Deputy Manager

Deputy Manager

Job reference: 005391

Salary: £35,683.57

Closing date: 01/09/2026

Location: Leighton Buzzard

Job Description

Deputy Manager - Hillside Children's Home

Location: Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire

Salary: £35,683.57 per annum + benefits

Hours: 38 hours per week (flexible shift pattern, including some evenings, weekends, and on-call duties)

Contract: Full-time, Permanent

Make a lasting difference where it matters most.

At MacIntyre, we believe every child and young person deserves a childhood filled with joy, stability, and real opportunity.

We are looking for a dedicated, compassionate, and experienced Deputy Manager to join our team at Hillside Children’s Home in Leighton Buzzard. Rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted, Hillside provides a warm, home-from-home environment for young people aged 10 to 19 with moderate to severe learning disabilities, autism, and complex needs.

As Deputy Manager, you won’t just be keeping things running, you will be helping to shape a safe, welcoming environment where young people are supported to live a life that makes sense to them. You’ll be part of a team trained in our unique DNA -focusing on person-centred care, warmth, and meaningful connections- to ensure every young person thrives.

What you’ll be doing

Working closely with the Registered Manager, you will play a central role in the daily life and leadership of the home. You will step up in their absence, lead by example, and support a passionate team of Team Leaders and Support Workers.

Your day-to-day will involve:

• Leading with purpose:Line managing and supporting team members, creating an environment focused on high-quality care, reflection, and learning.
• Prioritising safety:Acting at Designated Safeguarding Officer level, ensuring every child’s safety, emotional wellbeing, and health needs are met immediately and effectively.
• Driving high standards:Helping to maintain compliance with the Children’s Homes Regulations 2015 and gathering high-quality evidence across Ofsted’s Quality Standards.
• Collaborating across sectors:Working alongside families, local authorities, clinical teams, and MacIntyre’s therapy and education teams to deliver a joined-up 24-hour curriculum.
• Managing resources:Assisting with household finances, ensuring records are meticulous, and taking responsibility for keeping the home environment comfortable, homely, and personalised.

Why join MacIntyre?

When you join MacIntyre, you join a supportive, values-driven community that invests heavily in its people. We don't view Deputy Manager as a destination, it’s a genuine step up with a clear path forward.

• Real Career Progression:We actively encourage progression. With our fully funded qualifications, structured training, and leadership development, we will help prepare you for future Registered Manager roles or wider specialist positions across the organisation.
• Support & Wellbeing:You will be backed by a strong central support network, including dedicated HR, Health & Safety, and clinical therapy teams.

"Our vision is for all people with a learning disability to live a life that makes sense to them. We achieve this by celebrating each person's unique gifts, talents, and contributions."

#IND

About You

You are someone who genuinely cares about making a positive impact on young lives. You bring solid experience from a children's residential setting, a strong working knowledge of autism and learning disabilities, and the confidence to lead others through both quiet routines and challenging moments.

To be successful in this role, you will need:

• Qualifications:ALevel 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare(essential) and a willingness to work towards your Level 5 Diploma in Leadership & Management (Residential Childcare), which we will fully fund and support.
• Experience:At least2 years’ experienceworking in a children’s residential home.
• Skills:Strong communication, organisation, and IT skills, with experience designing bespoke support strategies and working alongside families and external agencies.
• Driving:A full UK driving licence with access to a vehicle for business use.
• Flexibility:The capability to work flexible hours (38 hours per week across shifts, including some evenings and weekends) and participate in an on-call rota to support our children’s homes.

Welcome to our Wingrave community

We have four modern houses within our school campus, situated right next to the heart of the village of Wingrave. Each house is a real home, accommodating up to five young people in their own bedrooms, which are decorated and equipped to match their individual tastes.

Because our homes are registered in pairs, you will work across two houses, supporting up to ten young people in total. You will never be doing this alone; you will be backed by a large, collaborative staff team and experienced home managers who are there to guide and support you every step of the way.

We celebrate the successes and personal gifts of each child, and we want our team to be truly aspirational for the young people we support. When faced with new challenges, we work together to ensure our homes remain a positive, deeply supportive, and rewarding place to come to work.

Your Career Progression & Benefits:

Wherever you're starting from, we'll help you succeed.

You'll receive a full induction, a mix of online and face-to-face training, and mentoring from experienced colleagues while you learn the role.

As your career develops, you'll have access to ongoing learning, professional qualifications where relevant, and opportunities to progress, all fully supported by MacIntyre.

Pay and benefits

Alongside your salary, you'll enjoy a range of benefits including:

• 6 weeks' annual leave per year including public holidays
• Pension scheme
• Paid DBS check
• Health and wellbeing support, including an Employee Assistance Programme
• Shopping discounts through Blue Light Card and our staff discounts scheme
• Ongoing training and career development

See the full range of benefits on the Careers page of our website.

How to apply

Click Apply to complete a short application and upload your CV.

We may close this vacancy early if we receive enough applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Please note: we do not offer Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. You must already have the right to work in the UK.

Safer recruitment

We are committed to safeguarding the children, young people and adults we support. If we offer you a job, we’ll work with you to complete the appropriate pre-employment checks.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we work in.

If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, we're happy to help, call us on 01908 357016. Our recruitment website also includes accessibility tools such as translation, Open Dyslexic font and display options.