Turnaround Manager

Location: Wednesbury

About The Company
Turnaround Manager – Children’s Residential Home (OFSTED)

Location:

West Midlands
Basis: 6 month Fixed-term contract
Salary:
Negotiable
Are you an experienced children’s residential leader who thrives in challenge and change?
We are seeking a Turnaround Manager to take decisive leadership of a children’s residential home requiring stabilisation, improvement, and strong safeguarding oversight. This is a pivotal role for a confident, resilient professional who can quickly establish operational grip, drive regulatory compliance, and embed high-quality, child-centred practice.
You will be trusted with significant responsibility and autonomy to lead improvement at pace, while maintaining a trauma-informed, therapeutic approach that places children’s safety, welfare, and voice at the heart of everything you do.

About

The Role
About the Role
As Turnaround Manager, you will:
Act as the senior safeguarding lead, ensuring children and young people are safe, protected, and supported at all times
Take immediate responsibility for addressing regulatory shortfalls, inspection outcomes, and improvement plans
Provide strong, visible operational leadership, stabilising staffing, rotas, supervision, and day-to-day decision-making
Lead, motivate, and challenge staff through change, setting clear expectations and professional standards
Embed robust quality assurance, governance, and recording systems
Work confidently with Ofsted, placing authorities, social workers, and partner agencies
Ensure improvements are sustainable, with clear succession planning and a structured handover

This role reports to the Responsible Individual / Interim Children’s Lead / Head of Children’s Services.

What We’re Looking For
Essential

Significant experience leading or managing children’s residential homes
Proven experience of turnaround, improvement, or post-inspection recovery in regulated services
Strong working knowledge of Children’s Homes Regulations, Quality Standards, and Ofsted frameworks
Demonstrable safeguarding expertise and confident decision-making under pressure
Ability to lead teams through change, challenge poor practice, and drive accountability
Excellent communication, report-writing, and stakeholder engagement skills
Resilient, decisive, and able to work at pace in complex environments
Experience using PACE and therapeutic parenting modelsDesirable

Registered Manager status or eligibility to register
Experience supporting homes rated Requires Improvement or Inadequate
Experience working with complex needs, trauma, SEMH, or high-risk behaviours
Level 5 Leadership and Management (or equivalent)

Key Attributes

Strong moral compass and unwavering child-focused values
Calm, authoritative, and credible leadership style
Highly organised with strong attention to detail
Solution-focused, outcomes-driven, and emotionally intelligent

Why Join Us?

Opportunity to make a real, immediate impact on children’s lives
Trusted leadership role with delegated operational authority
Supportive senior leadership and clear governance
Chance to leave a lasting legacy of sustainable improvement

Safeguarding Commitment
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All appointments are subject to safer recruitment checks, including enhanced DBS clearance