Residential Care Support workers

London Borough Of Sutton; Ilford; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A local council in Ilford is seeking dedicated Residential Care Support Workers to provide compassionate care for children in residential homes. This role involves engaging children in activities, fostering their social and emotional development, and applying innovative strategies to ensure positive outcomes. Candidates must be flexible to work varied shifts, including evenings and weekends. The position offers a generous benefits package, including annual leave and training opportunities.

Benefits

Generous annual leave entitlement

Enhanced family leave benefits

Volunteering days

Flexible working options

Discounts on local services

Pension scheme

Qualifications

• Experience working with children or young people in a residential setting preferred.
• Ability to form trusted relationships with young people.
• Willing to work flexibly and innovatively.

Responsibilities

• Provide safe and secure care for children in residential homes.
• Encourage engagement in fun and enriching activities.
• Support children's social and emotional development.

Skills

Compassion

Empathy

Creativity in communication

Resilience

Education

Full NVQ level 3 health and social care funding

Job description

Overview

Our Residential Care Support Workers transform lives. Our objective is to apply a restorative approach to achieving the best outcomes for children in our care. Following significant Council investment and the continued growth and success of our Residential Services, we are proud to announce new and exciting opportunities to join us as a Residential Care Support Worker on a flexible hours contract. Working across 3 homes in the locality of Sutton, you will form part of a dedicated, supportive team responsible for providing the day‑to‑day safe and secure care of the children at our residential homes. Keeping the children engaged and occupied, you’ll encourage and participate in fun, enriching activities with the young people in a safe and inclusive environment. Our Residential Care Support Workers understand the importance of getting it right for our young people and offering them the best we can by applying knowledge and research into practice and working innovatively to understand the impact of trauma; we are committed to the highest quality of care.

We are looking for Residential Care Support Workers who will be fully supported by hands‑on and committed managers, with great access to training and a support network, including our integrated youth services. These roles will provide you with the opportunity to study for a fully‑funded NVQ level 3 health and social care in a residential setting. You will also be expected to work shifts including evenings, weekends, bank holidays and sleep‑in duties. Additional payments are paid for out‑of‑hours work.

We understand and recognise the benefits of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the workplace and are embracing AI where appropriate to boost our productivity and streamline how we deliver our Council services efficiently. However, we reserve the right to reject applications where it is apparent that AI‑generated content has been used in isolation and without personalised responses. At Sutton we value authenticity and are looking for individuals who can clearly demonstrate their own skills, experience and motivation for the role they are applying for and embrace our PRIDE values.

The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received, so it is strongly advised that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

We are also proud to be a disability confident employer and guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum essential criteria for a role.

Key Responsibilities and Qualifications

• We are looking for compassionate individuals with the capacity to connect with teenagers. While you will bring plenty of empathy to the role, you will also be able to set boundaries – so you will need to demonstrate patience and resilience.
• It would be ideal if you have experience of working with children or young people in a residential setting.
• Ability to find and use creative ways to communicate with children, you will also be quick to learn and willing to work flexibly and innovatively to meet the changing and challenging needs of the children.
• Ability to form trusted relationships with young people in your care by supporting them with their social and emotional development, educational achievement, whilst setting boundaries and bringing consistency to their lives as any good parent would.
• Applying a restorative practice and trauma‑informed model as a therapeutic form of intervention you will help teenagers make sense of their backgrounds and find a positive way forward. Full training is given which fosters skills and expertise around therapeutically working with and supporting children who have experienced developmental trauma.
• Must be willing to work flexibly as part of a varied shift pattern which will be late afternoon, evenings and weekends.
• Must be willing to be innovative and creative in your practice and approach and continually explore new ways of engaging and achieving positive outcomes for young people.

Benefits

• A generous annual leave entitlement of 26-31 days plus bank holidays (pro‑rata if part‑time working hours apply) depending on service and grade
• Enhanced Maternity, paternity, shared parental, adoption and dependants leave
• Two volunteering days per year
• Flexible Working – Smarter Working Scheme (dependent on the role)
• Adjustable and agile working arrangements using Google Chromebooks
• Learning and development portal offering a range of courses
• Discounts on a range of local shops, restaurants, gyms and leisure centres
• Interest‑free season ticket loans
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Bicycle loan facilities and cycle‑to‑work scheme
• Zip car scheme
• Confidential health & wellbeing and counselling support