Education Centre Manager

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a passionate and self-motivated Education Centre Manager to manage our Supported Internships Programme in Staffordshire.

This position is full time, 22.5 hours per week, job share, Monday – Friday.

The successful candidate will lead and manage a team to deliver Supported Internships to young people in Staffordshire who have an Education Health and Care Plan. They will ensure that the programme is delivered to the agreed curriculum, frameworks and methodology and ensure they meet internal and external standards for quality and impact. This includes Ofsted and ESFA criteria. The role would suit someone with an educational/teaching background who has experience of managing similar projects.

You’ll be responsible for:

• Overseeing the operational delivery of the programme in line with Ofsted, ESFA, and awarding body requirements.
• Embedding a culture of continuous quality improvement, learner progress, and inclusive practice.
• Creating a safe, supportive and ambitious learning environment for young people with learning disabilities and/or autism.
• Building strong relationships with local authorities, employers, families, and other key stakeholders.
• Monitoring performance against KPIs and outcomes, including learner progression, sustained employment, and quality indicators.
• Ensuring full compliance with funding contracts, safeguarding, and regulatory standards.

What We’re Looking For:

We’re keen to hear from people with:

• Experience managing education, SEND, or supported employment programmes, particularly with young people with EHCPs.
• Strong knowledge of Ofsted’s Education Inspection Framework (EIF), ESFA and awarding body requirements.
• A solid understanding of contract compliance, safeguarding, and working in partnership with families and support services.
• Excellent leadership skills — able to manage performance, motivate teams, and embed inclusive, person-centred approaches.
• Experience in budget management, effective data monitoring, and reporting against quality benchmarks.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build effective partnerships across education, health, and employment sectors.

Please see the Job Description for a more extensive list of responsibilities, experiences and key skills required for this role.

All candidates offered an interview will be asked to provide evidence of GCSE (or equivalent) English and Maths qualifications.

This role will close on Sunday 27th September
and interviews will follow soon after.

Here at Mencap, we offer an impressive range of benefits designed to support and reward our employees to ensure that our teams feel valued and appreciated.

Our benefits package offers 32 days of paid holiday (including bank holidays, pro rata), along with a range of perks such as discounts at leading high-street retailers, access to health cash plans, interest-free loans, and many more exciting offerings.

For more details on what we have to offer, please see the attached document outlining all the fantastic benefits available to you as a member of our team!

Our vision is for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live their lives to the full.

We campaign for a fairer society. We work with families and partners to build inclusive communities. And we deliver the services people need to live their lives.

Everyone works with people with a learning disability either providing support or advice, or alongside one another as colleagues. Belonging at Mencap is for everyone, every day, everywhere.

• Everyone is expected to treat people well and make Mencap an inclusive organisation.
• Every day we grow and learn. It’s okay to make mistakes but we learn from them and make changes.
• Everywhere people will feel respected, valued, and safe to be themselves.

We have Belonging network groups that meet online and are open to all colleagues. The groups include people who identify as Black and Asian, LGBTQIA+, disabled or with a long- term health condition, women, parents and carers, and their allies.

We want to encourage everyone to apply to work at Mencap and we offer a variety of different contract types and working patterns. We’re not looking for specific experience. It is your personality and values that will make you a great colleague. We will train and develop you to succeed in the role you’re applying for.

£24.785 per year (pro-rata) + excellent benefits