Children's Home Registered Manager

Lighthouse Pedagogy Trust is a charity creating children’s homes where children can thrive. We believe every child deserves the chance to achieve great things and lead fulfilling lives.

Our first home opened in Sutton in February 2022, supporting up to six children aged 11–18 with emotional and behavioural needs. We are currently renovating a second property in Banstead (SM7), a 5-bed children’s home due to open in autumn 2026.

Our first children's home is an award-winning building that has set a new standard for UK children's homes. You can learn more about the home and even take a virtual tour on our website.

Key details:

• Location: Banstead, SM7 (South London - London Borough of Sutton, close to Surrey) 
• Start date: Ideally late Spring/early Summer 2026 to be part of registration and set up of the home, with a plan to open the home later in 2026. Start date is flexible depending on candidates' availability.
• Salary: £55-60k 
• Experience required: Registered Manager or Deputy Manager looking to step up to RM role
• Contract: Permanent, 40 hours, Monday-Friday 9-5 (with flexibility as needed)

What this role offers:

• Opportunity to set up a new home, recruit your team and shape it from the very beginning.
• Backing from an experienced and supportive leadership team and RI
• £55-60k salary, plus competitive benefits, including:
  • Starting holiday allowance of 36 days (inclusive of bank holidays), increasing to 38 days at 2 years and 41 days at 5 years
  • 4% employer pension contributions and life insurance
  • Enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption pay
  • Employee assistance programme, discounted shopping, cycle-to-work scheme and lots more benefits

Why work for LPT?

• We have an annual staff retention rate of 94%. This is significantly above the sector average, reflecting our commitment to employee wellbeing, development and job satisfaction.
• LPT is a charity, so any surplus revenue generated is reinvested into improving experiences and outcomes for children in care
• Our first children’s home has been running for 4 years, and consistently achieving Good Ofsted grading
• We are a values-driven organisation grounded in Social Pedagogy, prioritising relationships, empowerment, and wellbeing
• LPT has partnered with Kingston University to develop a Level 6 Diploma in Residential care, and offers fully funded places on the course for our team – Read more about it in this article
• We have won several awards for the therapeutically informed and high-quality design of our home, including the Innovation in Care Award at the National Children’s Homes Awards and the Stephen Lawrence Prize 

As the Registered Manager of our new 5-bed home, you’ll have the unique opportunity to shape it from the very beginning. Opening in Autumn 2026, the home will provide a safe, nurturing environment for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, helping them thrive.

• Open and lead a brand-new home from the start – Be the driving force behind our new 5-bed home, benefitting from LPT’s established systems and processes while having the freedom to innovate and give your home its own identity.
• Create a nurturing and safe home for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, helping them thrive.
• Lead with purpose – Recruit, inspire, develop and lead a passionate team, setting high standards and ensuring every child receives exceptional care.
• Champion a holistic approach – Our approach is grounded in evidence and underpinned by Social Pedagogy, a holistic, strengths-based model that prioritises relationships, empowerment, learning, and wellbeing. While you don’t need to be an expert in Social Pedagogy, you must be open to learning and leading with this ethos.
• Drive service development – Trial new ways of working, collaborate with partner agencies, and influence best practice across the residential childcare sector.
• Enjoy strong support – Access guidance from an experienced Quality Assurance Manager, a nearby leadership team, and a deeply committed Responsible Individual.
• Be part of something bigger – Your leadership will be pivotal in shaping best practice, not just within our home, but across the wider sector, helping influence improvements in children’s social care.

Click here to view the full job description and person specification.

The ideal candidate will be:

• Experienced working in a children's residential setting as a Registered Manager, or as a Deputy Manager looking to progress into a Registered Manager role.
• A resilient, hands-on leader with a clear vision for delivering exceptional, relationship-centred care and creating an inclusive, ambitious culture.
• Strong decision-making and risk management skills, with the ability to navigate residential care confidently and drive high-quality performance.
• A passionate advocate for children, experienced in supporting diverse social, emotional, and behavioural needs, and committed to building empowering relationships.
• Knowledgeable in Ofsted regulations, safeguarding, and children’s residential care standards.
• Hold a Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare (or equivalent) and either have, or be working towards/committed to achieving the Level 5 Leadership and Management qualification (or equivalent)

Click here to view the full job description and person specification.

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.

Interviews will be arranged as suitable candidates are identified, so early application is strongly advised.

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.

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.

We aim to review applications as quickly as possible. However, due to the volume of interest we receive, we may not be able to contact all applicants individually. If you have not heard from us within two weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has not been successful this time.

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.

Please note, we will conduct an online search as part of our due dilligence checks for successful candidate(s). This will involve a search of all publicly available information online and in social media. 

Catch22’s Commitment to Ban the Box

Catch22 is proud to have “Banned the Box”. This means that we do not ask for candidates to disclose criminal convictions at the application stage. Instead, we invite disclosures at interview stage, and encourage them at the offer stage. Please see our statement of commitment on hiring people with convictions for more information.