Specialist Operations Manager - Children & Young People

Role/Job Title: Specialist Operations Manager - Children & Young People
Location: 
Office base (1 of 3 options):
29 Beach Road, Littlehampton, West Sussex, BN17 5AG
19 High Street, Battle, TN33 0AE
Cornford Lane, Pembury, TN2 4QU
Hybrid role – Travel across counties required for face-to-face meetings
Mileage expenses will be paid for travel to locations away from your main workplace, in accordance with the organisation's mileage policy.  

Hours: 40 hours per week (Monday – Friday)
Salary: £17.13 per hour / £35,630.40 per annum

Closing date for applications: 7^th August 2026
We encourage early applications, as we reserve the right to close this vacancy before the advertised closing date should we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Equal Opportunity/Accessibility and Accommodations Statement:
As a Disability Confident employer, Aspens Charities is committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for individuals with disabilities. We actively promote the recruitment, retention, and career development of people with disabilities, recognising the invaluable contributions they make to our organisation. We are dedicated to ensuring an accessible recruitment process for all candidates. If you require any accommodations during the application or interview process, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Aspens is entering an exciting new chapter. Following a recent organisational restructure, we've strengthened the way we deliver care, creating an even more effective, responsive and sustainable model of support for the people we support.

As part of this transformation, we've created new opportunities to join our leadership team—roles that didn't previously exist. We're looking for passionate, values-driven leaders who are committed to delivering outstanding, person-centred support, driving continuous improvement, and embedding high-quality, consistent standards across our services.

This is an opportunity to make a real impact: empowering teams, sharing best practice, strengthening governance, and ensuring every person we support receives exceptional care, regardless of where they live or who is supporting them.

If you're ready to shape the future of social care, inspire others, and be part of an ambitious organisation dedicated to improving lives, we'd love to hear from you. Join us and help lead the next stage of the Aspens journey.

Lead Specialist Services. Transform Young Lives.
Aspens is seeking an experienced and inspiring Specialist Operations Manager – Children & Young People (CYP) to lead and develop our specialist behavioural support services across the South East. This is an exciting opportunity for a passionate leader who wants to make a lasting difference to the lives of children, young people and families.

Working alongside our PBS & Specialist Lead, you will oversee a team of Behaviour Specialists, Specialist Intervention Advisors and Youth Engagement Workers, ensuring children and young people receive high-quality, person-centred support that enables them to thrive, achieve their goals and access the same opportunities as their peers.

About the Role:
This strategic and operational leadership role is responsible for the delivery, quality and growth of specialist services supporting autistic children and young people, those with learning disabilities and young people experiencing mental health challenges.

You will play a key role in expanding services beyond their established footprint and driving innovation to meet growing community needs.

You will oversee the design and delivery of specialist support programmes, workshops, activities and interventions, ensuring services are outcome-focused, financially sustainable and aligned with the requirements of local authority contracts and regulatory standards.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & People Management

• Lead, motivate and develop a multidisciplinary team of Behaviour Specialists, Specialist Intervention Advisors and Youth Engagement Workers.
• Provide supervision, performance management and professional development support.
• Manage workloads, case allocation and service performance.

Service Delivery & Quality

• Ensure high-quality, evidence-based interventions are delivered consistently across services.
• Monitor outcomes for children, young people and families.
• Lead quality assurance activities and maintain compliance with organisational standards and regulatory requirements.

Safeguarding & Risk Management

• Lead safeguarding practice and ensure robust risk management processes are in place.
• Oversee referrals, assessments, support packages and review processes.
• Ensure compliance with Ofsted, CQC and data protection requirements.

Strategic Development

• Build strong relationships with local authorities, schools, health professionals and partner organisations.
• Identify gaps in provision and develop innovative new services.
• Analyse service performance and contribute to strategic planning and growth.
• Identify funding opportunities and maximise contract performance.
  
  

About You:
We're looking for a confident and compassionate leader who combines operational expertise with a commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people.

Essential Requirements

• NVQ Level 3 in Health & Social Care or equivalent.
• Minimum three years' operational and management experience within education, social care, youth services or a related sector.
• Experience supporting vulnerable children and young people.
• Experience managing teams and leading service delivery.
• Strong understanding of autism, learning disabilities and mental health.
• Knowledge of safeguarding and child protection legislation.
• Excellent communication, planning and decision-making skills.
• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle with business insurance.

Desirable

• Degree in Psychology, Education, Youth Work or a related field.
• Experience delivering training and supporting workforce development.
• Knowledge of child development and childcare legislation.
• Experience working collaboratively with multi-agency partners.

What We Offer:

• Comprehensive paid training and excellent career progression opportunities, including recognised qualifications in health and social care
• Paid DBS check
• Flexible work arrangements, with the option to take on additional bank shifts
• Nest Pension and Death in Service benefit
• Access to a dedicated Employee Assistance Programme and Mental Health First Aiders
• Blue Light Card discounts
• 20% discount at Aspens High Street Stores for all staff
• Discounted staff menu available at the Bluebell Café (Pembury)
• Refer a Friend scheme - earn up to £250 for every successful referral
• Employee recognition programmes, including ‘Employee of the Month’

Apply now and one of our team members will reach out to discuss the role further.

If shortlisted, we will contact you directly to schedule an interview. We strive to respond to all applicants; however, if you have not received a response within a reasonable timeframe, please feel free to contact us for a status update or feedback (where available). After the interview, you will be notified of the outcome. If successful, you’ll receive a formal offer in writing. Upon acceptance, we’ll guide you through the onboarding process, providing you with all the details you need

Please note, any offer of employment will be subject to Disclosure and Barring checks (which we will arrange on your behalf if you don’t already have one) and satisfactory employment references.