Cluster Residential Child Care Worker

Pebbles Care Limited; Penrith; On-site; GBP 33,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a dedicated Cluster Residential Child Care Worker to join their team in Penrith. This full-time role offers a unique opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of vulnerable young people. You will engage with children in a supportive environment, helping them develop essential life skills while providing care and companionship. The position comes with a competitive salary, comprehensive training, and a clear pathway for career development. If you are passionate about child care and ready to embrace a rewarding challenge, this is the perfect opportunity for you!

Benefits

Annual Leave (5.6 weeks)

Cash Back Health Care Plan

Career Development Support

Meals Provided During Shifts

Pension Scheme

In-depth Induction Training

Employee Portal Access

Qualifications

• Experience in residential child care is beneficial but not mandatory.
• Must hold a full, valid UK manual driver's license.

Responsibilities

• Support children in daily activities and maintain a safe environment.
• Build relationships with children and facilitate their education.

Skills

Child Care

Communication Skills

Resilience

Listening Skills

Creativity

Education

Relevant Child Care Qualifications

SCQF Level 7 or Level 3 Diploma

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Cluster Residential Child Care Worker

• Penrith, Cumbria, United Kingdom, CA11
• Permanent * Full time
• Posted: Thursday, January 30, 2025
• GG1237738PenCRCCW

Pebbles Care have a new opportunity for a Cluster Residential Child Care Worker to work on a full-time, permanent basis.

The role offers you stability with the additional benefit of varied work. It is ideally suited to someone who is flexible throughout the working week, including nights and weekends, providing an opportunity to interact with different employees and children, within a cluster of homes.

You will work as a team, building long-lasting relationships with our children and young people. You will accompany our young people to and from school or college, facilitate family contact, create a warm and comforting environment, have fun, and go on days out as well as shopping, cooking, cleaning and encouraging participation in local activities and hobbies.

Previous experience in Residential Child Care is extremely beneficial, however there are many transferable skills for this role. You need to have a dedicated and resilient approach as well as an extremely caring and nurturing nature.

Your role as a Residential Child Care Worker

You will work on a full-time basis, which is an average of 56.4 hours per week (including sleep hours). As part of a team on shift, you may provide support on a one-to-one or two-to-one basis, depending on the needs of the child.

You will benefit from expert advice and training from our psychology, education, and learning and development specialists.

Safeguarding our young people from risk and harm is our main priority. With the support of your team, you will ensure that our children and young people are cared for in every element of their lives, including keeping them safe, having someone to talk to, having fun, supporting them in education, travelling to school, cooking, cleaning, and learning new life skills.

You will be required to drive our company vehicles to ensure our young people attend appointments, education, and other activities; therefore, you must have a full, valid, UK driving licence for manual vehicles. If you have a licence from overseas, we require you to apply for a UK driving licence upon receiving an offer of employment.

The role is challenging and requires resilience, determination, and patience. Your role will allow you to be creative when caring for our children and young people. Your skills, hobbies, and interests will bring additional inspiration to our homes.

You will be based within one home on a full-time basis. However, you may occasionally be required to support other homes within the same geographical area.

What we offer you

• A starting salary of £33,727.20 to £34,460.40 per annum, depending on experience.
• Full-time roles operate on a rota pattern of one day on (24 hours including sleepover) and two days off (48 hours); your rota will be dependent on the needs of the home you are supporting in the cluster.
• Your average working hours, including your sleepovers, are 56.4 hours per week. If you require flexibility, we may have part-time and zero-hour contracts available.
• You will receive 5.6 weeks annual leave per annum (this will be pro rata for part-time contracts).
• Our Learning and Development team can support you to receive 100% funding for your Level 3 SVQ/NVQ qualification in Residential Child Care.
• You will receive a career review upon completion of your induction, training, and minimum qualifications.
• Auto-enrolment into our salary sacrifice pension scheme (Scottish Widows).
• A cash back health care plan via Medicash, allowing you to claim for dental and optical treatments, discounted gym memberships, 24/7 access to a GP, free access to counselling and much more.
• Meals are provided while on shift, this is dependent on the menu choice of the home each day.

What sets Pebbles apart from other care providers?

• Our mission is to continue to lead the way in offering bespoke therapeutic care and education to vulnerable young people.
• We offer a clear development pathway and have recently incorporated an in-house Leadership and Development programme to nurture internal talent.
• Pebbles have 50 beautiful homes and 2 established schools for children and young people across North England and Scotland.
• We specialise in providing residential child care for vulnerable young people between the ages of 8 and 18.
• We have innovative plans for growth in 2025 and beyond.
• We have a wealth of skills and knowledge to share with you, and 21 years’ experience in supporting young people to unlock brighter futures.
• You will receive your full rate of pay for all sleepovers and rest breaks.
• Pebbles have excellent employee benefits and discounts that support your health and wellbeing.

Additional benefits and rewards

• You will attend an in-depth induction and receive training, including a detailed introduction to therapeutic parenting.
• Intervention training.
• Instant access to our employee portal, intranet page and quarterly newsletters.
• We will cover the cost of updating your disclosure certificate and professional membership fees, if relevant and essential for your role.

Essential qualities that we look for include:

• Highly responsible and accountable when it comes to safeguarding children and young people.
• A keen interest in pursuing relevant child care qualifications and training.
• Resilient and confident when facing challenging situations.
• You must hold a full, valid, UK manual driver's licence (all homes have well maintained vehicles).
• A nurturing and caring nature.
• Patience, allowing you to form non-judgemental relationships.
• An active and supportive listener.
• A creative ability towards having fun and learning new skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficient IT skills and experienced in using Microsoft packages.

Desirable Qualities include:

• Up to 12 months experience working with children or young adults. (If you have more than 12 months experience, then our grade two and three level salaries may apply).
• Working towards, or a desire to obtain, SCQF Level 7 or Level 3 Diploma, relevant to Children and Young People's Residential workforce (funding may be available).
• Familiar with the Codes of Practice set out by regulatory bodies.

Are you ready to join our family?

Please complete our online application form or if you would like to discuss the role further with our team, please email [e-mail] to ask a member of our team to contact you.