Children's Residential Practitioner

Lincolnshire County Council; Quarrington; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Local Government Pension

Hybrid working

Generous annual leave

Salary sacrifice for cars

Discount schemes

Job summary

Lincolnshire County Council’s Children’s Services is seeking a Residential Care Officer Level 1 at Eastgate Children’s Home, Sleaford. You will work with children and young people to prepare them for independent living within a multidisciplinary team.

No prior professional care experience is required as training is provided. The post offers full-time permanent hours, a Local Government pension, generous leave, and benefits including salary sacrifice for cars and mileage reimbursement.

Qualifications

• No prior professional care experience is required; comprehensive training is provided.
• Driving licence is desirable but not essential for some homes.
• Basic IT skills required to support daily care tasks.

Responsibilities

• Work with children and young people to help prepare them for independent living.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to meet the needs of children.
• Provide care at Eastgate Home, including shift patterns with sleeping-in duties.
• Promote wellbeing and safety in a nurturing environment.

Skills

Basic IT skills

Caring profession experience

Driving licence (desirable)

Education

QCF qualification in working with children

Job description

Working Pattern: Full time, permanent, rota-based shifts including sleeping-in dutiesLocation: Eastgate Children’s Home, SleafordDo you want to work in a friendly and welcoming environment that has a positive impact on children’s lives? Whether you have years of experience or are just starting out, we can help you build a rewarding career in children’s residential care at Eastgate Children's Home, Sleaford.Due to recent changes in immigration law in the UK we are unable to offer skilled worker visa sponsorship for this role as it does not meet the requirements of RQF Level 6.

About the Role

As a Children’s Residential Practitioner (known locally as a Residential Care Officer Level 1) no two days are the same and you will have the pleasure of working with children and young people to prepare them for an independent life. This role also includes:

• Holistic Approach: You’ll work within multidisciplinary teams to meet the needs of children.
• Salary: £30,024 - £32,597 pay award pending plus a sleeping-in payment of £43.12 and mileage reimbursed at 45p per mile. Overtime is paid at time-and-a-half.
• Shift Pattern: Full time, permanent, you will have a good work/life balance with a rota split between different shifts, some will include sleeping at the home. Rota’s are given in advance to ensure this balance is met.

About you

No prior professional care experience is required for this position, as we offer comprehensive training.

Qualities we seek include:

• Caring and Playful Demeanour: Children are full of energy and love to explore and play
• Kindness and Compassion: Essential for creating a secure, nurturing environment
• Passion for welfare: An advocate for children’s wellbeing
• Boundary Settings: Establishing boundaries gently but firmly

Qualifications and Skills: Basic IT skills and knowledge / experience of the caring profession, along with a willingness to obtain a QCF qualification in working with children. A driving licence is desirable but is negotiable, for some of the homes.

Our offer

We are offering a competitive salary with an excellent local government pension scheme, along with a comprehensive benefits package, career progression opportunities and a generous annual leave entitlement.

We provide

• High quality induction
• Training and professional development
• Trauma training
• Therapeutic support enabling children to feel safe
• A strong leadership team to support you in your new role

Along with a competitive salary we are offering: “Green book” Local Government terms and conditionsAccess to Local Government Pension scheme Comprehensive benefits package including salary sacrifice for cars, cycles, plus excellent discount schemes37 hour working week (as full time) including flexible and hybrid workingA generous leave entitlement with a minimum of 25 days plus bank holidays and the option to buy moreFree financial wellbeing advice

Lincolnshire County Council Children’s Services are one of the best in the country and have an overall Outstanding rating from Ofsted. Lincolnshire has been chosen by the Department of Education as one of the three national Families First for Children Pathfinders which will run between September 2023 and 2025. This is an exciting time to join Children’s Residential Services and help us shape the future of Social Care.

More information about our homes is available in the attached Brochure.

At Lincolnshire County Council, we believe our people are at the heart of everything we do. That’s why we offer a rewarding package designed to support your work–life balance, health and wellbeing, financial security, and career growth. Find out more about our offer to you in the attached brochure.

Lincolnshire County Council are committed to being an equal opportunity employer, we encourage a supportive and inclusive culture and have been accredited as a Disability Confident Employer.

It is current policy to not shortlist candidates more than once within a 4 month period who have previously applied for a Residential Care post of the same grade within that time period.

Lincolnshire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Fluency DutyIn accordance with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 (Fluency Duty), the ability to converse at ease with customers and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.

Our values– collaborative, adaptable, eco-conscious, supportive, and responsible– guide everything we do. We’re looking for candidates who share these values and bring them to life in their work, helping us build strong teams and make a real difference in the communities we serve.

Applications close on the 20th September 2026.

Interviews: TBC

We wish you the best of luck with your application!

Interviews will be arranged on a flexible basis with candidates who have evidenced in their application that they meet the essential criteria for the role.

Please be advised that this position may be subject to a criminal record check.

PLEASE NOTE:It is imperative that your personal statement clearly states why you have applied, how you meet the essential and desirable criteria for the roleas set out in the Job Description (attached) and what you feel you can bring to this role, the team and the wider County Council.

On occasion we receive significantly more applications than expected for some vacancies and under such circumstances we reserve the right to bring forward the closing date of the advertisement. We therefore strongly advise you to apply for the role promptly to avoid disappointment should the closing date be brought forward.

We operate a talent pool scheme whereby candidates who are not successful on this occasion may be considered for a period of up to 3 months for equal positions.