Residential Child Care Worker

Polaris Community; Penrith; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

A local children's care provider is seeking a Residential Childcare Support Worker in Penrith. You will support daily routines for boys aged 6 to 18, acting as a keyworker and guiding them in their daily lives. The role demands flexibility to work shifts, including nights. Applicants must have a relevant qualification or willingness to obtain one, along with excellent communication skills. This position offers comprehensive training, competitive pay including sleep-in allowances, and opportunities for career growth.

Benefits

Sleep-in allowance

Up to 6 weeks holiday

Company pension

Access to employee discount scheme

Comprehensive training programme

Qualifications

• Flexibility for shift work including nights is essential.
• Experience with Emotional Behavioural Disorder, Social/Residential Work, or Youth Work would be advantageous.
• Valid UK driving licence is required.

Responsibilities

• Support the daily routines of boys including hygiene and meals.
• Be a Keyworker for the boys, creating special occasions.
• Complete daily paperwork and support activity planners.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Ability to work as part of a team

Understanding of issues faced by young people in care

Flexibility in availability

Education

Residential Childcare/Families Practitioner Diploma or equivalent

Job description

Residential Childcare Support Worker

Location: Penrith

Contract Type: Full-time, permanent

Specific Hours: 42 hours per week - shift pattern

Salary: Unqualified: A base salary of £27,781.80 per annum with the potential to earn up to £31,039.08 with sleep in shifts
Qualified: A base salary of £28,719.60 per annum with the potential to earn up to £31,976.88 with sleep in shifts

North Lakes Children's Services is a well-established local provider of residential care and education for boys aged 6-18. We improve the resilience, self-esteem and abilities of all the young people we work with.

As a Residential Support Worker there is a high expectation placed on you to be "strong, committed and passionate" about your role. The young people are at the centre of everything we do - both for and with them. You are a role model, a listening ear, a warm and approachable person and potentially someone who could inspire and make a massive and significant impact on a young person's life, their choices, who they are and who they can be! You need to promote, support and facilitate the creation of "happy memories" and have fun with them to do so.

We are currently seeking permanent Support Workers to join our team who have a warm and approachable manner, and feel they can make a significant impact on a young person's life in how they recover from early life experiences.

Main Duties

In each home we have detailed shift planners/diaries/handover documents that will outline the specific daily duties and tasks that you will be required to complete, these will be specific to whether it is term-time (school days) or during holiday periods as some of the tasks will differ. The following is a summary of some of your duties during term-time

• Supporting all of the boys daily routines, including getting them up, promoting personal hygiene routines, meals, either school runs or activities
• Supporting room cleans/developing of life skills/independence, promoting socialisation and supporting bed-time routines
• Attending medical/other appointments
• Supporting the plans on the activity planners
• Completion of day sheets for the boys and working with them on their targets
• Completing handover documents/ tasks
• Completion of all daily paperwork
• Completing budgeting requirements
• Completion of daily room checks and daily housecleaning tasks
• Complete any food/other shopping needs, including meal preparation and kitchen hygiene/laundry duties
• Completion of any specific checks such as COSHH, Fire Checks/Car checks
• Liaising and building appropriate relationships with the families, working to find out about special dates for boys and ensuring these are noted/marked, sorting and planning family time contacts

As well as completing the daily tasks, your role will also include being a Keyworker. This should be a privileged role for you with our boys, try to think out of the box and do that little bit extra to help create special occasions and opportunities for them, build strong bonds, show and display warmth, empathy and genuine care.

All Applicants must have:

• Flexibility in your availability is a must as the role will involve sleep in nights and shift work of 14 hours - typically 2 full days on, 2 days off. Rotating start times of 08:00, 12:00, 14:00
• Have an understanding of the issues that face young people in care
• Hold Residential Childcare/Families Practitioner Diploma/Children and Young People's Workforce/NVQ Level 3 in Health & Social Care or equivalent - or be willing to work towards a required qualification
• Excellent communication and listening skills
• Be willing to learn
• Be able to work well as part of a small team
• Be willing to undertake a DBS check at enhanced level if successful for the position. Your DBS check shall be paid for by ourselves
• Experience with Emotional Behavioural Disorder, Social/Residential Work or Youth Work would be advantageous.
• Have a full, clean UK driving licence and be able to cover at other Residential Homes as and when needed.

This is a wonderful opportunity to join an established Children's service who will offer you:

• A sleep-in allowance of £62.64 per night- potential extra earning of up to £3257.28
• Up to 6 week's holiday per year
• A rota pattern of 2 days on, 2 days off, with staggered start times ranging from 8am, 12noon or 2pm (i.e. 8am-10pm, 12pm-10pm or 2pm-10pm)
• All meals on duty are provided
• Company pension
• Access to our Exchange Employee Discount Scheme
• Access to wellbeing programmes via our Exchange Provision
• Comprehensive training programme, followed by a comprehensive and ongoing CPD Programme
• Access to qualifications (Including Diploma 3/Diploma 5)
• Promotion opportunities
• Monthly clinical and professional supervisions, access to therapeutic support

North Lakes Children's Services is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates. The company committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment.