Senior Residential Child Care Practitioner

Cardiff Capital; Beddau; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

26 days annual leave

Cycle to Work Scheme

LeisureForLife Membership

Occupational Health & Wellbeing tool

Job summary

Rhondda Cynon Taf Council in Wales is seeking an experienced Senior Residential Child Care Practitioner to lead a dedicated team and provide trauma-informed care for children and young people. You will oversee direct work, supervise staff, and contribute to recovery and resilience within a nurturing home environment.

The role requires at least three years in residential childcare, a QCF Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care (Children and Young People) or NVQ Level 3, and registration with

Qualifications

• Hold the QCF Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care (Children and Young People) or NVQ Level 3 (Children and Young People).
• Be registered with Social Care Wales and have a minimum of three years' current residential childcare experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support a care team to provide high-quality, trauma-informed care.
• Provide emotional and practical support to children and young people to promote recovery and resilience.
• Supervise staff, maintain clear records, and work flexibly across shifts including weekends and sleep-ins.
• Collaborate with families and professionals to personalise care and ensure RISCA compliance.

Skills

Team leadership

Documentation

IT skills

Organisation

Resilience

Empathy

Travel independently

Staff development

Education

QCF Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care (Children & Young People)

NVQ Level 3 (Children and Young People)

Job description

Senior Residential Child Care Practitioner

The job requirements are detailed below. Essential qualifications, skills and experience are listed in the Job Descriptions/Person Specification which can be found under the attachments section below.

Do you have what it takes to make a positive difference in the lives of children and young people?

Are you a hardworking and resilient individual who can lead and support a team in engaging with and emotionally supporting children and young people?

We are seeking to appoint an experienced and confident Senior Residential Child Care Practitioner, who is enthusiastic about raising aspirations and working in a Trauma Informed way. As a Senior RCCP, you will have a minimum of three years’ experience in a residential childcare setting. You will be part of a caring team, that provides a safe, nurturing home for children and young people, led, and supported by an experienced Registered Manager.

Successful applicants will be committed to improving the lives of children with complex needs and those who have experienced childhood trauma. Leading a team in providing care and support, you will need to be organised and flexible to what can be a fast-paced environment. You will work creatively with a high level of active engagement in activities and direct work, while providing formal supervision and support to team members. You will be supported and trained to practice in a therapeutic environment, utilising the Trauma Recovery Model of care.

Much of your role will be spent supporting the team to work effectively with children and young people, with the goal of aiding recovery and building resilience, to achieve their personal goals.

This will involve you providing emotional and physical support to enable children and young people to reach their full potential, sometimes in challenging situations. This will include working actively with families and professionals to ensure care and support is personalised to meet individual needs.

The post holder will have a key role within the home in ensuring that the all RISCA requirements are met, and that registration is maintained.

To succeed in the role, you must be passionate, patient and committed to those you work with, and the professional standards of the role.

As a full time, member of the management team, you will need to be prepared to work a full range of shifts, inclusive of weekends, nights, and sleep in duties. While the base for this role is in Beddau you will occasionally work to support our other homes within the local authority, to meet the needs of the service.

Candidates will need to demonstrate:

• A motivation to provide a high- quality service
• Good IT skills and be able to write and keep clear accurate records
• A positive attitude to leading and supporting a staff team
• Organised and flexible to meet service needs
• Positivity and resilience
• A commitment to providing safe and caring environments for children and young people to learn and grow
• Compassion and Empathy, and an enthusiasm to promote individual choice
• The ability to invest in developing trusting relationships with children, families, and other professionals.
• An enthusiasm and commitment to learning
• An ability to travel independently

You will hold the QCF Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care (Children and Young People) or predecessor qualification NVQ Level 3 (Children and Young People). You will be registered with Social Care Wales and have a minimum of three years current experience in residential childcare.

Take a look at our dedicated Children’s Services webpages for more information about why you should choose a career in Residential services.

For further information about the post or an informal discussion, please contact Nicola Howard, Registered Manager on [phone].

Our Offer to you

We recognise that working in Social Care is professionally and personally challenging and demands considerable levels of skill, commitment, and enthusiasm. We offer a dedicated in-house Learning and Development Centre which actively supports our staff to maintain their skills and Continuous Professional Development. Successful applicants will be fully funded to receive the necessary training and support required to undertake the role. Successful applicants who do not hold the relevant qualification will be supported to achieve the QCF Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care (Children and Young People) within 2 years of appointment.

RCT Council employees also have access to a wide range of staff benefits which include:

• 26 days Annual Leave, rising to 31 days after 5 years’ service. There is also an option to purchase additional annual leave to a maximum of 10 days (pro rata) per year.
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Discounted LeisureForLife Membership
• Access to our Occupational Health Unit and CARI, our new digital confidential wellbeing tool.

Protecting children and vulnerable adults is a core responsibility of all staff appointed to the Council.

In addition to this safeguarding responsibility, the successful applicant for this role will also be subject to an enhanced disclosure and barring service check.

The Council values diversity in its workforce. We are committed to ensuring that no unlawful discrimination occurs in the recruitment and selection process on the grounds of age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, transgender, including those with non-binary identities, religion or belief or pregnancy and maternity. We offer a number of staff networks for employees including the Allies Network, a Disability and Carers Network and Perthyn our LGBTQ+ Network.

An application submitted for this post in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application made in English.

As part of the Council’s longer term objectives in relation to the Welsh language and its Workforce Planning Strategy, it is committed to a guaranteed interview scheme for Welsh-speakers of Level 3 and above. If you meet the essential criteria as identified in the person specification for the job and are a Welsh-speaker of Level 3 and above, you will be invited to interview if you choose to participate in the scheme.

Care Experienced Leavers – Guaranteed Interview Scheme

As part of the Council’s corporate parenting role it is committed to supporting its care experienced leavers. This means anyone who has spent time within the care system at any point in their life. We encourage applications from individuals who are care experienced to enable them to access employment, education, experiences and volunteering opportunities.

The Council will guarantee an interview for any care experienced leavers who wish to take part in the scheme who meet the essential criteria for the role.