Children's Residential Deputy Manager

This full-time, permanent role has a starting salary of £42,958 per annum based on a 36 hour working week.

Are you committed to providing a caring and safe home environment for children and young people?

Are you a champion for creating the right conditions in which children and young people can thrive and seize opportunities?

If so, we'd love you to consider joining us as a Deputy Manager at our residential home located in Walton-on-Thames.

Our Offer to You

• 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service 
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave 
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave 
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources 
• Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping 
• A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents Relocation bonus of up to £8,000
• Refer a friend payment of £750 as a thank you for finding the right residential worker

In return for your expertise, commitment and experience we will support your ongoing learning and development through a culture of high support and high challenge. We offer market leading training opportunities and, with a developing and expanding residential service, there will be lots of opportunities to progress in your career.

About The Role

When a young person joins us at our home in Walton which supports children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties, they're not just looking for support- they're looking for stability, encouragement and someone who believes in their potential. As a Deputy Manager you will help to guide and support the team of Residential Support Workers and Senior Practitioners who work directly with our children and young people on a daily basis.

As a Deputy you will be the heart and soul of our home, working alongside the Home Manager to provide operational leadership and make sure everything runs smoothly with the day to day management of the home and any linked services. You'll also support the growth and development of our children and young people by:

• Ensuring they are listened to
• Ensuring they feel safe and cared for
• Providing them with opportunities to take part in games, activities and days out
• Promoting self-belief and creating the conditions to achieve endless possibilities

As a senior member of the team, we are looking for someone who is caring and passionate about our children and young people achieving their potential and this includes staff too! You'll supervise and support staff to deliver services that meet the needs of our children and young people whilst injecting fun, energy and adventure into how things are done. Work will include managing complexity, risk or vulnerability, which means you will need to know the Ofsted inspection framework, the quality standards governing children's homes and be able to evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of work within the home.

Your Application

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours :

• Proven ability to establish and maintain positive relationships with children/young people, their families and professionals involved in their care, and knowledge of the issues that affect them
• Proven experience in supervising, inspiring and leading staff, enabling them to improve practice and outcomes for young people
• Demonstrable competence in effective assessment, risk management and strengths-based care planning
• Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare or equivalent
• GCSEs in Maths and English (or equivalent alternative) and good IT skills
• In-depth knowledge of delivering statutory childcare services including at least 2 years' experience relevant to the residential care of children and knowledge of the Children's Homes Regulations 2015 and Quality Standards

Surrey has both urban and rural areas and our residential staff will be expected to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK, access to a vehicle and be willing to travel across the county. Reasonable adjustments where needed will be made for successful applicants who have a disability or long-term health condition to enable them to fulfil the requirements of the job.

An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children's and Adults' Barred List checks will be required for this role.

To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following 4 questions:

1. Please tell us about your motivation for applying for this role
2. Please tell us about your knowledge of the Ofsted Inspection Framework and children's homes quality standards, with an example of where you have you had to apply and adhere to these
3. Please tell us about a time when you have provided effective leadership, what was the situation and the outcome?
4. This role will involve supporting others to work together as a team to improve outcomes for children and young people. Tell us about your experience of having supported and worked as part of a team around a child/ young person

The job advert closes at 23:59 on the 13th September 2026 with interviews to follow.

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description and Our  Life at Surrey handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey. 

Contact Us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. For an informal discussion please contact Sarah Muzzall by e-mail at View email address on surreycc.gov.uk

We are committed to the safe recruitment of staff in our Residential homes across Surrey therefore if you are successful in being offered a role within our service, we will work with you to collect all required checks in line with government guidance. You can find out more about what information you will be asked to provide on the Government Website on Children's Homes .

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents! Please see more information here:  Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council.

Our Commitment

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum shortlisting criteria as displayed on the advert, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we're committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.