Lighthouse Pedagogy Trust is a charity which creates life-changing, education-focused children’s homes, to ensure that children in care have the same opportunities as everyone else. We believe that children growing up in residential care should go on to achieve great things, and lead fulfilling lives. We believe that social pedagogy, a focus on education, people, and place, is the best approach to supporting young people.

In February 2022, we opened our first children's home in Sutton, which can support up to six 12-18 year olds. It is an award-winning building, and sets a new standard for children's homes in the UK. You can read more about the home here, and see a virtual tour of the building here. We are in the process of acquiring a property for our second children's home, and as we continue to grow, we are excited to welcome new team members who are passionate about our mission.

You can read more about how we're having a positive impact in our Annual Report 2021-2022.

The role of Registered Manager is an excellent opportunity to lead on all aspects of service development within our children’s home; continually improving the home, role modelling good practice, and embedding a relationship-based model of care.

Leading a team of 14, this role will set a clear vision to empower practitioners to build strong relationships with young people, ensuring that the children who live in our home are kept safe, have the tools to help them thrive, and are supported in their plans for their futures.

This role will also lead on engagement with local partner agencies and commissioners, with excellent opportunities to grow and develop your network across the local children’s social care sector. There will also be opportunities to use your knowledge and experience to support our growth, as we look to open new homes (we’re currently developing plans for our 2nd and 3rd homes).

Please click here to view the full Job Description.

We are looking for applicants who can demonstrate the following skills and experience: 

• Recent experience as a Registered Manager or experienced Deputy Manager in a Children's Home.
• A confident leader, with the ability to line manage staff in a way that brings out the very best in them.
• Experience in leading teams, and role modelling good practice, that results in consistently high-quality, relationship-centred care.
• Confident in making difficult decisions, assessing and managing risk, and navigating the complex and always-changing residential care environment.
• Experience of working effectively with young people, with a range of social, emotional, and behavioural difficulties.
• Level 5 in Leadership and Management (this is desirable. If you don't have this currently, we can support you to achieve).
• Practice in our home is based on social pedagogy, so previous experience of working in a home with a relationship-based model of care would be beneficial, but isn't essential.

Salary: Up to £70,000 per annum
Hours of work: Full time, 40 hours per week
Contract: Maternity cover, until 30.06.2025

*This role is a fixed-term maternity cover contract, lasting for one year. However, there is a strong likelihood of there being an opportunity to transition into a permanent role, as we plan to open new homes in 2025, and would welcome applications from candidates who are interested in transitioning into a permanent role.

Application Process

Please upload your CV and submit a cover letter in the 'Message to Hiring Manager' box that outlines: 

• Why you are interested in working for Lighthouse Pedagogy Trust.
• How you meet the requirements in the person specification.

Want to speak to us to find out more? We are keen to have an informal chat with anyone interested in applying or wanting to learn more about the role. You can book a 15-minute call with the team by clicking this link, to set a time that works for you, or email [email protected].

*Interviews will be held on a rolling basis and we may appoint before the closing date for applications, so candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. We will not be able to consider any applications that only provide a CV.

Safer Recruitment 

At Lighthouse Pedagogy Trust, we safeguard all children and young people in our care. As part of our recruitment process, we conduct rigorous checks and vetting of all applicants, in line with legal and regulatory requirements and best practices. 

Everyone who works in our homes will be responsible for safeguarding young people and putting their safety and wellbeing first.

This role is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (police records) check, including overseas police checks where necessary. Please note that this post is exempt from the limitations of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, and as such, all previous cautions and convictions will need to be disclosed as part of any application.

For further information about the process, please go to: https://www.gov.uk/dbs-check-applicant-criminal-record 

See the benefits of working for Catch22 here.

Unless otherwise stated, interviews will be arranged as suitable candidates are identified, so early application is strongly advised.

At Catch22 we value equality, diversity and inclusion. We are wholeheartedly committed to the principle of equality of opportunity, both as an employer and as a provider of services. Diversity and Inclusion is part of what we do every day, working to deliver our vision to build a strong society where everyone has good people around them, a purpose, and a good place to live.

Catch22 is committed to rigorous safeguarding and safer recruitment practices; ensuring that every individual within the organisation has been safely and appropriately checked.