Compass Community

About The Role

Are you a Life Changer? Do you want to lean in and transform the life of a child?

Compass Community puts children first through our therapeutic, innovative approach.Integrity, Courage and Care shape how we work. We listen deeply, challenge each other and fixing what needs fixing, together.

This is the work. And we’d like you to be part of it.

ROLE PURPOSE

As Compass Community continues its ambitious phase of growth and national influence, the Assistant Director plays a pivotal role in providing senior operational and strategic leadership across a portfolio of children’s homes. This role will be covering the South region.

The role supports delivery of the Residential strategy through strong operational oversight, leadership development and performance management, ensuring homes deliver safe, nurturing and aspirational care for children and young people.

Working closely with Regional Operations Managers and Registered Managers, the Assistant Director will lead performance across occupancy, budgets, safeguarding, quality, compliance, workforce stability and Ofsted outcomes. The role is also central to supporting operational growth and service development, ensuring homes are sustainable, financially viable and able to meet the needs of children effectively.

The Assistant Director ensures children and young people remain at the centre of all operational decision-making and will act up in the absence of the Managing Director where required.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Provide operational oversight across multiple regions and homes.

• Line manage and develop Regional Operations Managers.
• Support the development and succession planning of Registered Managers.

Lead operational performance against key KPIs including occupancy, staffing, safeguarding, recruitment and retention, budget performance, placement stability and Ofsted outcomes.

• Maintain strong operational oversight across quality and compliance, safeguarding concerns, financial performance, risk management and staffing challenges.
• Ensure homes operate within agreed staffing and financial budgets.
• Drive occupancy and growth performance across services.
• Support and oversee placement matching and strategic occupancy planning.
• Lead operational responses to Ofsted inspections, enforcement activity and improvement plans.
• Ensure robust safeguarding oversight and escalation processes are in place.

Oversee serious incidents, investigations and disciplinary matters.

• Chair operational and performance meetings.
• Lead strategic improvement activity where homes require additional support.
• Support mobilisation of new homes and growth opportunities.

Work collaboratively with Quality & Safeguarding, Therapeutic Services, Home Finding and People teams.

• Produce operational reports and updates for senior leadership and board-level meetings.
• Participate in on-call arrangements and provide senior operational support where required.
• Build positive relationships with commissioners, Local Authorities and external stakeholders.
• Support organisational change and transformation activity.

Lead or contribute to strategic projects.

• Deliver presentations, training and operational briefings.
• Provide senior operational support during critical incidents.
• Operate as a member of the Compass Senior Leadership Team working across the enterprise to build strategy, culture and delivery our operational objectives.

CANDIDATE PROFILE Qualifications

• Level 5 qualification in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare.
• Experience as a Responsible Individual responsible for multiple homes desirable.
• Commercial and strategic leadership experience within children’s services desirable.

Experience

• Significant senior leadership experience within Children’s Residential Services.
• Proven experience overseeing multiple children’s homes.
• Strong knowledge of Children’s Homes Regulations, SCCIF framework, safeguarding and quality assurance processes.
• Proven track record of achieving positive Ofsted outcomes.
• Experience of leading operational performance including occupancy, budgets, staffing, quality and safeguarding oversight.
• Experience leading organisational growth and service develop ment.