Assistant Director Of Operations

Assistant Director of Operations

Location: Hybrid – Central Office (Denbighshire, North Wales) residential services and home-based working
Hours: Full Time, 40 hours, Permanent
Salary: £85,000 – £90,000
Reports to: Director of Operations

Young Foundations is seeking a strategic and values‑driven Assistant Director of Operations to support the leadership and performance of our residential services for children, young people and adults across England, Wales and Scotland.

This is a senior operational leadership role, supporting the Director of Operations in delivering high‑quality, compliant and person‑centred services. You will play a vital part in shaping organisational strategy, maintaining regulatory excellence and ensuring strong outcomes for those we support.

About Young Foundations

Young Foundations is a specialist organisation dedicated to providing high‑quality residential care and specialist education for children, young people and adults with complex needs—including autism, learning disabilities, and mental health conditions.

With services across England, Scotland, and Wales, we create supportive, therapeutic environments where every individual is valued and empowered to achieve positive outcomes. If you are passionate about making a meaningful difference in the lives of young people and want to be part of a team that prioritises compassion, excellence, and personal growth, we would love to hear from you.

The Role

• Deputising for the Director of Operations as required
• Providing leadership and line management for Registered Managers and multidisciplinary teams
• Acting as Responsible / Nominated Individual for allocated services
• Supporting regulatory compliance with Ofsted, Care Inspectorate Wales, Care Quality Commission and Care Inspectorate Scotland
• Driving continuous improvement, quality assurance and safeguarding excellence
• Positively contributing to business growth by maintaining stable staff teams enabling more placements where appropriate.
• Contributing to performance improvement while ensuring services remain values‑driven and person‑centred.

About You

You will be a senior leader with:

• Proven experience within children’s residential care and extensive experience in health and social care, with a strong background supporting individuals with learning disabilities and/or autism.
• A recognised leadership qualification (Level 5 or equivalent) and commitment to continuing professional development.
• Strong knowledge of safeguarding, regulation and statutory frameworks
• Proven experience of leading change, improving performance and developing services
• Excellent communication skills and skilled in relationship‑building at a variety of levels with key stakeholders
• Strong evidence-based decision-making skills in line with Young Foundations values and policies
• Experience in developing robust and stable staff teams

Why Join Young Foundations?

• Opportunity to influence and shape high‑quality services
• Values‑led organisation focused on positive outcomes

• Supportive senior leadership team

• Career development within a growing organisation

Benefits of working with us

• A rewarding role where your work has real impact
• Internal progression opportunities
• Cycle to work scheme
• Retail savings through the Blue Light Card Scheme
• Enhanced annual leave
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and shared parental leave
• Wellbeing support – Employee assistance programme
• Free eye care vouchers

Closing date: 22nd April 2026
Interview date: TBC

Equal Opportunities

Young Foundations is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from all genders and backgrounds and are committed to creating a supportive and inclusive workplace.

Safeguarding

Young Foundations is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. The safety, protection and wellbeing of those in our care is our highest priority, and we expect all staff, volunteers and partners to share this unwavering commitment.

We operate a robust safer recruitment process in line with statutory guidance across England, Scotland & Wales as applicable.

All appointments are subject to thorough pre-employment checks, including enhanced DBS/PVG checks with barred list checks, a minimum of 3 satisfactory and verifiable employment references, full employment history and verification of any qualifications or professional registrations.

We are committed to creating a culture of vigilance, transparency and accountability where safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Any concerns regarding the safety or welfare of vulnerable people in our care will be taken seriously and responded to in line with our safeguarding and child protection procedures.

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