Regional Director

Regional Director – Children’s Residential

Learning Disabilities and Autism

North-West – Home based with Travel

Salary - Negotiable + Bonus scheme

At Bright Futures, we champion the potential of every person with autism and a learning disability, believing wholeheartedly in their ability to thrive and lead the most fulfilling lives. We’re looking for an experienced and values-led Regional Director to join our team and support our Children’s residential homes.

We are a specialist provider of residential care and education for children, young people and adults with autism, learning disabilities and complex needs. Our aim is simple: to create the right environments, support and opportunities for people to thrive, develop their independence and live the life they choose.

About the Role
The Regional Director (Children’s) will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight of the children’s homes within their allocated portfolio, ensuring children receive safe, individualised care that promotes their wellbeing, rights, experiences and progress.

Reporting to the Operations Director, the post holder directly line manages Children’s Registered Managers and will hold the post of responsible individual with Ofsted. This role will. This role will lead a culture of high standards in care quality, safeguarding, workforce development and financial sustainability.

They will work with senior colleagues to translate Bright Futures’ strategy into clear plans for children’s services, sustaining high standards of care that meet children’s individual needs and support positive experiences and outcomes.

You will play a pivotal role in championing high standards of care, developing the workforce and supporting positive experiences and outcomes for children living in our homes. As the Responsible Individual for the children’s homes you will ensure strong governance and oversight, regulatory compliance and a consistent focus on children’s individual needs.

This role is ideal for someone who combines strong commercial awareness with a genuine commitment to improving the lives of children and young people.

Key Responsibilities

* Champion children’s wishes, feelings and communication needs in care and home development, ensuring accessible advocacy and complaints processes.

* Oversee referrals, matching and admissions against assessed needs, statements of purpose, registration conditions and existing children’s needs, ensuring staffing, training and environments are ready.

* Line manage Registered Managers and allocated direct reports through clear expectations, coaching, supervision and constructive challenge, fostering accountability, compassion and excellence.

* Shape children’s services strategy within the Operational Leadership Team, delivering clear plans and KPIs with named owners, realistic timescales and measurable outcomes.

* Use evidence on children’s experiences, care quality, workforce stability, compliance and finances to review progress and improve safeguarding and children’s outcomes.

* Act as Responsible Individual for the children’s homes ensuring regulatory compliance and leading responses to Ofsted inspections, regulatory actions and service improvement plans.

* Oversee finances, occupancy, contracts and workforce planning, including recruitment, retention, absence, agency use and succession; escalate gaps between commissioned support, assessed needs and resources.

* Build strong relationships with local authorities, families, regulators and partner agencies

About You
Significant senior management experience within children's residential care
experience supporting or overseeing multiple services.

Strong knowledge of:

* Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015

* Quality Standards

* Safeguarding frameworks

* Ofsted inspection framework

* Level 5 qualification (or higher) in Leadership & Management or Residential Childcare

* Experience supporting children with learning disabilities, autism and complex needs

* Leadership, coaching and people management skills

* Experience driving quality improvement and achieving positive inspection outcomes

* Strong analytical, strategic and financial management capabilities

* Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills

Desirable

* Previous experience as a Responsible Individual

* Experience developing new services and supporting registrations

* Experience leading improvement programmes following regulatory concerns

Why Join Bright Futures?

At Bright Futures, we make a real difference in the lives of young people and adults with autism, special educational and complex needs. Through our dedicated and expert team, we deliver outstanding care and education.

Our team are here because they are passionate about improving the lives of the individuals we support. Our employees are the key to the exceptional quality of care and education that we provide. It’s why we invest in our people, fostering their personal and professional growth to ensure they can excel and develop in their journey with us.

We can’t promise that it will always be easy, but we can promise here at Bright Futures it will be worthwhile. You’ll be making a difference to the lives of the people we support, celebrating their achievements, and providing unwavering support during challenging times. The feedback from our people is that the good days will always outshine; especially with the backing and support of the whole team.

No matter your role, everything we do is focused around our unwavering commitment to the people we support. Our aim is that every individual we support thrives and socially develops as active members of their local community.

Benefits

30 days holiday plus bank holidays with increased holidays based on service
Simply Health Cashback - Save money at the Dentist, on prescriptions, eyecare, physio and wellbeing
Private Medical Insurance
Electric Vehicle car scheme
Meals at work – Food for meal provided wherever you work!
Life Assurance x 2 annual salary
Referral Rewards – We use Care friends where you can earn points and get up to £2,000 for referring friends and family
Discounts – Access to Blue Light Card discounts
Salary sacrifice schemes - Top up your pension through our Bright Futures Salary Exchange pension scheme.
Cycle to Work Scheme
Wellbeing Support – Employee Assistance program
Training and Development
Only candidates based in UK and eligible to work in UK are allowed