Project Lead Residential care academy

Job Title:                                  Project Lead
Contract Length:                       3-6 months
Location:                                  West Sussex
Pay rate:                                    £550 per day outside IR35
Working pattern:                      5 days per week, hybrid

The South East Regional Care Cooperative (SE RCC) is launching an ambitious pilot to establish a Residential Care Academy across six local authorities: Surrey, West Sussex, Wokingham, Reading, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, and Portsmouth. This pioneering initiative aims to transform workforce development in children’s residential care, embedding a strong practice model grounded in social pedagogy and improving outcomes for children and young people.

We are seeking a Project Lead Consultant to provide strategic leadership and drive the design, development, and delivery of the pilot phase. Following successful implementation, the Academy will be rolled out across the wider SE RCC region.

CV submission is by 12pm Friday 12th September, with a view to interview and start as soon as possible.

Your duties as the Project Lead:

 As the Project Lead for the South East Residential Care Academy Pilot, you will:

• Lead the design and delivery of the pilot Academy, embedding a practice model grounded in social pedagogy.
• Drive regional workforce development, creating tools, frameworks, and shared approaches to recruitment, progression, and retention.
• Build strategic partnerships across local authorities, health, education, youth justice, and the voluntary sector.
• Establish a community of practice for residential care professionals, fostering collaboration and learning.
• Champion care-experienced voices, ensuring their involvement in shaping and evaluating the Academy.
• Promote residential care as a skilled and professional career pathway.
• Monitor impact and outcomes, embedding evaluation mechanisms to measure success and inform future rollout.

Your experience required as the Project Lead:

We’re seeking a dynamic and experienced consultant with:

• Appropriate professional programme management qualification or equivalent experience operating at a senior level.
• Substantial experience of leading and implementing complex, multifaceted transformation programmes.
• Knowledge and expertise within Children’s Residential care
• Strong influencing and negotiation skills
• Demonstrable skills and experience of working with senior stakeholders and partnership working across different organisations.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to evaluate problems, assess risk and identify/ suggest solutions

• Must hold a valid enhanced DBS or be able to undertake a new one
• Available references for most recent 5 year’s roles

Alternatively, if this role doesn’t match your skill set and you’re proactively looking for a new assignment, please either send an updated version of your CV or contact me on 0117 313 7110 today and I’d be delighted to put you in contact with the most relevant, specialist consultant.

 (We offer a senior referral scheme upon successful placement of your recommendation so please do get in contact)

 Baltimore Consulting Group is an Executive & Senior Appointments Specialist. We provide pivotal recruitment consultancy services to public sector clients across the whole UK marketplace. I personally recruit within the Health and Social Care Market so if this role is not of interest but you would like to discuss other market opportunities, please get in touch.

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