Children's Residential Practitioners

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council; Rotherham; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

An established local authority is seeking dedicated Children's Residential Practitioners to deliver high-quality residential services for looked after children. This role offers the opportunity to work closely with children and young people, applying evidence-based practices to provide a nurturing and supportive environment. With strong managerial support and extensive training programs, you will be part of a team committed to making a real difference in the lives of vulnerable children. This is a chance to influence service design and practice development, ensuring that every child receives the care they deserve.

Benefits

Extensive training programs

Local Authority pension

30 days annual leave

Support for professional development

Qualifications

• Experience in residential settings for children and young people.
• Ability to apply evidence-based therapeutic practices.

Responsibilities

• Promote and protect the welfare of looked after children.
• Build effective relationships with children and young people.
• Engage in home management and support activities.

Skills

Child-focused practice

Systemic working

Crisis accommodation experience

Mental health support

Therapeutic approaches

Effective relationship building

Education

Relevant child care qualification

Job description

Are you an experienced, solution-oriented, systemic working, child-focused practitioner, keen to work alongside partners and particularly our children and young people to deliver a new model of residential intervention in Rotherham? This post could be for you…

The Children’s Residential Practitioner posts will play a key role in the delivery of a range of in-house residential provision for Rotherham looked after children.

Rotherham Council has made a strategic decision to invest significantly in children’s residential services. This will ensure more of our looked after children are placed in Rotherham, close to their local communities, families, and schools.

We are using current best practices and evidence-based models to develop new children’s homes, including 2 and 4 bed EBD, emergency accommodation, and solo provision for some of our most complex children and young people.

We are particularly looking for practitioners with previous experience working in specialist solo provision, mental health residential settings, crisis accommodation, and with children and young people with sensory needs, ASD, mental health needs, and those who have experienced significant trauma.

This new residential provision will be part of a Children and Young People Service judged as ‘Good’ by Ofsted in August 2022 and will build on practices from our short break residential home provision.

Children’s Residential Practitioners in Rotherham will:

• Promote, safeguard, and protect the welfare of looked after children across the borough
• Key work individual children and young people, building effective relationships, being positive role models, and providing consistent support
• Apply evidence-based therapeutic and behavioral management approaches and practice models
• Provide opportunities for children and young people to influence decisions affecting them and the services they receive
• Work systemically and as part of a team to ensure a child-centered, joined-up service
• Engage in the running of the home, including activities, meals, personal care, recording, report writing, and medication administration in line with council policies
• Undertake staff training, attend meetings, and participate in supervision sessions
• Provide and promote a safe, stimulating, and nurturing environment
• Hold a full valid UK driving license and be willing to transport children

Key benefits of working at Rotherham Council’s Children and Young People’s Service include:

• Strong support and clear direction from managers
• Extensive training programs, including the Rotherham Family Approach, Signs of Safety, and Restorative Practice
• Innovative Edge of Care services and a strong Early Help offer to reduce demand and support systemic thinking
• Prioritization of Looked After Children for CAMHS assessment and intervention
• The opportunity to make a real difference to children, young people, and families
• Investment in your professional development, including support, supervision, training, and progression opportunities
• Local Authority pension and 30 days annual leave, aligned with weekend leave policies

About You

We seek inspirational, resilient, and child-focused practitioners committed to:

• Developing skills and practices to provide outstanding residential services
• Caring for some of our most complex children and young people, including in solo provisions
• Working evening, weekend, and sleep-in shifts as part of the residential team

Our vision is for Rotherham’s children and families to experience and describe our services as outstanding, achieved by putting the child first in everything we do. Joining our residential teams offers you the chance to influence service design and practice development in line with best practices and evidence-based approaches.

If you have questions or wish to discuss these roles further, please email [e-mail]. To apply, please click the Apply Now link below.