[Hiring] Head of Care - Education Division @Salutem Careers

Role Description

The Head of Care will provide strategic and operational leadership for all care, residential, therapeutic support, safeguarding, positive behaviour support and student welfare services across Salutem's portfolio of schools and colleges.

As a member of the Education Senior Management Team (SMT), the post holder will lead the development of outstanding care provision which complements and enhances educational outcomes for children and young adults with SEND.

The Head of Care will ensure that care services are safe, compliant, person-centred and outcome focused whilst promoting Salutem's vision of enabling individuals to live healthy, active, meaningful and fulfilling lives.

The role will work closely alongside the Divisional Director of Education, Education senior leadership team, Principals, Headteachers, Quality Team, Safeguarding Leads and Therapeutic Services to deliver an integrated education and care model across all education provisions.

Job Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Service Development
  • Develop and implement a care strategy aligned with organisational and educational priorities.
  • Lead the integration of care and education to ensure cohesive learner pathways, reflecting the model of close liaison between education and residential services.
  • Promote innovation in care delivery, including person-centred approaches and assistive technologies.
  • Contribute to executive decision-making and long-term organisational planning.
  • Extensive travel nationally supporting both pre-school primary, secondary and P19 provisions within the division.
• Quality, Compliance & Clinical Governance
  • Ensure all services meet CQC, Ofsted, and safeguarding standards, always maintaining inspection readiness.
  • Establish robust quality assurance frameworks, including audits, service reviews, and continuous improvement cycles.
  • Oversee the development and audit of person-centred care plans and clinical protocols, ensuring consistency and quality across services.
  • Lead systems that ensure safe practice in areas such as medication, infection control, and delegated healthcare tasks.
  • Provide senior oversight of systems supporting learners with complex health needs, ensuring that staff are appropriately trained, assessed as competent and regularly reviewed.
  • Work with nursing, therapy and external health professionals to ensure that clinical delegation, competency sign-off, escalation pathways and emergency protocols are robust, current and consistently implemented.
  • Lead implementation and optimisation of digital care systems, reporting platforms, and data dashboards.
  • Ensure data integrity and real-time oversight of service performance.
• Safeguarding & Risk Management
  • Provide executive oversight of safeguarding across the organisation, building on the expectation that care leaders hold DSL/DDSL responsibilities.
  • Ensure robust systems for risk assessment, behaviour support, and safe care practices are implemented and monitored.
  • Promote a strong safeguarding culture aligned with statutory guidance and best practice.
• Operational Leadership
  • Provide oversight and direction to service leads across the portfolio.
  • Ensure effective delivery of care services that meet individual learner needs, health requirements, and personal outcomes.
  • Lead on admissions, transition, and compatibility decisions, ensuring accurate assessment of needs and provision capacity.
  • Act as the senior escalation point for complex care issues, families, and external stakeholders.
• Workforce Leadership & Culture
  • Lead the recruitment, development, and retention of a skilled multidisciplinary workforce, including nurses, care staff, and support workers.
  • Ensure effective supervision, appraisal, and competency frameworks, reflecting expectations for ongoing training and practice checks.
  • Drive a culture of accountability, excellence, and continuous professional development.
  • Address underperformance and support staff progression through structured HR processes.
  • Provide oversight of safe staffing models across complex care provision, ensuring that staffing levels, skill mix, training, supervision and deployment are matched to learner need and risk.
• Integration with Education
  • Ensure care provision actively supports learning, communication, and Preparing for Adulthood outcomes.
  • Promote approaches that enable student voice, independence, and participation in their own care.
  • Work collaboratively with education leaders to align care strategies with EHCP outcomes and curriculum delivery.
• Multi-Disciplinary & Stakeholder Engagement
  • Lead effective collaboration with therapy teams, healthcare professionals, commissioners, and families.
  • Represent the organisation in external forums, inspections, and partnership meetings.
  • Ensure strong communication systems that enable consistent, high-quality service delivery.
• Performance, Reporting & Governance
  • Monitor and report on service performance, quality metrics, and learner outcomes.
  • Ensure high-quality documentation and reporting for regulators, commissioners, and senior leaders.
  • Use insight and data to drive service improvement and innovation.

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience in education, residential care, or integrated services.
• Proven ability to deliver high-quality, compliant services in complex care environments.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and large-scale service delivery.

Knowledge, Skills and Competency

• Strong understanding of CQC and Ofsted frameworks, safeguarding, and health & social care regulation.
• Expertise in person-centred care planning, clinical governance, and quality assurance.
• Knowledge of Preparing for Adulthood and specialist education settings.

Leadership Capabilities

• Strategic thinking and system leadership.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to drive cultural change and continuous improvement.

Role Impact

• Providing portfolio-wide leadership and strategic direction.
• Ensuring consistent standards across multiple services.
• Embedding integration between care, health, and education.
• Holding accountability for quality, compliance, safeguarding, and outcomes at scale.

Benefits

• Emotional Support: 24/7 Employee Assistance, mental health resources, meditation apps, and bereavement support.
• Medical Support: Free Online GP access, Health Cash Plan, Cancer Cover, and Menopause support.
• Financial Support: Flexible pay with Wagestream, utility bill savings, Money Helper, and Life Assurance.
• Physical Support: Online workouts, Cycle to Work scheme, gym discounts, and National Trust activities.

Our Core Values

• Supportive: Helping everyone reach their full potential.
• Ambitious: Striving for the best outcomes.
• Loyal: Prioritising our staff and the people we support.
• Unique: Innovating without compromising quality.
• Transparent: Fostering openness and mutual respect.
• Engaging: Partnering with everyone involved.
• Meaningful: Offering fulfilling opportunities.

Company Description

Salutem Care and Education is dedicated to protecting and promoting the well-being of children, young adults, and vulnerable individuals. As part of our safer recruitment process, the successful candidate will be required to complete thorough pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS and, where applicable, overseas criminal record checks.