Regional Manager - Children's Residential Social Care
Odyssey Social Care is committed to delivering exceptional residential care to children and young people across Ireland. With a reputation for excellence and a child-centred approach, we strive to create safe, nurturing environments that promote wellbeing, personal growth, and a brighter future.
Role Summary:
As Regional Manager, you will oversee operations across multiple residential care units within a specified geographic region. You will provide strategic leadership, drive quality standards, and ensure that the teams in your region deliver consistently high-quality services in line with national regulations and organisational values. This is a senior management role requiring operational oversight, team leadership, financial control, and stakeholder engagement. You will report to the Head of Residential Children’s Services and you will have Social Care Managers across designated regional units as your direct reports.
Why Join Us as a Regional Manager:
Competitive Salary
Flexible Rostering focused on work-life balance
Core Professional Training in essential subjects
Team-Building Activities & Social Events
Education Assistance Grants
Health Insurance Grant & Life Insurance
Incremental Pay Scale
Pension Contribution Match
Key Responsibilities
Employee Assistance Program for Employees and Family from Day 1
Strategic & Operational Leadership:
Lead regional implementation of Odyssey Social Care strategies, systems, and policies
Ensure regulatory compliance across all services and units within your region
Collaborate with the Senior Management Team to enhance service delivery nationally
Care & Safeguarding
Ensure every young person receives professional, safe, and empowering care
Promote and embed the specialist care framework across your teams
People Management
Supervise, guide and motivate Social Care Managers and their teams
Monitor performance and foster a culture of continuous improvement
Manage grievances, disciplinary procedures and uphold HR best practices
Environment & Resources
Ensure all residential houses are clean, homely, and safe
Oversee maintenance logs and quality audits
Approve budgets for physical resources, staffing, and operational needs
Financial Oversight
Manage the regional budget in line with best governance standards
Ensure effective financial controls are consistently upheld
Maintain appropriate staffing levels and balance across teams
Quality Assurance
Conduct monthly audits and ensure follow-through on outcomes
Maintain readiness for inspections with positive feedback from TUSLA and other agencies
Support compliance in health & safety, child protection, HR and other domains
External Relations & Growth
Cultivate relationships with stakeholders: TUSLA, CAMHS, Gardaí, schools, etc.
Generate new business and support development of new services
Represent Odyssey Social Care at external meetings and in senior forums
Reporting & Communication
Deliver reports to Directors, TUSLA and other professionals as required
Notify senior leadership of any operational risk or safeguarding concern
Culture & Integrity
Promote whistleblowing and uphold confidentiality and ethical standards
Champion the wellbeing of staff, young people, and the company at all times
Essential Qualifications:
Degree in management or equivalent professional qualification in teaching, social care, youth work, psychology or related field
QQI Level 8 in Psychology; QQI Level 7 or Professional Practice Qualification in Child & Adolescent Psychotherapy, Counselling/Psychotherapy, or Addiction Counselling; QQI Level 7 in Youth and Community (or similar), Social Science/Social Studies, Family Support, Disability Studies, Applied Behavioural Analysis, or Early Years Care (where the centre caters for children under 12); Professional Qualification in Teaching (excluding TEFL) or Nursing Studies; BA in Applied Policing or equivalent; Higher Certificate in Custodial Care (Irish Prison Service) or equivalent;
Required Experience:
CORU Registered
Minimum 3 years senior management experience in a company with over 100 staff
Minimum 5 years working with vulnerable children and young people
Proven record in operations, HR, logistics or service development
Experience in team training and working with children under 12
Expertise in attachment disorders and trauma-informed care
About the role
When you work with Odyssey Social Care, you’re part of a dedicated team that’s as supportive to each other as we are to the young people in our care. Because we know that our success depends on yours, you’ll get continuous on the job training through our network of certified trainers. Quite simply, our supportive, adaptive and flexible approach is designed to give you the best opportunities to progress through the company and further your social care career.
What you will need
Required criteria
- Minimum 3 years senior management experience in a company with over 100 staff
- Minimum 5 years working with vulnerable children and young people
- Proven record in operations, HR, logistics or service development
- Experience in team training and working with children under 12
- Expertise in attachment disorders and trauma-informed care
- Do you have the right to live and work in Ireland.
- Do you have a full, clean manual driving license valid in Ireland.
- Degree in management or equivalent Professional qualification in teaching, social care, youth work, psychology or related field
- Are you CORU Registered?
Odyssey Social Care
Odyssey Social Care is a children’s residential care provider. We support young people by providing secure and safe homes and by building trusting and meaningful relationships with our teams. We work therapeutically with our young people to support them through past hurts and traumas. We go on the journey with our young people, empowering them to be the best version of themselves.
Overview Mission: Odyssey Social Care provides safe homes where children and young people can heal from trauma, rebuild trust, and discover their own strengths. We give them the support and opportunities they need to build resilience and step into a brighter future. Working for Odyssey Social Care involves being part of a team (led by CEO Stacey McGrath, above) dedicated to supporting children and young people. As professional caregivers, we are caring, compassionate and resilient. We work with children who have experienced trauma, and believe in healing through trusting care relationships. The Odyssey Way We put the needs of the child at the forefront of everything we do. Our care framework is designed to be flexible, responsive and provide holistic care to our young people. Our care model, The Odyssey Way, is trauma-informed, evidence-based, and outcome-led. It supports the needs of each individual child, helping them to work through trauma by focusing on overall wellbeing. Our unique, specialised intervention, the Odyssey Saoirse Project, uses eco-therapy, adventure-based life skills and positive mentoring to help young people heal, grow and thrive.
Our Values Safety – safe homes, safe care, safe relationships Quality – trauma-informed, evidence-based, outcome-led Trust – built through honest communication and consistency Empowerment – giving young people and staff the tools to succeed Inclusion – equity and belonging for all Impact – measurable difference for young people, staff, communities & planet Accessibility & Sustainability Odyssey Social Care is committed to encouraging a culture of diversity and inclusion across our organisation. As a Certified B Corp, we also believe in providing care sustainably, measuring our impact across our people, our communities, and the planet.
Our benefits
On joining Odyssey, you’ll be supported every step of the way. Competitive salary & incremental pay progression Flexible rostering that supports work-life balance Accredited training & continuous development Education assistance grants Health & life insurance supports Social events & wellbeing supports Real career progression – 80%+ of our leaders Have grown from within We believe in caring for our staff with the same commitment we bring to the young people in our homes. For more details, visit About Us
Flexible schedule
Employee development programs
A diversity program
Cycle to work
Referral bonus
Company retreats
Life insurance
Employee Assistance Scheme
Social Opportunities
Culture of recognition
On the job learning
Long service awards
Regional Manager - Children's Residential Social Care
Odyssey Social Care is a children’s residential care provider. We support young people by providing secure and safe homes and by building trusting and meaningful relationships with our teams. We work therapeutically with our young people to support them through past hurts and traumas. We go on the journey with our young people, empowering them to be the best version of themselves.