart of this achievement is our commitment to ensuring that children and young people are safe, supported and able to thrive.

As part of our ambitious Accommodation Strategy, we are expanding and strengthening our residential provision to ensure more children and young people can stay close to their communities, families and support networks. We are now looking for an experienced and inspirational Operational Manager to lead our Residential Services and play a pivotal role in delivering our Right Place Model, based on the successful No Wrong Door approach.

About the job

This is an exciting senior leadership opportunity for an experienced manager who is passionate about improving outcomes for children and young people.

As Operational Manager, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across Cardiff's residential services, supporting a team of Registered Managers and Responsible Individuals to deliver safe, high-quality and child-centred care. You will champion trauma-informed and strengths-based approaches, drive continuous improvement, and ensure services meet all regulatory and statutory requirements in Wales.

You will also lead the ongoing development of the Right Place Model, helping to create innovative and effective support pathways that prevent placement breakdown, strengthen family relationships and improve outcomes for children and young people.

Key Responsibilities

You will:

• Provide professional leadership, vision and direction for Cardiff's Residential Services in a child first approach.
• Lead and support Registered Managers to achieve and maintain high standards of care and regulatory compliance.
• Act as Lead Responsible Individual, ensuring services operate in accordance with the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 and associated regulations.
• Drive service improvement, innovation and quality assurance across residential provision.
• Oversee the implementation of trauma-informed and strengths-based practice.
• Lead the development and delivery of the Right Place Model.
• Ensure effective performance, financial and resource management across services.
• Build strong partnerships with children, families, regulators, social care professionals and external agencies.
• Promote a positive culture of learning, development, accountability and excellence.

What We Are Looking For From You

We are looking for an exceptional leader with substantial experience of working with children who are looked after and a proven track record of delivering service improvement within children's social care.

You will have:

• Registration with Social Care Wales as a Social Care Worker/Manager.
• Significant leadership and management experience within children's services.
• Extensive knowledge of legislation, regulation and best practice relating to residential childcare services in Wales.
• Experience of leading change, improvement programmes and service transformation.
• Strong understanding of the role and responsibilities of the Responsible Individual.
• Experience of partnership working across agencies and professional networks.
• Excellent leadership, communication, relationship-building and problem-solving skills.
• Experience of performance management, workforce development and budget management.
• A commitment to trauma-informed, strengths-based and child-centred practice.

What We Offer

This is a unique opportunity to influence the future of residential care in Cardiff and make a lasting difference to the lives of children and young people.

In return, we offer:

• The opportunity to lead and shape innovative residential services.
• A supportive and collaborative senior leadership environment.
• Flexible and agile working arrangements, combining home working with regular visits to services and County Hall.
• Ongoing professional development and learning opportunities.
• The chance to be part of one of the UK's leading child-focused local authorities.

Some evening and weekend working will be required, and the post forms part of the senior management on-call rota.

Join Us

Help us ensure that every child in Cardiff has the right support, in the right place, at the right time.

This post has a requirement for registration with Social Care Wales .

This post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced check.

Safeguarding and Child Protection are key priorities for the Council. We aim to support children and vulnerable adults to ensure they are as safe as they can possibly be. Our services and schools are committed to ensuring the safety and protection of all children and vulnerable adults, and will take action to safeguard their well-being, and acknowledge that children and vulnerable adults have a right to protection. This is supported in the general ethos of the Council and all schools.

This vacancy is suitable for post share.

We welcome applications in both English and Welsh. Applications received in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than English applications.

We understand you might use AI and other resources for your application; however, please ensure all information you provide is factually accurate, truthful, original and does not include ideas or work that is not your own.

Job Category Social Services - Childrens

Working Pattern/Contract Type Full Time Permanent

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