Graduate Trainee Residential Manager Apprentice
SUNBRIDGE CHILDCARE LTD
Wallsend (NE28 6PR)
Closes in 21 days (Wednesday 24 June 2026 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 3 June 2026
Contents
Summary
Are you a passionate graduate looking to make a real difference in the lives of children and young people? Sunbridge Childcare Ltd is seeking two motivated and resilient individuals to join our North East team as Trainee Registered Managers. This is more than a job it’s a structured pathway into leadership within residential childcare.
- Wage
-
£29,000 a year
Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
Path to Management: A clear, structured progression plan designed to get you registered with Ofsted as a manager (typically £55k+ once registered).
- Training course
- Children, young people and families practitioner (level 4)
- Hours
-
40 hours per week (shift pattern) Mixture of weekdays, evening and weekends.
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 7 September 2026
- Duration
-
3 years
- Positions available
-
2
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
Your Journey with Sunbridge:
This isn't a desk job; you will be immersed in the day-to-day operations of our specialist residential homes which as you’d expect operate 24/7. You will work alongside experienced leaders, learning exactly what it takes to provide a safe, therapeutic, and nurturing environment for children who need it most.
What you will be doing:
- Shadowing & Mentoring: Work directly under the wing of an experienced Registered Manager to understand regulatory standards (Ofsted), team management, and safeguarding excellence
- Operational Experience: Understanding what outstanding care provision looks like by gaining hands on experience as an integral part of the team
- Operational Leadership: Gain hands-on experience in staff supervision, rota management, and budget oversight
- Advocacy & Care: Develop deep insights into child-centred practice, working to improve outcomes for our young people every single day
- Professional Qualifications: We support you through the necessary care, leadership and management qualifications required to step into a Registered Manager role. This includes completion of the level 3 diploma Level 4 Children, Young people and families practitioner and the Level 5 Children, Young people and families Manager qualifications as part of the program which will be fully funded
Where you'll work
5
Cedar Grove
Wallsend
NE28 6PR
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
DERWENTSIDE COLLEGE
Training course
Children, young people and families practitioner (level 4)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Communicates in way that enables the voice of the child, young person or family members to be heard
- Encourages individuals to engage positively with their community and relevant agencies and actively participate in the way their care and support is delivered
- Actively promotes respect, equality, diversity and inclusion
- Works together with children, young people and families to keep them safe and manage risk and promoting the development of skills the family need to successfully manage risk themselves
- Works with and supports other professionals to respond to safeguarding concerns
- Identifies the influences on the individual and the family and supports them to make informed choices
- Leads on the development and recording of holistic plans, delivery of interventions and evaluates their effectiveness
- Identifies and addresses barriers to accessing resources
- Identifies and manages evidence-based approaches and evaluates their effectiveness
- Contributes to the development of a resilient, consistent and persistent approach to practice
- Models clarity of purpose, clear expectations and a professional approach to decision making
- Appropriately challenges and/or offers alternative perspectives with the children, young person or family
- Contributes to own professional development
- Applies knowledge of legal, economic and social justice systems and implements policy frameworks in support of positive outcomes for children, young people and families
- Demonstrates critical evaluation of practice and insight into own emotions, behaviour and feelings, and uses these insights to challenge own practice
- Takes an active part in continuous professional development
- Sharing and agreeing goals and outcomes when building relationships with partner organisations, other workers, children, young people and families, to ensure appropriate and timely support
- Assumes the role of professional parent
- Contributes to creating and reviewing placement plans based on individual need
- Is able to support traumatised children and young people to live together and make progress
- Develops and promotes the ethos of the home
- Models collaborative team working and the ability to support and appropriately challenge each other
- Engages effectively with child, young person and/or family members
- Supports children, young people or vulnerable adults to identify and take action to deal with safeguarding risk
Training schedule
Children, Young People and Families Practitioner Level 4.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
Degree in:
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- IT skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Presentation skills
- Administrative skills
- Number skills
- Analytical skills
- Team working
- Creative
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
About this employer
Sunbridge Childcare Ltd is expanding, and we are on the lookout for our next generation of leaders. We aren’t just offering a job; we are offering a structured career path into the heart of high-quality residential childcare. We are seeking two motivated, resilient, and forward-thinking graduates to join our team in the North East of England as a Trainee Registered Manager.
https://www.sunbridgechildcare.co.uk/ (opens in new tab)
Company benefits
- Impact-Driven: You will be doing work that transforms lives
- Supportive Culture: Join a team that values innovation, grit, and kindness
- Location: Based in the beautiful and vibrant North East, working across our network of homes
Disability Confident
A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.
You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.
After this apprenticeship
Are you a passionate, driven graduate looking to make a tangible impact on the lives of children and young people? Do you have the ambition to lead, the empathy to nurture, and the desire to build a career that truly matters?
Sunbridge Childcare Ltd is expanding, and we are on the lookout for our next generation of leaders. We aren’t just offering a job; we are offering a structured career path into the heart of high-quality residential childcare. We are seeking two motivated, resilient, and forward-thinking graduates to join our team in the North East of England as a Trainee Registered Manager.
Your Journey with Sunbridge:
This isn't a desk job; you will be immersed in the day-to-day operations of our specialist residential homes which as you’d expect operate 24/7. You will work alongside experienced leaders, learning exactly what it takes to provide a safe, therapeutic, and nurturing environment for children who need it most.
Are You Our Ideal Candidate?
We aren’t necessarily looking for years of experience - we are looking for the right character who is passionate about pursuing a career in residential childcare who can demonstrate the following:
- You hold a degree (any discipline, but a passion for social care, psychology, education, or sociology is a bonus)
- You are a leader in the making: You have the confidence to make decisions and the emotional intelligence to lead a diverse team
- You have grit: You are resilient, calm under pressure, and unfailingly reliable
- You are ambitious: You want to climb the ladder, but you want to do it by helping others succeed
- Full UK Driving Licence: Essential for traveling between our sites in the North East
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
DERWENTSIDE COLLEGE
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000034809.
Apply now
Closes in 21 days (Wednesday 24 June 2026 at 11:59pm)