Responsible Individual (Children's Residential Care

Responsible Individual (Children's Residential Care)

Location:

Derbyshire & West Midlands

Salary: £350 - £500 per day (DOE)

Hours:

Part-time (up to 16 hours per week)

Contract:

Consultancy / Self-Employed preferred (flexible for the right candidate)

Diamond Search Recruitment is proud to be partnering with a well-established and expanding children's residential care provider to recruit an experienced Responsible Individual (RI).

This is a senior, strategic role offering the opportunity to work across two services:

• A well-established home in Derby
• A developing service in Sutton Coldfield progressing through registration

The position is ideally suited to a highly experienced care professional seeking a flexible, high-impact consultancy role where you can drive compliance, quality, and outcomes for children.

As the Responsible Individual, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring that services operate to the highest standards, in full compliance with:

• Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015
• Quality Standards
• Social Care Common Inspection Framework (SCCIF)

You will provide strategic oversight, leadership support, and governance—ensuring that children receive safe, nurturing, and trauma-informed care.

You will also act as the key liaison between the organisation, Registered Managers, and Ofsted.

• Regulatory Compliance & Governance
  • Ensure full compliance with children's home regulations and quality standards
  • Oversee adherence to the Social Care Common Inspection Framework
  • Monitor and ensure timely statutory notifications
  • Support homes through Ofsted inspections and post-inspection action plans
  • Maintain compliant Statements of Purpose and policies
• Leadership & Management Support
  • Provide mentoring, challenge, and professional guidance to Registered Managers
  • Support leadership development and strong team culture
  • Contribute to performance management and service improvement
  • Offer supervision where required
• Safeguarding & Quality Assurance
  • Maintain strong oversight of safeguarding practice across all homes
  • Ensure compliance with safeguarding legislation and local procedures
  • Monitor incidents, complaints, and allegations, ensuring learning is embedded
  • Review Regulation 44 reports and Regulation 45 reviews
  • Conduct quality assurance visits and implement improvement plans
• Operational Oversight
  • Support occupancy planning and placement decisions
  • Monitor budget use and resource allocation
  • Promote child-centred and trauma-informed care
  • Ensure children's voices influence service development
  • Drive continuous improvement through learning and feedback

• Significant experience within children's residential care
• In-depth knowledge of Children's Homes Regulations 2015 and Quality Standards
• Strong understanding of the SCCIF framework
• Proven safeguarding expertise
• Experience in quality assurance and service improvement
  
  Strong leadership, coaching, and mentoring skills

• Previous experience as a Responsible Individual or Registered Manager
• Level 5 Diploma in Leadership & Management (or equivalent)
• Experience overseeing multiple homes
• DSL Level 3 safeguarding qualification
• Experience supporting or supervising Registered Managers

• Competitive day rate (£350-£500 depending on experience)
• Flexible, part-time working (approx. 2 days per week)
• Opportunity to shape and influence high-quality care services
• Work with an ambitious and growth-focused organisation
• Hybrid autonomy with meaningful on-site impact