Senior Support Worker Team Leader

Independence Way; Guildford; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A supported accommodation service in Guildford seeks a Senior Support Worker to ensure high-quality care for young people. This role involves providing leadership to support staff and directly supporting individuals with life skills, safeguarding, and personal development. The ideal candidate will have experience working with vulnerable youth and a strong understanding of safeguarding practices. Competitive salary and opportunities for professional development are offered.

Benefits

Competitive salary based on experience

Opportunities for progression and qualifications

Regular supervision and reflective practice

Qualifications

• Experience working with vulnerable young people aged 16-21 in supported accommodation.
• Strong understanding of safeguarding procedures and legislation.
• Ability to build positive relationships with young people.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct support to young people in supported accommodation.
• Build trusting relationships and promote independence.
• Provide leadership and guidance to support staff.

Skills

Experience with vulnerable young people

Understanding of safeguarding procedures

Leadership and mentoring abilities

Excellent communication skills

Organizational skills

Resilience under pressure

Education

Level 3 Diploma in Children & Young People's Workforce (or equivalent)

Job description

Senior Support Worker

Job Location: Guildford, Surrey

Job Hours: Monday to Friday 12pm to 8pm

Driver's preferred - but not necessary if you can reliably commute

Service: Ofsted-Registered Supported Accommodation (16-21 years)

Reports to: Registered Manager / Deputy Manager

Responsible for: Support Workers and Night Support Staff (where applicable)

Purpose of the Role

The Senior Support Worker plays a vital role in ensuring high-quality care and support for young people aged 16-21 living in supported accommodation. The role involves providing direct support to young people in line with Ofsted regulations, safeguarding standards, and individual care and support plans. The Senior Support Worker also provides leadership, guidance, and supervision to Support Workers, ensuring consistency of practice, compliance with policies, and positive outcomes for young people.

Key Responsibilities

1. Young People's Support
   
   
   
   • Build positive, trusting, and professional relationships with young people, promoting independence and resilience.
   
   
   • Create, develop and review individual support plans and risk assessments with live-in support staff, following organizational procedures.
   
   
   • Provide keywork sessions, supporting young people with life skills such as budgeting, cooking, education, employment, training, managing health and wellbeing, and diary management. This may include accompanying young people to shops, library, college etc until the young person feels confident to go alone.
   
   
   • Support young people to attend appointments and attend appointments with them where required outside of the home. This may be by car or on public transport as appropriate.
   
   
   • Support young people to apply for identity documents, benefits, bank account, education, complete job applications etc online.
   
   
   • Signpost young people to local resources and activities, to meet their cultural and leisure needs.
   
   
   • Ensure support is delivered in line with individual risk assessments, support plans, and placement objectives. This should include proactively contacting each young person at least 5 times each week, and using a range of contact methods including text, emails, phone and face‑to‑face communication.
   
   
   • Attend and write a summary report and action plan on each professional meeting attended such as LAC review, PEP, placement planning or strategy meeting and ensure that all assigned actions are completed.
   
   
   • Encourage participation in decision‑making and actively involve young people in shaping their support.
   
   
   • Safeguard young people, responding appropriately to concerns, disclosures, and incidents in line with safeguarding procedures, and Ofsted requirements. Escalate safeguarding or other serious concerns promptly to management.
   
   
   • Promote equality, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of support.
   
   
   
   


2. Team Leadership & Supervision
   
   
   
   • Provide day‑to‑day guidance and support to live‑in Support Workers.
   
   
   • Check in with staff in each house they are responsible for daily, to ensure any concerns are picked up and addressed, and that staff receive the support they need.
   
   
   • Undertake formal supervision and reflective practice sessions with designated team members at least monthly.
   
   
   • Chair a monthly team meeting with other senior support workers and support workers to discuss practice issues, promote good practice, raise any concerns, and ensure consistency across the organisation.
   
   
   • Provide support with staff induction, mentoring, and ongoing development including monitoring that training is attended, completed and put into practice.
   
   
   • Model best practice in working with young people, demonstrating professional boundaries and resilience, work ethic etc.
   
   
   • Assist the management team in monitoring staff performance and contribute to appraisals, including providing written reports to the management team relating to staff performance.
   
   
   • With the manager or co‑ordinator's agreement, delegate tasks to support staff and support them to complete them, as part of that staff members skills development.
   
   
   
   


3. Quality & Compliance
   
   
   
   • Ensure all records (daily summaries, incident reports, risk assessments, and support plans) are accurate, up to date, and completed in line with company and Ofsted requirements.
   
   
   • Carry out the required weekly health and safety checks and associated documentation in each house in their area of responsibility.
   
   
   • Contribute to service audits, inspections, and quality assurance processes.
   
   
   • Support the Registered Manager and the Service Coordinator in implementing policies and procedures, Ofsted regulations and safeguarding frameworks.
   
   
   • Promote a culture of continuous improvement and reflective practice within the team.
   
   
   • Write monthly reports on the work they have carried out with each young person, and oversee and proof‑read reports written by support staff, to have all reports ready by the due date and sent to the relevant manager.
   
   
   • Keep a record of young people who are NEET and with support staff, create a plan to support the young person to engage with education, training and employment, reporting on this monthly to the Registered Manager.
   
   
   • Attend all management, maintenance and staff meetings as required.
   
   
   • Actively seek feedback from service users, social workers, IRO, and others on what we could do better and log all feedback and suggestions.
   
   
   
   


4. Accommodation Responsibilities
   
   
   
   • Spend at least one day each week in each house in their area of responsibility.
   
   
   • Support other staff with general health & safety checks, household maintenance, and adherence to policies and procedures including raising concerns with support staff, and ensuring that support staff record and report any issues promptly in Lief.
   
   
   • Carry out spot checks to ensure that the house is a good living environment, and being kept clean, tidy and maintained in all areas including both communal and private (bathroom and bedroom) areas, and that all required equipment is present, and in good condition and usable.
   
   
   • Distribute the monthly shopping for the houses and ensure that each house has the supplies it needs.
   
   
   • Keep track of house meetings ensuring they happen according to schedule and that any agreed actions are followed up.
   
   
   
   

Person Specification

Essential

• Experience of working with vulnerable young people aged 16-21 in supported accommodation, semi‑independent, or residential care.


• Strong understanding of safeguarding procedures and legislation affecting young people in care and supported accommodation.


• Experience of leading or mentoring staff, including providing supervision or guidance.


• Ability to build positive relationships with young people, respecting diversity and individuality.


• Excellent communication, organisational, and record‑keeping skills.


• Resilience and ability to remain calm under pressure, including during challenging behaviour or crisis situations.


• Commitment to professional development and reflective practice.

Desirable

• Level 3 Diploma in Children & Young People's Workforce (or equivalent).


• Previous experience of supervising staff in a residential, semi‑independent, or supported housing setting.


• Understanding of trauma‑informed practice and therapeutic approaches.


• Driving licence and access to a vehicle.

Key Competencies

• Leadership and supervision


• Safeguarding and risk management


• Young person‑centred practice


• Teamwork and collaboration


• Communication (written and verbal)


• Problem‑solving and decision‑making


• Professional boundaries and resilience

Salary & Benefits

• Competitive salary (based on experience and qualifications)


• Opportunities for progression and qualifications (e.g., Level 4/5 in Leadership & Management)


• Regular supervision and reflective practice