Residential Childrens Worker

Derbyshire County Council; Manchester; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Local Government Pension Scheme

generous annual leave and flexi-time

travel expenses

discount on leisure centre memberships

free car parking at most sites

in-house counselling services

occupational health service

access to sessions with a trained phys

cycle to work scheme

Provisional Interview Date: 21/10/2026

Job summary

Derbyshire County Council is recruiting Residential Children's Workers to provide holistic, person-centred care for children in our specialist services. You will work as part of a small team, delivering 24-hour care on a shift basis and collaborating with partner services to support children's development.

Applicants must be working towards or hold the Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare (or an equivalent qualification) and demonstrate openness to relationship-based, trauma-informed

Qualifications

• Must hold, be working toward, or be willing to undertake Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare within 2 years of starting.
• Knowledge of the Children Act, Quality Care Standards and Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015.
• Experience with relationship-focused and psychologically informed practice in care settings.

Responsibilities

• Provide holistic care and safety for children and young people in specialist services.
• Work as part of a small team to deliver a person-centred service.
• Collaborate with partner services to help access additional support for developmental needs.
• Embed therapeutic ethos of Derbyshire Residential Services within the Homes.

Skills

Relationship-focused practice

Psychologically informed approaches

Trauma-informed care

Team collaboration

Education

Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare

Job description

Derbyshire provides consistent, good quality care through twelve children's homes across the County. Our homes provide an environment where young people feel happy to live. Under-pinned by Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy (PACE), trauma informed practice, social pedagogy and person-centred approach to inform practice, we work continuously to improve the quality of our Children's homes, ensuring our young people have every opportunity to thrive and develop. About the role Our Residential Childrens Workers provide a service to Children within Specialist Services in accordance with legislative and policy requirements. Working as part of a small staff team who provide support and a person-centred service to children and young people, they are responsible for the holistic care and safety needs of the children. They work in close collaboration with partner services to support children and their families in accessing additional services, which may help address any unmet developmental needs. They embed the therapeutic ethos of Derbyshire Residential Services within the Homes, to ensure that all areas of a child's care address their physical, emotional, and social development., Residential Childrens Worker roles attract the following additional payments. This Residential Childrens Worker role is shift based (earlies, late's and sleep in's) to provide 24hr care.
As an RCW, you will need to have an openness to and an aptitude for relationship focused and psychologically informed working practices. You must have the appropriate skills and experience to perform and work within an environment that can, at times, require using your own initiative along with an understanding of the children act, the quality care standards and Children's Homes (England) regulations 2015. You must hold, be working towards, or be willing to undertake and complete within 2 years of starting work at the home, the Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare OR should hold an equivalent qualification such as L3 Children and Young Peoples Workforce (Social Care pathway), or NVQ L3 Caring for Children and Young People.
Salary details: Grade 9 £17.32 - £17.67 Monday to Sunday 7am-7pm. After 7pm until 7am £23.09 - £23.56. Bank Holidays £ 34.64 - £35.34 per hour. Sleep-in duty, you will be paid a basic duty payment rate of £36.19. Any additional time worked as a result of being called to work when sleeping in will be paid at the appropriate rate for the day/time of day. Bank holidays: sleep-in duties that span into or out of a bank holiday will be enhanced to double the basic duty payment rate. For more information on our residential children's service please visit https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/social-health/children-and-families/children-we-look-after/residential-care/young-people-who-need-residential-care.aspx Working for Derbyshire Derbyshire is also a great place to live and work. It's only a short drive to Derby, Nottingham, Sheffield, and Manchester but is also home to miles of beautiful countryside and has the Peak District National Park on its doorstep. The county enjoys house prices below the UK average and has great road and rail links. In addition to location, there are several perks to being a Derbyshire County Council employee:

• Local Government Pension Scheme
• generous annual leave and flexi-time scheme
• travel expenses
• discount on leisure centre memberships
• free car parking at most sites
• an in-house counselling services
• occupational health service
• access to sessions with a trained physiotherapist
• cycle to work scheme
• Provisional Interview Date: 21/10/2026