Residential Childcare Worker - Green Waves

West Sussex County Council; Goring-by-Sea; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 31,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority organization in Goring-by-Sea is looking for a Residential Childcare Worker to support children ages 12-18 during times of crisis. The role involves creating a nurturing environment, working closely with families and other professionals, and requires relevant qualifications. This permanent, full-time position offers a salary of £28,598 - £30,023 with numerous benefits including pension and training opportunities.

Benefits

Local government pension scheme

Generous holiday entitlement

Access to retail discounts

Health and wellbeing benefits

Training and development opportunities

Responsibilities

• Create a safe, supportive space for young people.
• Build trust and be a positive role model.
• Communicate with colleagues and families.

Skills

Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare or equivalent

Sound communication and interpersonal skills

Ability to promote a multi-agency approach

Ability to resolve problems

Ability to work under pressure

Good standard of literacy

Education

GCSE or equivalent qualification in English

Job description

About Us

Green Waves is a 1-2 bed home and welcomes children between the ages of 12 up to 18 years at the time of referral. We are a new short-term emergency assessment home that provides support to children from a few days to a few months at times of crisis or significant periods of change in their lives. The children will have a variety of social, emotional, and behavioural needs brought on by early childhood trauma and family breakup. These children are often at risk in the community and as such, it is our goal to keep them safe from harm whilst we work with partner agencies to find a suitable placement or to support them to reintegrate into their previous or a new setting.

About the Role

Salary: £28,598 - £30,023 per annum (includes weekend working allowance) plus excellent pension, annual leave and additional benefits
Working Pattern: Full time, 37 hours per week
Contract: Permanent
Location: Worthing
Shifts and Rotas: for day work, you will be required to work on a shift rota between 07:00 - 22:00, including every other weekend and approximately one sleep-in duty per week currently with enhanced pay. This can be discussed in more detail at interview.
Interviews: Friday 12th December
Children's Residential Recruitment and Retention Payment scheme - £1500 during your first 18 months while you remain in the County Council's permanent employment during this time to support our new employees in this vital role! The scheme consists of two payments: £500 after successful completion of 6 months employment (including successful completion of probation where relevant) and £1,000 after 18 months.

As a Residential Childcare Worker at Green Waves, you'll help create a safe, supportive space where young people feel valued during times of change. You'll build trust, be a positive role model, and encourage activities that boost confidence and resilience. No two days are the same – from planned sessions to adapting on the spot to meet each child's needs. Intuitive, creativity and resilience are qualities that will make a real difference here.

You'll also need to communicate clearly with colleagues and work closely with families, social workers, and other professionals to keep care consistent. Staying organised and keeping records up to date is important, but the most rewarding part is knowing you're helping children grow, feel supported, and reach their potential.

Join our friendly, supportive team with great opportunities for personal development – and apply today!

Experience and Skills

Some of the key skills and experience required for the role are:

• Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare or equivalent. If you do not have this, the service will support you to complete this qualification; you must achieve this within two years of appointment as it is a statutory requirement of this post.
• Sound communication and interpersonal skills to a range of children and families.
• Ability to promote and encourage a multi‑agency approach to support the child.
• Ability to use initiative to resolve problems within given parameters.
• Ability to work under pressure and prioritise work.
• Ability to work as part of a team around a child.
• Good standard of literacy e.g. ability to write reports around individuals and significant incidents, with a Grade C or above (4‑9) in GCSE or equivalent qualification in English. If you do not hold this, you will need to apply for English Functional Skills before being considered for this role.

For a full list of key skills, experience and qualification requirements please refer to the job description attached below.

Rewards and Benefits

As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where you can achieve your full potential and are rewarded for the work you do.

In addition to working within a great team and a brilliant opportunity you will receive:

• an excellent local government pension scheme
• generous holiday entitlement of 27 to 28 days, depending on job title and length of service
• access to a wide selection of retail discounts and savings such as groceries, shopping, travel and more through our West Sussex Choices benefits platform.
• a range of commuting and business travel discount and initiatives
• maternity, paternity, dependency and adoption leave
• health and wellbeing benefits including access to our Employee Assistance Programme
• financial wellbeing support including access to educational tools and webinars, loans or debt consolidation options and savings scheme
• training and development opportunities, including coaching and mentoring

For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee you can find them on our Rewards and Benefits page.

Further Information

The reference number for this role is CAFHE05350.

For an informal conversation or further information regarding the role, please contact one of the following people;

To apply, upload your CV and application form, explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role, ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check, 5 years referencing and an occupational health check. A fully employment history will be requested and covered for this role.

Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or is a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.

Note for Recruitment Agencies: We prefer to hire people directly, but we do have a supplier list for when we need a helping hand. We'll be in touch directly if we need you!