• Suffolk County Council
• Address: Beccles Children’s Home, Onsite working
• Salary: £40,777 – £47,054 per annum (pro rata for part time), Plus Residential Enhancement Allowance
• Hours: 37 hours per week, Flexible working options available
• Contract: Permanent

Please note that in addition to your salary you will receive payment for any on call duties performed as management cover.

We’re passionate about improving the future for our customers, our communities and the environment. If you are too, join us as a Deputy Manager and make a huge and meaningful impact. Your innovation and drive will help us to continue improving and evolving. Our opportunities and support will enable you to make a difference and leave a positive, lasting legacy.

Reimagine the possibilities.

Your role and responsibilities

We are seeking an individual with the ability to support the manager in driving through changes to improve outcomes for children and lead in the managers absence. You will promote good practice and have an influence on developing a clear vision for the home. You will have the ability, creativity and commitment to deliver a high-quality care service for some of the most vulnerable children in our community.

In this role where no two days are the same, you will lead a team of residential childcare workers whilst maintaining all your management duties and responsibilities within the home. You will be part an on-call system for evenings and weekends. In addition, you will understand how to encourage and support children and young people to make positive changes and fulfil their potential as well as motivate a team.

You will:

• Bring your personality, skills, and experience to help our children and young people develop, grow and have fulfilling lives
• Be keen to take forward key priorities for the home as part of the management team, working closely with staff as a role model

You will need:

• experience working with children in a residential setting within the last 5 years
• to demonstrate a good knowledge of the Children Act, Quality Standards, and the Children’s Homes regulations.
• experience of being a role model when working with children or young adults
• the ability to work as part of Management team
• good communication skills and a strong team ethos
• a commitment to training and development
• to hold a UK driving licence
• to be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people
• to be self-motivated and to be able to work without constant supervision
• to have experience of solution focused approaches in practice
• to hold a suitable practitioner level qualification at Level 5 or equivalent experience in a relevant area or be committed to achieve this qualification within 2 years of employment.

Our residential homes are open 365 days a year and you will need the ability to work flexibly (shift work and weekend working are a core part of the role, including bank holidays)

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (Word). If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don’t meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

The team

The children’s homes service provides good quality accommodation for the looked after children of Suffolk. The staff teams within each home provide care and support to the children building positive relationships, resilience and identifying what is necessary to achieve the best possible outcomes for their future lives

Empowering Everyone

We’re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We’re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.

For more information

For an informal discussion about this role, please contact Beth Fletcher, Deputy Residential Service Manager by calling 07732603793.

You will be required to attend a Warner Interview for this position as part of the recruitment process.

How to apply

Step 1 – Read the Job and Person Profile (Word).

Step 2 – Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application.

Step 3 – Upload a supporting statement indicating how you meet each of the criteria in the ‘Person Profile’ section of the JPP.

• You should use the Supporting Statement template (Word).
• Please use Arial font size 11 and keep your statement to a maximum of two sides of A4.

For guidance on completing your application, please see our How to Apply page.

We value authentic applications that showcase your genuine skills and experiences, so we encourage you to present your own work and ideas throughout the process. You can also read our Using AI in Your Application and Interview guidance to understand acceptable and unacceptable use of AI. If AI is used inappropriately, your application may not be progressed.

Do you need any reasonable adjustments to help you to apply? If you are disabled and/or have additional support needs, you can request reasonable adjustments. You can do this by contacting our Recruitment Team at recruitment@suffolk.gov.uk or 03456 014412. You can find examples of possible adjustments on our Reasonable Adjustment pages. If you’re invited to the next stage, you’ll have another chance to request adjustments.

Closing date: 11.30 pm, 6 April 2026.

Promoted as FJ (Featured Job) via Enhanced package on Suffolk Jobs Direct.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.

This role will be worked on-site from a fixed base. The job details above list the location. If you want to discuss how that might affect your work, please talk to the contact in the advert. #LI-Onsite

As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We’re driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.

In return, you’ll enjoy:

• up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
• membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
• performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase
• training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
• a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
• diverse and active staff networks
• flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day

Plus lots more!

If you want to know more about our benefits, values and equality commitments please visit our Suffolk County Council careers website (careers.Suffolk.gov.uk).